M2 Comp to M2 Manual
Discussion
Earlier in the year, I sold my M2 Comp when I picked up an EV through my company. Missed the M2 and some man-maths convinced me I could get a non-Comp M2 just at a time when a mate was selling his 3-year-old 10k mile M2 manual. Deal done (and it makes a much better noise than the Comp).
So the question.
Does the collective think a low mileage M2 with a manual box will hold its value in the long term, especially as it is likely manufacturers will switch their focus fairly quickly to EV / hybrids in the run up to 2030. Seems unlikely that they will be putting too much R&D effort into M2-esque cars over the coming years.
So the question.
Does the collective think a low mileage M2 with a manual box will hold its value in the long term, especially as it is likely manufacturers will switch their focus fairly quickly to EV / hybrids in the run up to 2030. Seems unlikely that they will be putting too much R&D effort into M2-esque cars over the coming years.
All depends how hard the government are on ICE cars , for example tax penalties and bans into cities. This could start before 2030; sure I’ve read about a planned agenda against higher octane fuels.
If they’re hit hard , even a “driver’s car” like OG M2 could see a drop in demand v supply :-
(1) some people won’t bother with a performance ICE car
(2) others will seek something rarer and/or more special.
Only inmho !
I say enjoy it for now. YOLO
If they’re hit hard , even a “driver’s car” like OG M2 could see a drop in demand v supply :-
(1) some people won’t bother with a performance ICE car
(2) others will seek something rarer and/or more special.
Only inmho !
I say enjoy it for now. YOLO
Difficult to say. They've made quite a few M2s so rarity is not exactly on our side but then again the M cars seem to almost plateau in value after 4/5 years. Being a manual does help it would seem as they only seem to represent 20 to 25% of cars.
Would there be retrospective VED hikes ? I don't think that has ever happened but who knows.
Ban in cities wouldn't be great indeed but perhaps an enthusiast may not be that bothered as those cars are not exactly in their element in urban environments.
Personally I love mine and will probably keep it for ever so even over 10 years and assuming it's worth £0 then, that's £250/month which is peanuts for the amount of fun, particularly on track.
Would there be retrospective VED hikes ? I don't think that has ever happened but who knows.
Ban in cities wouldn't be great indeed but perhaps an enthusiast may not be that bothered as those cars are not exactly in their element in urban environments.
Personally I love mine and will probably keep it for ever so even over 10 years and assuming it's worth £0 then, that's £250/month which is peanuts for the amount of fun, particularly on track.
In the summer of 2018 I paid 37k for my 2017 manual M2 with 3.5k on the clock. They seem to be going for around 31k now with my current mileage (12.5k), so I’m working on the basis that depreciation is currently about £300p/m. This rate will obviously level off as time goes on and the rate of depreciation will fall - unless things go spectacularly wrong with the economy I don’t see my car being worth only £13k in 5 years, based on the depreciation rate of £300p/m. I reckon decent low mileage M2 manuals will bottom out around 20k, but that’s just my opinion, could be lower could be higher. Also I don’t see the 2030 changes having any immediate impact. Who knows what’s around the corner though, fingers crossed a viable alternative fuel to petrol comes along... in my view that’s where the investment should really have been going, instead of into electric cars. Otherwise retro fit electric kits are looking like an option in many years to come, some outfits around already with plug n play kits for Mini, MG’s, 964’s... so if I end up going for one of those kits in the distant future then I’ll lose the manual ‘box and engine but at least the chassis / everything else will still be viable. I’m shallow enough to admit the main reason I bought this car is because of its looks, the fact the handling is lovely is a bonus. For me those are good enough reasons to keep it long term if I can.
I’ve got a well sorted MK7R ( 3door DSG) which I’ve owned since new.
It’s a APR stage 2 car with all the usual bolt on’s a fabulous Tarox 8 pot BBK and VWR suspension with DCC and Superpro camber kit.
It’s a real weapon with 420 and 440lbs but I’m getting itchy for an M2.
Trouble deciding whether to go for the early B58 manual car or go Comp. Is there a huge gulf between the two cars apart from budget?
What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
It’s a APR stage 2 car with all the usual bolt on’s a fabulous Tarox 8 pot BBK and VWR suspension with DCC and Superpro camber kit.
It’s a real weapon with 420 and 440lbs but I’m getting itchy for an M2.
Trouble deciding whether to go for the early B58 manual car or go Comp. Is there a huge gulf between the two cars apart from budget?
