[zenmaster]

[M2 Maybe]

I'm considering the M2 and the Mustang 5.0. I have a 7 series which I'll keep and want a fun car to drive around town. I like the Stang sound more and of course, it's cheaper. I do prefer the more nimble nature of the M2 and it's incredible overall performance capability. Tough call, anybody driven both and can share your opinions?

[amdmaxx]

Originally Posted by M2 Maybe

I'm considering the M2 and the Mustang 5.0. I have a 7 series which I'll keep and want a fun car to drive around town. I like the Stang sound more and of course, it's cheaper. I do prefer the more nimble nature of the M2 and it's incredible overall performance capability. Tough call, anybody driven both and can share your opinions?

Get Gt350. Flat crank v8 naturally aspirated high revving, sexy sounding...

[M2 Maybe]

Originally Posted by amdmaxx

Get Gt350. Flat crank v8 naturally aspirated high revving, sexy sounding...

The thought has occurred to me. I struggle with the value proposition with the Stang GT so much cheaper but that GT350 sound is fantastic. Guess I need to drive and decide.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by M2 Maybe

I'm considering the M2 and the Mustang 5.0. I have a 7 series which I'll keep and want a fun car to drive around town. I like the Stang sound more and of course, it's cheaper. I do prefer the more nimble nature of the M2 and it's incredible overall performance capability. Tough call, anybody driven both and can share your opinions?

I sold my 2015 Mustang 5.0 (fully loaded) so that I could buy my M2. Not really quite sure how would you be conflicted between the two, they're so very different. The M2 feels way more special to me than a Mustang. Also, the Mustang's real competitor is actually a Camaro, and the Camaro is 10x the car that the Mustang is. So for me, I would pick a Camaro SS if I wanted cheaper and better track performance. For a special car with a quality feel and fun to drive, I would choose the M2.

[F1zbo]

Originally Posted by amdmaxx

Get Gt350. Flat crank v8 naturally aspirated high revving, sexy sounding...

If the GT350 would be avaliable over here in the EU and offered at the same price as the M2 it would be a really tough decision for me.
The powerplant in the GT350 is just pure sex and step or two above the M2 in that department.

[No Boost]

Originally Posted by F1zbo

The powerplant in the GT350 is...a step or two above the M2 in that department.

160 more HP will do that.

[M2 Maybe]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

I sold my 2015 Mustang 5.0 (fully loaded) so that I could buy my M2. Not really quite sure how would you be conflicted between the two, they're so very different. The M2 feels way more special to me than a Mustang. Also, the Mustang's real competitor is actually a Camaro, and the Camaro is 10x the car that the Mustang is. So for me, I would pick a Camaro SS if I wanted cheaper and better track performance. For a special car with a quality feel and fun to drive, I would choose the M2.

Mainly the price differential and the resulting wife hassle.

About the Camaro, I have thought about that but I'm 6'6 (1.98M) and don't think I would be comfortable in the Camaro but I will sit in one and possibly test it to see.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by M2 Maybe

Mainly the price differential and the resulting wife hassle.

About the Camaro, I have thought about that but I'm 6'6 (1.98M) and don't think I would be comfortable in the Camaro but I will sit in one and possibly test it to see.

True about the interior, it is super tiny. I'm only 6' and I could barely even fit inside.

[M2 Maybe]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

True about the interior, it is super tiny. I'm only 6' and I could barely even fit inside.

Between he Stang and M2, which is roomier and more comfortable?

I gather from what you said, you believe the cost delta is worth it to get the M2. Could you give a brief evaluation between the M2 and Mustang GT?

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by M2 Maybe

Between he Stang and M2, which is roomier and more comfortable?

I gather from what you said, you believe the cost delta is worth it to get the M2. Could you give a brief evaluation between the M2 and Mustang GT?

