The change of heart has come through a combination of events, changes of work patterns and (being totally honest) the realisation that the M2 just doesn't suit my life currently. Although the recent insurance renewal was ok, it did remind me that running two cars isn't a cheap thing to do, so a little reminder as to the practicalities involved. Also, the M2, as utterly amazing as it is, can be a very difficult car to drive in a reasonably sedate/sensible manner...! The feel of the chassis, the urge of the engine and the transmission really make me want to press on, sometimes this is so absorbing and addictive, sometimes this can be frustrating given the state of our roads and the traffic. I have spent many occasions sitting in rubbish traffic wondering why I was in a car like an M2. As to my previous comments on the M440i, I did feel that it was too safe and secure as a performance car, in hindsight I wasn't considering the dual nature of the car and maximising this. Also, the draw of a full fat M car was too strong to resist, the test drive basically wrote off my thoughts for the G22. Also, so often car purchases don't always make any sense, if becomes a heart as well as a vaguely head oriented choice. I know it is an odd one, but this feels right for now and the coming years. Also, my youngest will get first refusal on the Alfa as an upgrade for his 147, he will be thrilled.
Sad that the M2 will soon be on its way but as you say the itch has been scratched. Looking forward to reviews on its replacement in due course.
Did not see this coming i thought the M2 was your ideal car. Spuffingtons "Crown" of chief car swapper may be in danger. Motor Source Group are advertising new 340i tourings from £49k, saving £14k on RRP
I know exactly what you mean. A few recent awful trips on my commute has even made me cycle to work & back a bit, 45mins each way but still quicker even for a fat/slow guy like me to sail past the match day evening gridlock of Old Trafford ! On non-match days I've got the bus a few times too, at £2 each way it's starting to make sense to let someone else's dpf clog up ! Good luck with the 340. I would love that combination too. You said the M2 wasn't for ever, but you've enjoyed it and created memories and photos. Also you enjoy the searching and speccing cars up too, this will be your fourth BMW in five years ?
I’ve had a few to be fair…the E92 was bought in 2018, changed to the F32 440i in 2020, the G22 in 2022, the M2 in 2024. The researching of cars is great, can you tell I enjoy it….??
Had a similar experience when I bought my M5 . Loved it but after 18mths realised it did not fit in with my lifestyle . Changed it for a 530d which made much more sense and was a great car
I think you had to do this to get to this point. You’ve scratched the itch and that helps you to make your next move. For me my itch keeps itching You got me thinking about my own situation but I don’t think I could bring myself to sell my M5.
Oh wow! Quite a change I’m sure sure as the day comes closer, this shall have adverse feeling of regrets as opposed to excitement
Same as me but unfortunately I did change the M5 but had to stay M. If I sold my car and got something different I know for a fact I would develop a rash as the itch would be so strong to return to an “S” engined car. Hope it all works out, am sure it will. Sometimes a car, as bloomin good as it is might never fulfill all the roles required of it. The M340i will be that middle ground car that can cross all bridges, get it in red though!!!!
Lovely trip out to the Derbyshire Dales today, we’ve had a pretty horrible month or so, needed a break from it all, headed out and found some wonderful air and views. Parked at a little place called Thorpe, then walked the Tissington trail into Ashbourne. Had a cracking coffee and cake there, did a bit of shop mooching then walked back. Found a great pub called The Old Dog in Thorpe, excellent food to recharge the legs! The parking was perfect, only three cars in the entire lot, the M2 was left all alone!
Also in Derbyshire visiting family and collecting my dog, who has been at my daughters for 3 weeks whilst I had a holiday (only 1 week - logistics challenges when your dog sitter is 130 miles away!). I may be biased but it is the best place to clear your head and get clarity. Don't know Thorpe but do know Ashbourne... although it's not my part of Derbyshire. Head a bit further to Baslow / Chatsworth/ Bakewell / Ashford next time. Maybe we can do an m340 / i5 M60 touring comparison before autumn is gone...
Sorry to hear things have been a bit tough recently. Nothing like getting outside and away into nature to get a bit of headspace. I'm sure the drive out in that M2 helps enormously too!
It's a great part of the Peak District. Ilam is well worth a visit as are Dove Stones but not at busy times. Just further up Hartington is worth seeking out.
Gave the M2 what is probably the last clean from me. I have a crazy busy week at work, then we are off to North Wales on Saturday, back on Sunday, then I’m back off to North Wales on my own on Monday! Back home for Thursday and then off to Heathrow Friday, so no chance of a clean for the next few weeks. The water filter system is so, so good. I did something that I never thought would be possible, I washed the car in the full (28 degrees) sun. Rinsed each quarter of the car as I washed, just to make sure the AG conditioner doesn’t dry on the paintwork. Then I left it to dry in the sun. Totally against everything I’ve ever done before! However, the results are incredible. Very impressed indeed.
Very nice, my resin needs replacing as I am getting watermarks now and it is showing around 75ppm. Better get ready for the £120 bill for 25 litres
I'm curious, was the current lot of resin 25 litres,and if not how many was it, and how long has it lasted?