What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
I’ve got a well sorted MK7R ( 3door DSG) which I’ve owned since new.
It’s a APR stage 2 car with all the usual bolt on’s a fabulous Tarox 8 pot BBK and VWR suspension with DCC and Superpro camber kit.
It’s a real weapon with 420 and 440lbs but I’m getting itchy for an M2.
Trouble deciding whether to go for the early B58 manual car or go Comp. Is there a huge gulf between the two cars apart from budget?
What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
It’s a APR stage 2 car with all the usual bolt on’s a fabulous Tarox 8 pot BBK and VWR suspension with DCC and Superpro camber kit.
It’s a real weapon with 420 and 440lbs but I’m getting itchy for an M2.
Trouble deciding whether to go for the early B58 manual car or go Comp. Is there a huge gulf between the two cars apart from budget?
What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
I had no idea what a B58 was and had to google it! Seems that engine was never fitted to the M2, which went from N55 (M2) direct to S55 (M2C), it never had the B58 fitted as far as I can work out? The M2 is great on motorways, very refined and grown up. It’s not a stripped out racer or anything by any means. We’ve used it on a number of long road trips and it’s been most pleasant, especially in the comfort mode which dials everything down. The M2 is basically my daily, and is perfect in that role, my wife prefers sitting in that to my other car which is a little louder thanks to its muffler delete (‘07 GT3). M2 doesn’t have adaptive suspension, and I don’t think the M2C does either, just the M2CS. If you’re just after a fun weekend car and don’t need the practicality of back seats go Cayman, otherwise go for the M2. That’s probably what I would do. Unless you actually prefer the looks of the M2... for me it came down to either an M2 or another 911 to use as a daily, but I couldn’t resist the looks of the M2. If I didn’t already have a 911 though I would’ve got one of those instead ... no idea about the M4, never considered one of those, to me they just seem too big and bulky. Good luck, have fun searching for your next car
Smuler said:
All depends how hard the government are on ICE cars , for example tax penalties and bans into cities. This could start before 2030; sure I’ve read about a planned agenda against higher octane fuels.
If they’re hit hard , even a “driver’s car” like OG M2 could see a drop in demand v supply :-
(1) some people won’t bother with a performance ICE car
(2) others will seek something rarer and/or more special.
Only inmho !
I say enjoy it for now. YOLO
Almost as if it's hard to predict If they’re hit hard , even a “driver’s car” like OG M2 could see a drop in demand v supply :-
(1) some people won’t bother with a performance ICE car
(2) others will seek something rarer and/or more special.
Only inmho !
I say enjoy it for now. YOLO
TX.
Msportman said:
Trouble deciding whether to go for the early B58 manual car or go Comp. Is there a huge gulf between the two cars apart from budget?
What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
I was in the same situation.What is the M2 like on long journeys? Comfy and do the all have adaptive suspension?
It seems the M4 Comp seem better value used ??
This will be a fun weekend car rather a daily tbh so I’ve also been looking at 981 Cayman S with similar budgets.
The original M2 actually used a heavily reworked N55 engine https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/07/28/bmw-made-n55-ev...
The M2 Comp borrows the M3/M4's "proper" engine. It is more powerful but whether you need that extra power is difficult to say in relation to the extra money (£8k to £10k). You probably need to test drive them both. I track my N55 M2 and don't need more power, they're both very fast cars which are ultimately traction limited, especially in the wet. They both have a fantastic chassis, which is identical in terms of hardware and suspension kinematics, despite what the internet says.
The M2 Comp has far nicer seats than the M2 cosmetically but functionally neither offer that much support on track but are fine on the road, particularly from an ergonomics point of view.
For me the N55 feels more NA despite a lower red line. It sounds better too.
The M2 Comp is 55kgs heavier than the M2, because it needs additional cooling, a second turbo and a huge exhaust.
The Cayman route was very tempting but £30k doesn't buy much in terms of spec or warranty or low mileage/age.
I think a £30k AUC M2 is a bargain and is very pleasant on long journeys despite neither cars having adaptive.
M4 Comp a very good alternative but perhaps doesn't have quite the same amount of nimbleness what with the longer wheelbase.
nickfrog said:
I was in the same situation.
The original M2 actually used a heavily reworked N55 engine https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/07/28/bmw-made-n55-ev...