Surprisingly the M2 feels roomier, except I feel like the mustang had better storage for water bottles, sunglasses, phone, etc. The backseat in the M2 is also slightly better in terms of headroom. The Mustang has a slightly more sport car-ish seating position, a bit lower to the ground I think. But overall the M2 is preferable to me, also better visibility.

The price difference between the two is only worth it if you simply like 'nice' things, and I do! I got $4k off MSRP and only paid $39k for my Mustang GT, and I was one of the first 2015 Mustang owners too. I paid full MSRP of $57k for my M2. I think the Mustang is probably a better performance value, but it has no prestige whatsoever. A year into owning my '15 Mustang, everyone and their grandma had one. The local Ford dealer had 20 of them lined up in a row. It's just not a very special car. I try to buy unique cars, stuff that nobody else has, usually cars that just barely came out. But beyond that, the M2 has a more premium feel to it, and is a much higher quality car. No matter what the spec sheet says, the Mustang is built cheaply. Also, the M2 is more fun to drive and easier to control. Also, I was constantly modifying my Mustang because I was never satisfied with it. With the M2, I've put on a few cosmetic M Performance parts, but overall I am much happier with the car.

[ClothSeats]

I test drove a Mustang with the performance package and it felt like a boat. Not much road feedback at all. The Shelby is supposed to be better though.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by ClothSeats

I test drove a Mustang with the performance package and it felt like a boat. Not much road feedback at all. The Shelby is supposed to be better though.

Agreed. I don't believe Ford can fix the weight problem that those cars have...I never drove the GT350, but I don't see how it can be that much better than the GT with the performance pack. The car is just too big and too heavy. The car never needed more power, the fancy GT350 engine can't fix the main issue with the car.

And going back to the Mustang not being a special car...there are now a ton of non-GT350 Mustangs that look exactly like the GT350 thanks to some aftermarket companies making GT350 clone bumpers and wings. So at this point, not even the GT350 is a 'special' car.

[P4rD0nM3]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

And going back to the Mustang not being a special car...there are now a ton of non-GT350 Mustangs that look exactly like the GT350 thanks to some aftermarket companies making GT350 clone bumpers and wings. So at this point, not even the GT350 is a 'special' car.

Wouldn't that be the same thing about non-M cars being converted to M cars as far as aesthetics are concerned? Albeit non-M cars would be a little bit difficult to convert because of the differences on some of the body panels.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by P4rD0nM3

Wouldn't that be the same thing about non-M cars being converted to M cars as far as aesthetics are concerned? Albeit non-M cars would be a little bit difficult to convert because of the differences on some of the body panels.

Ford sells 10k+ mustangs a month..pretty sure the 230i, 240i, and the M2 combined don't come anywhere close to that. And in general, a mustang is far more likely to get modded into something it's not supposed to be.

[Spinnetti]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

Agreed. I don't believe Ford can fix the weight problem that those cars have...I never drove the GT350, but I don't see how it can be that much better than the GT with the performance pack. The car is just too big and too heavy. The car never needed more power, the fancy GT350 engine can't fix the main issue with the car.

And going back to the Mustang not being a special car...there are now a ton of non-GT350 Mustangs that look exactly like the GT350 thanks to some aftermarket companies making GT350 clone bumpers and wings. So at this point, not even the GT350 is a 'special' car.

BMW is never going to fix the Weight problem the M2 has either (basically just as heavy as the base mustang!), though I agree that the mustang just feels too big. M2 isn't special either seeing one on the road... looks mostly like the billion other BMWs I see everyday.... its about the drive not about the exculsivity.... If I was going for special, I'd get a used R8 myself....

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by Spinnetti

BMW is never going to fix the Weight problem the M2 has either (basically just as heavy as the base mustang!), though I agree that the mustang just feels too big. M2 isn't special either seeing one on the road... looks mostly like the billion other BMWs I see everyday.... its about the drive not about the exculsivity.... If I was going for special, I'd get a used R8 myself....

