[NISFAN]

I have been deliberating over an M4 or the M2 and wasn't quite sure which way to go. In my head the M2 was most likely a better fit, however, with discounts on the M4 and the better options list, the M4/3 is a very viable option. It was also my firm choice before hearing more about the M2.Which to go for?

So today I got the chance to back to back test drive an M4 and an M135i to see if that would make it any easier (No M2 demonstrator for another month). My sales guy asked the question, weather was dry, so thought what the hell...
"Which one first?" was the next question..... "M235i.....I don't want to be disappointed after the M4" was my response.

So fired up the Estoril blue M235i with a pretty full house of M Performance bits on it and headed out to find some challenging roads. I did a short stint on a NSL dual carriageway, set speed limit to 70 and checked MPG (don't beat on me, and yes MPG is important even in cars like this), which settled around 37.5MPG, dropping the speed to 65 gets the needle hovering on 39-40. Now this is not scientific, just something I wanted to compare. MPG check and engine warm up done, I headed off onto another dual carriageway with roundabouts spaced at regular intervals, Sport+, ZF8 stick to the left, manual paddle flick and full throttle. Done.
Those who have switched to Petrol or just generally choose petrol for the sound what a difference to a diesel, like angels singing while the devil tries to chew the tyres. It is just magical letting the needle complete the whole dial before pulling on the paddle. Instant grin time, until nearly being taken by surprise by the fast approaching roundabout. The M235i brakes are very similar to mine, but smaller discs, but they have a bite about them that mine doesn't, very confidence inspiring. The chassis also stays arrow straight and balanced on the brakes. Very little dive for a standard car. Tap down on the paddles and you get a slight blip, not much in terms of rev matching, but you also get a lovely little percussion on the overrun. Turn in is pretty impressive, the VSS steering seems sharper than my F30 VSS. Car carries pretty good mid corner speed and is well behaved with just a little squirming from the rear end. No understeer, and the feeling that if pushed could be more likely to turn into oversteer without using excessive power. Nice the way I like it.
There is some body roll but not much, and it does settle back really quick once you start unwinding the lock, which allows you to get back on the power nice and early. The engine response is bloody good for a turbo charged engine, easy to 'feel' the torque and feed it in as appropriate, then full throttle and those angels again.
I had to do a few 180's just to keep this going, each time being a bit more aggressive as we got to know each other. Verdict, the M235i is a sweet handling machine, definitely under tyred on the rear, but then that is probably what brings the joy.
Next test....standing starts, and I am absolutely blown away. Plant the throttle from a standstill and I was expecting to saw the steering wheel to keep it straight.......nothing so dramatic.....the torque builds as the speed builds almost in perfect harmony, so by the time it hits peak torque, the car is moving fast enough to increase the wheelspin threshold. The result, some light squirming but no rampant wheelspin. OK, if you toque brake or use LC, then yes it can break into a smokey burn out as quick as you like.
The M235i seems to roar quite a bit from the rear tyres, but there is little wind noise in comparison to an F30 and it is quite a comfy car, except for the rear seats, kids only or very short distance. Car dropped off with average trip saying 20.2MPG.