The M2 Comp borrows the M3/M4's "proper" engine. It is more powerful but whether you need that extra power is difficult to say in relation to the extra money (£8k to £10k). You probably need to test drive them both. I track my N55 M2 and don't need more power, they're both very fast cars which are ultimately traction limited, especially in the wet. They both have a fantastic chassis, which is identical in terms of hardware and suspension kinematics, despite what the internet says.
The M2 Comp has far nicer seats than the M2 cosmetically but functionally neither offer that much support on track but are fine on the road, particularly from an ergonomics point of view.
For me the N55 feels more NA despite a lower red line. It sounds better too.
The M2 Comp is 55kgs heavier than the M2, because it needs additional cooling, a second turbo and a huge exhaust.
The Cayman route was very tempting but £30k doesn't buy much in terms of spec or warranty or low mileage/age.
I think a £30k AUC M2 is a bargain and is very pleasant on long journeys despite neither cars having adaptive.
M4 Comp a very good alternative but perhaps doesn't have quite the same amount of nimbleness what with the longer wheelbase.
Thanks Nick.The original M2 actually used a heavily reworked N55 engine https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/07/28/bmw-made-n55-ev...
The M2 Comp borrows the M3/M4's "proper" engine. It is more powerful but whether you need that extra power is difficult to say in relation to the extra money (£8k to £10k). You probably need to test drive them both. I track my N55 M2 and don't need more power, they're both very fast cars which are ultimately traction limited, especially in the wet. They both have a fantastic chassis, which is identical in terms of hardware and suspension kinematics, despite what the internet says.
The M2 Comp has far nicer seats than the M2 cosmetically but functionally neither offer that much support on track but are fine on the road, particularly from an ergonomics point of view.
For me the N55 feels more NA despite a lower red line. It sounds better too.
The M2 Comp is 55kgs heavier than the M2, because it needs additional cooling, a second turbo and a huge exhaust.
The Cayman route was very tempting but £30k doesn't buy much in terms of spec or warranty or low mileage/age.
I think a £30k AUC M2 is a bargain and is very pleasant on long journeys despite neither cars having adaptive.
M4 Comp a very good alternative but perhaps doesn't have quite the same amount of nimbleness what with the longer wheelbase.
My mistake Re B58....got my engine codes mixed up !
I see many upgrade the seats in early M2’s in any case.
It’s the sound of the early M2 that captivates me over the Comp. I note many testers including Achilles rave about the Comp and the fact they reckon it’s a proper M car and not a fancy M240i. I see it differently as the original M2 has got just a tad more hardware than a M240 eg M diff, different suspension etc.
Ive got a good budget for either M2 or Comp of up to £45-£48k if needed however tempting it maybe to buy new and go PCP which maybe pointless for a weekend toy.
I’ve also been looking at E92 M3 Comp although I have no experience of this platform.
Only other car I may look at is FL TTRS with a nice 520bhp tuning potential and 5 pot warble.
One thing I’ll miss with my current Golf R is the all weather ability to put over 440lbs down in our glorious climate with utter ease and aplomb. It’s a devastating tool on a smaller budget and a great daily but it’s a bit just another Golf to many which for some is its appeal. It’s not a special car but it punches well above its weight for a much cheaper car. I just hope the M2 gives me a greater buzz for the outlay over my tuned R !
Edited by Msportman on Saturday 21st November 20:54
Msportman said:
It’s the sound of the early M2 that captivates me over the Comp. I note many testers including Achilles rave about the Comp and the fact they reckon it’s a proper M car and not a fancy M240i. I see it differently as the original M2 has got just a tad more hardware than a M240 eg M diff, different suspension etc.
A tester who sees the OG M2 as not a proper M car or a fancy M240i doesn't have much credibility in my eyes. It's essentially the same car as the Comp with a bit less weight and a bit less power. As you said seats can be upgraded although if I did that I would go straight to Recaro Sporters. Worthy of note though that the optional lumbar support adjustments on the N55 M2 does allow additional support. nickfrog said:
A tester who sees the OG M2 as not a proper M car or a fancy M240i doesn't have much credibility in my eyes. It's essentially the same car as the Comp with a bit less weight and a bit less power. As you said seats can be upgraded although if I did that I would go straight to Recaro Sporters. Worthy of note though that the optional lumbar support adjustments on the N55 M2 does allow additional support.