You have pretty unrealistic ideas about the Mustang's weight...My GT was 400 lbs heavier than my M2. That's an enormous difference..there are very few cars at a reasonable price with 365+ hp that can function well as a daily driver while being only 3,500 lbs. The M2 is the lightest car I've ever owned. Yes it's not as light as I had hoped for, but to be realistic, its 2017 and we have too much tech and safety features to make affordable lightweight cars.

Depending on which one you buy, an M2 could actually beat the R8 on a track, prime example being the R8 my friend recently bought. They also don't make good daily drivers. And Audi generally produces around 3,000 R8s every year, while BMW made about 700 M2s for 2016. I still think the M2 is unique and special

[ilovewagons]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

So at this point, not even the GT350 is a 'special' car.

I'm just going to stop you right there. If I could have bought a GT350 for close to the price of an M2 in Australia (the GT350 will probably never be sold here) I would have done so in a heartbeat. That car is so very special. It's every muscle car dream made reality and everyone loves the dream of a muscle car. That car, just by itself, is making America great again, to coin a phrase. I feel sad that I will probably never see a RHD example in real life.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by ilovewagons

I'm just going to stop you right there. If I could have bought a GT350 for close to the price of an M2 in Australia (the GT350 will probably never be sold here) I would have done so in a heartbeat. That car is so very special. It's every muscle car dream made reality and everyone loves the dream of a muscle car. That car, just by itself, is making America great again, to coin a phrase. I feel sad that I will probably never see a RHD example in real life.

I understand people in other countries being in love with the GT350, I really do. But here in America, it just doesn't impress me. And the GT350 here is actually cheaper than the M2 in some cases. Every past vehicle I've owned has been a V8, I just got tired of American 'muscle'. But that's the beauty of the car scene, everyone has their own taste.

*Edit: The funny thing is, here in Texas where I'm from, very few people fully appreciate what the GT350 is all about. Most of them are waiting for Ford to build another heavy high horsepower GT500 so that they can compete in a straight line with the Hellcat.

[Spinnetti]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

I understand people in other countries being in love with the GT350, I really do. But here in America, it just doesn't impress me. And the GT350 here is actually cheaper than the M2 in some cases. Every past vehicle I've owned has been a V8, I just got tired of American 'muscle'. But that's the beauty of the car scene, everyone has their own taste.

*Edit: The funny thing is, here in Texas where I'm from, very few people fully appreciate what the GT350 is all about. Most of them are waiting for Ford to build another heavy high horsepower GT500 so that they can compete in a straight line with the Hellcat.

Well, its all big straight lines here in North Texas anyway, and certainly is a "bigger is better" mentality.... Looks like it will be a mute point though. Went car shopping with the wife today, and BMW guy says line is still 60+ deep and very unlikely to get a car this year - even the bloated dealer optioned floor models have been sold off. They don't even have the M240 to try out and its a big dealership. I'm going to Munich in June, but looks pretty likely I won't be picking up my LBB M2 then... Will see if I can pick up an RS3 instead in Ingolstadt and if not, I'll get a used S7 which the wife likes best.

[photos_by_ronnie]

Originally Posted by Spinnetti

Well, its all big straight lines here in North Texas anyway, and certainly is a "bigger is better" mentality.... Looks like it will be a mute point though. Went car shopping with the wife today, and BMW guy says line is still 60+ deep and very unlikely to get a car this year - even the deal option bloated floor models have been sold off. They don't even have the M240 to try out and its a big dealership. I'm going to Munich in June, but looks pretty likely I won't be picking up my LBB M2 then... Will see if I can pick up an RS3 instead in Ingolstadt and if not, I'll get a used S7 which the wife likes best.

The new RS3 sedan coming out looks killer...might not have RWD driving dynamics, but everything else about it is amazing.

[Verdi]

Originally Posted by photos_by_ronnie

The new RS3 sedan coming out looks killer...might not have RWD driving dynamics, but everything else about it is amazing.

Amazing?





Yeah I know. I'm a fan boy but the M2 looks so much more aggressive.