Now into the HULK, a very bright green M4 with black wheels, not my cup of tea I have to say. Sitting inside it there is an immediate difference in the cabin environment, leather dash giving off lovely fragrances as it cooks in the sun. The interior is just so much more grown up than the little brother 2 series. Pressing the start button, you might as well be pressing your grin button, the engine bursts into life more like a racing car than a road car. Cold starts are impressive with the door open.
I was expecting the DCT to be a bit stroppy as it was a cold day, despite the lovely sunshine, and no, perfectly acceptable. Same route as previously. Oh that MPG test, the M4 doesn't have an accurate readout, but the gauge showed mid 30's at 70, a little down on the M235i but not much. Overall was 18.6MPG vs. 20.2, close enough not to matter.
The M4 is quite a civilised car at low speeds and sedate pace, good steering, smooth inputs and good feedback. Yes you can tell the rear subframe is more intimate with the body than non M cars, it gives a buzz almost all the time you are on the move. The cabin feels louder than the M235i, and I suspect it is a combination of wind roar and road rumble, but it is drowned out by the sound symposium, it is bloody loud, and of course I had it in max attack settings mostly.
So what stands out on the M4? That engine dominates everything, what a unit, it snarls and barks and that percussion I was talking about on the M235i ??? well that times 10. I especially loved a single event where I took a slow ish corner and left it in 4th to see how it pulled from low revs.....it growled at me like an angry male lion in protest. It was difficult for me to replicate it, but it will remain in my car soundbyte file forever.
Unlike the M235i, this car does not take kindly to foot flat operation, it jiggles on smooth tarmac, and every little ripple in the tarmac are used as opportunities to 'get you back'. This things builds speed quick, quite a bit quicker than the M235i, that fast approaching roundabout brought on a hard jump on the brakes, that respond absolutely brilliantly. They are so powerful it isn't funny. The car squats and darts slightly, but scrubs speed really quick. The next bit wasn't so impressive, this car is a similar weight to my 330d, but feels like it weighs a ton more, it fights all the way through corners, the front grips really hard, but also gives the sensation it will let go suddenly, same with the back. It sometimes feels like they are having an argument, which makes you hesitate when to get back hard on the throttle. Due to this, there is quite a bit of turbo lag when you do and there is a moment of time when you are thinking "Come on, get on with it!!!". That soon fades and then you are into full bore upshifts which are quite violent in the lower gears, enough to upset the rear end even in the dry, even though the twitch is brief and takes no correcting. I don't know what BMW have done but the M4 feels like it has wheels made of lead, all that weight feels like it is in the wheels. When leaning on the M4 the suspension feels quite poor, overly jittery and in my amateur opinion, sluggish on the rebound settings. It is almost like BMW have made the M4 feel more dangerous than it should be by making the rear end overly stiff and the damping not tuned right. This was a 16 plate car. At high speeds the chassis start to come towards itself, but it is not that competent on your average rutted back road.
Standing starts are more of an event than the M235i, of course, more power and more aggressive torque delivery quickly overpowers those rears.

I got back absolutely loving the S55 engine, DCT too, but a little disappointed with the M4. It takes extreme care to drive it fast, and that is on bone dry roads. I think with the right suspension kit on it it would be a completely different animal.

I said to my sales contact that I want the M4 engine in the M235i with wider tyres and more noise.......you can see where this leads....mind fully made up.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Excellent write up

Yeah can see where it heading lol.

However, now think of the M4 as Lorcan has set up the ACS one...

I seem to remember Guy did a good write up on it.

[Wills2]

Wow the M4 must be completely different to the M3 then as I don't recognise the car from that review.

[JustChris]

Very interesting, thanks for that, thought you would be loving the M4 much much more. Tad unfair pitting a lowly M235i but it will be interesting to see how you compare to the M2.

My allocation has come forward 2 cars into a late 2016 now.

Hmm decision coming up.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Chris10Bimmers

Very interesting, thanks for that, thought you would be loving the M4 much much more. Tad unfair pitting a lowly M235i but it will be interesting to see how you compare to the M2.

My allocation has come forward 2 cars into a late 2016 now.

Hmm decision coming up.

Chris, it's not that I don't love the M4, I do, it is an insanely fast car, and practical at the same time. It just has some OTT traits about it when prodded with a stick, and I do like giving a good prod.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Excellent write up

Yeah can see where it heading lol.

However, now think of the M4 as Lorcan has set up the ACS one...

I seem to remember Guy did a good write up on it.

Yep I think a good set of dampers would make all the difference.

[Tengocity]

Very interesting read. I was going to say I don't envy those having to choose, but that would be a complete lie!

[dopper99]

Great write-up NISFAN thanks for that.

Seems the guys on m3 cutters say the same sentiments about the M3/M4 saying its skittish at speed on our roads and has the possibility of catching you unawares.

A few mention that maybe the competition pack might sort it.........

http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=148036

One of the comments .......
".......the M4 has "widow maker" written all over it......"

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Very interesting read. I was going to say I don't envy those having to choose, but that would be a complete lie!

Terry, what today showed me more of is that the two cars are completely different. It is definitely not a case of substituting an M2 for M4 or vice versa. The M2 is not a practical sized car for anyone thinking about carrying passengers. It has a big enough boot, but that's it. It is also not in the same league as a leather dashed M4, the M4 is so much more grown up and the M2 will pretty much look and feel like the M135i inside. A bit Spartan, a bit lack lustre for the top model.