Absolutely agree with this. Just read this manual to see how much different the OG and LCI M2 are to the regular series car and how many M3/M4 components are used elsewhere in the car. There is no doubt it's a proper M car, albeit one done to a budget.The N54 in the 1M made that no less an M car too.
https://www.bimmerpost.com/goodiesforyou/m/m2/f87/...
as7920 said:
nickfrog said:
A tester who sees the OG M2 as not a proper M car or a fancy M240i doesn't have much credibility in my eyes. It's essentially the same car as the Comp with a bit less weight and a bit less power. As you said seats can be upgraded although if I did that I would go straight to Recaro Sporters. Worthy of note though that the optional lumbar support adjustments on the N55 M2 does allow additional support.
Absolutely agree with this. Just read this manual to see how much different the OG and LCI M2 are to the regular series car and how many M3/M4 components are used elsewhere in the car. There is no doubt it's a proper M car, albeit one done to a budget.The N54 in the 1M made that no less an M car too.
https://www.bimmerpost.com/goodiesforyou/m/m2/f87/...
I do think that a manual M2 will be a good long term bet. The engine is a good match for the manual, unlike the E92 M3 where the DCT was a better match for the engine.
The main disappointment for me about the M2 was the interior. Lots of scratchy plastics and didn’t feel any more special to the 240i. Agree with the poster who said just to drop in some recaros. IMO it would benefit from a ‘stubbier’ gear lever.
as7920 said:
Absolutely agree with this. Just read this manual to see how much different the OG and LCI M2 are to the regular series car and how many M3/M4 components are used elsewhere in the car. There is no doubt it's a proper M car, albeit one done to a budget.
The N54 in the 1M made that no less an M car too.
https://www.bimmerpost.com/goodiesforyou/m/m2/f87/...
I think your reference to the 1M is very valid, even if I must admit to liking the N54 engine (same mechanicals in the Z4 35iS) very much. The N54 in the 1M made that no less an M car too.
https://www.bimmerpost.com/goodiesforyou/m/m2/f87/...
The only "problem" is that the 1M was never updated, with a newer and more powerful model, unlike the M2. And giving the M2C a "proper" M engine that was not found in a lesser model invariably means that comparisons will be made between the M2 and M2C.
Yet, rather than fixate on this, and the 35 hp difference, buy the best car you can afford and enjoy it. There is more to the M experience than the engine, with suspension, brakes and LSD making a big difference compared to an M240i, and these being shared between the M2 and M2C.
All you need to know about the original M2 is Bmw gave it the F87 designation,
that sits it alongside the F80/82/83 series of M3/M4 vehicles.
Bmw kept the N55 for the original version as it met the power requirements (not to tread on the M3/4 toes)
and to keep costs affordable.
Bmw did a decent amount of upgrades to the N55 for harder use such as M4 pistons and bearings,
scavenger oil pump and M4 sump pan.
Additional radiator for cooling and a reworked exhaust manifold and turbo housing.
Buy the best car you can afford, both engines have their share of character.
OG N55 models make just shy of 400 lbft on the dyno so don't feel short changed !
They are a riot to drive.
My (only) small gripe on my M2 Lci for longer journeys is road noise.
Bmw removed sound deadening over a regular 2 series coupe,
I wish they had left it in !
that sits it alongside the F80/82/83 series of M3/M4 vehicles.
Bmw kept the N55 for the original version as it met the power requirements (not to tread on the M3/4 toes)
and to keep costs affordable.
Bmw did a decent amount of upgrades to the N55 for harder use such as M4 pistons and bearings,
scavenger oil pump and M4 sump pan.
Additional radiator for cooling and a reworked exhaust manifold and turbo housing.
Buy the best car you can afford, both engines have their share of character.
OG N55 models make just shy of 400 lbft on the dyno so don't feel short changed !
They are a riot to drive.
My (only) small gripe on my M2 Lci for longer journeys is road noise.
Bmw removed sound deadening over a regular 2 series coupe,
I wish they had left it in !
3795mpower said:
My (only) small gripe on my M2 Lci for longer journeys is road noise.
Bmw removed sound deadening over a regular 2 series coupe,
I wish they had left it in !
I didn't know that - do you think it's possible to retrofit it ?Bmw removed sound deadening over a regular 2 series coupe,
I wish they had left it in !
My only other gripe is that the interior can feel a bit creaky around the central console area.
There is a shaped foam insert that fills the gap between the front wing and the A-pillar which cuts road noise, fitting these made quite a difference on my car
Left https://cars245.co.uk/item/bmw-51487300693-sealing...
Right https://cars245.co.uk/item/bmw-51487300694-sealing...
Left https://cars245.co.uk/item/bmw-51487300693-sealing...
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