Mine takes 11 litres. I have “really” taken the mickey using it to not just do the final rinse but the whole start to finish process and I reckon I have had 20 washes from it. You can be a lot more economical with how you use it but I can’t be bothered lol.
Mine is 11 litres as well. I use it to rinse the citrus pre-wash off, and then for the final rinse. Only done two washes so far, will test the water after a few more.
With 36 or so hours left with the M2, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon the ownership experience, the goods, the bads and the sheer crazy. As you will have gathered, this was a no common sense purchase back in November of 2024, the M440i was a great car, but I was looking for that extra edge, that feel and fizz that I wasn't getting. This was immediate as soon as I drove the M2 down the dealership driveway, what an incredible difference, even Mrs W stated the same, she couldn't believe how different the car felt. So the purchase was one that was purely down to heart, with very little head involved. However, I consider the relatively short ownership experience as a positive one in the main. After 5K miles and 9 months, the car is going back to the dealer, weirdly I won't be as sad or as torn as I presumed I would be, more to do with the broader ownership experience than the car itself. As a performance car the G87 is simply sensational. It ticks all those boxes and some more, the fizz and thrill was most definitely there, and in bucket loads. Here is a summary of the overall experience, broken down into pros, cons and costs: Pros: - Bonkers but accessible performance. The S58 is a monster of an engine, relatively sedate most of the time, then select an M mode and it just bursts into life at prod of the pedal. There is a decent junk of torque at lower revs, this gives the car the initial get up and go, then the revs rise and the turbos pile on the power all the way up the rev range. Absolutely addictive - The chassis is a work of engineering genius. There have been two or three occasions when the car has reminded me that it is RWD, mainly due to poor road conditions and an ignorant driver, other than that the front end grip gives the impression of an AWD most of the time. Helped by the Michelin PS4S tyres of course, which are huge, the mechanical grip beggars belief in nearly all occasions and conditions. The G87 is a shortened G82 chassis, this gives the car a more "playful" feel, so the motor journey say at any rate, I can't compare the two - It "feels" alive, this is mainly though the seat and overall sensations rather than the steering, it makes me smile and grin like an idiot - I think it looks aggressively handsome, in a Duplo/Lego kind of way, a look that certainly stands from the crowd, the rear flanks are just bonkers, they give a truly muscular stance - It is relatively practical, my two adult boys, their luggage and myself had a reasonably comfortable ride up to the Lakes and back in February. Day-to-day boot space is more than enough, as is the cubby and storage space in the cabin - Its an M2, say no more - In general the adaptive suspension is great, it manages to do a reasonable job of comfort, but then firms up brilliantly when the M button is pressed Cons: - The gearbox is odd, in Efficient mode it hangs on to gears at random times, most noticeably in 2nd when coming out of a roundabout or junction, I'm not sure that the LCI has corrected this in the new software, but I've heard many others complain of the same - Although the boys and I managed to go to the Lakes in the car, it really isn't a four seater, not with anyone vaguely tall in the drivers seat. I'm only 6 foot tall, but there isn't any leg room worthy of note behind me - The "feel" can get a bit tiresome at times, there is limited sound deadening, which is great for those push opportunities, but can bore after a while, I wouldn't say that this is a daily driver if you are doing dual carriage ways or motorways - The car just wants to go, and go, and go, as you would expect from an M car, but our roads don't allow for this. Not a reflection on the car really, more of the roads that we have to put up with, this has made me wonder why I am sat in such a capable car most of the time - Mrs W has hated the car from the moment she sat in it, not the main reason for changing the car, but it does become annoying each and every time we go out in the car.... - Although I am generally ok with the fact it had been a BMW press car, I still get the odd annoyance that I didn't know this when I bought the car Costs: - I'm not going to work out a £ per mile, mainly because I don't know how (accurately at any rate), and an M car isn't a car that you buy with any sort of financial head, however, I have done well out of the short ownership experience. The car was relatively cheap (ha!) when I bough it, and the market has actually risen since then, maybe due to it being summer now rather than winter when I bought the car. I'm getting my deposit back on the car, the dealership have matched Motorway, so I've effectively rented the car each month, happy with that given how short term performance car ownership can sting - Reliability has been all but faultless, only the headlight needing replacing - Over 5K miles it has averaged 30.8mpg according to the app, better than I was expecting - One oil/filter service was required, this was £480 all in, crazy for oil and a pollen filter, but it certainly could have been worse I'm so glad I have had this experience, a genuine thrill to have owned such a car. Also, there are not going to be cars like this anyone, the new M cars are going to be hybrids, most other makers have already moved to smaller capacity hybrid, or even electric performance drivetrains, so BMW need to be commended for keeping the ICE at the heart of these cars. No doubt I will have a slight pull of the heart strings when I see another one out on the roads, but at least I can say I've been there and done that. On to the next automotive adventure!
Fab write up and appreciate you being very honest. Guess it sums up my experience with the M5, fully appreciated how capable it was but it wasn't the right car for me... living in the crowded South East, nearly always having a dog or bad passenger with me! Good luck with the new car - and you will always have the memories. The M2 is probably my favourite M car these days - the M3 Touring should be but its just a bit too in your face for me!