The two will appeal to totally different demographics in the main.

I can only hope the M2 is a split between these two cars

[tinytrevor]

Thank you for a great write-up! Makes me wonder, how much is the M3 different than the M4 then? If at all, haven't driven either, but it's something on the radar even though I have just bought a new car.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Terry, what today showed me more of is that the two cars are completely different. It is definitely not a case of substituting an M2 for M4 or vice versa. The M2 is not a practical sized car for anyone thinking about carrying passengers. It has a big enough boot, but that's it. It is also not in the same league as a leather dashed M4, the M4 is so much more grown up and the M2 will pretty much look and feel like the M135i inside. A bit Spartan, a bit lack lustre for the top model.

The two will appeal to totally different demographics in the main.

I can only hope the M2 is a split between these two cars

Yes I've always really enjoyed the M235i and M135i when I've test driven them, really enjoyed the agility and sense of chuckability they have, that just isn't there with the M4.
From reading the reviews it sounds more like the M2 retains this.
I'm always going to have the sensible DD so my weekend car doesn't need to be practical, so it would be M2 for me, or E92 M3 as that felt great to me.

[dopper99]

Another review on the same.....


BMW M4 vs M235i vs B4 Biturbo

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...-vs-b4-biturbo

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Another review on the same.....


BMW M4 vs M235i vs B4 Biturbo

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...-vs-b4-biturbo

Thanks, not read that one before, but this sums it up for me....

For those used to earlier M cars and their sweet, endlessly forgiving natures, the M4 is quite surprising when you start nudging up against the limit.

It’s not malevolent, but nor is it easy to drive this way. Inherently, it wants to understeer, but despite excellent throttle response, it is trickier than it should be to mete out the precise amount of power required to neutralise this trait.

Sometimes you’ll get it just right; at others you’ll either be handing control over to the electronics fairies or, if you’ve given them a tea-break, moving your hands further and faster than you might have anticipated to correct it.

The result is a car of serious capabilities but one that, when driven the way that M cars should be designed to be driven, might at times cause you to question its loyalties.

Which way, then, does the B4 go? Does it follow the mean and moody route of the M4 or the sweet path of innocence favoured by the M235i?

[simon.]

So what delivery date can they offer for your M2, Gordon?

I'd have a M3 over the M4 myself but wouldn't say no to the M2.

[Chompers]

Enjoyable read, thanks

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by simon.

So what delivery date can they offer for your M2, Gordon?

I'd have a M3 over the M4 myself but wouldn't say no to the M2.

September build, but not confirmed. The problem is if that one doesn't come through, it is 2018 before the next ones. I hope they step up production, it's agony.

[Drisser]

I'm going in to get my winter wheels changed to summer tomorrow so will ask if any update on my 2017 build slot .. Doesn't surprise me than you think the m2 will be v different to m4 .. I hope it will be something special..

[rocketretro]

A very interesting and enjoyable read. I'm glad to see the M235i acquitted itself well in its own way. Who will be the first forum member to do a review of their own M2? Hope all goes well regarding delivery promises.

[Drisser]

Originally Posted by Chris10Bimmers

Very interesting, thanks for that, thought you would be loving the M4 much much more. Tad unfair pitting a lowly M235i but it will be interesting to see how you compare to the M2.

My allocation has come forward 2 cars into a late 2016 now.

Hmm decision coming up.

Chris have you heard anything re demo cars ? Assume there won't be many.. Just some doing a dealer tour ..? I will pose the Q tomorrow..

[HookJaw]

Great write-up! Cheers

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by Drisser

Chris have you heard anything re demo cars ? Assume there won't be many.. Just some doing a dealer tour ..? I will pose the Q tomorrow..

Local dealer has gone back now and is hinting they won't get a demo now, awaiting a straight answer.

[simon.]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

September build, but not confirmed. The problem is if that one doesn't come through, it is 2018 before the next ones. I hope they step up production, it's agony.

Fingers crossed for you but think you'll be lucky if it shows. Mate cancelled his May promised one with Elms as the date was wobbly & took delivery of a M3 last week. Karl did him a cracking deal mind so he's happy.

If it does, can I have a go, Mista