[Colinv6]

My M3 just got off the transporter!!



I've not even seen it in the flesh yet, but I'm like a kid at Christmas, some of you will know I was all about the M2 and had a deposit down for a year on one.. But I kept feeling the draw of the M3 and the 4 colour choice on the M2 was the final nail in it's coffin for me!! It's going to be an incredible little car when it eventually arrives though!

[UpNcOmINg!]

Good Lord Colin your ///M is an absolute BEAUT!!!
Congrats man.
You can't go wrong with that car seriously.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Reid

I would venture to guess that the person who took the pics is a BMW employee.

The camera person is standing inside of the fence at the BMW Testcenter.

. Probably but when I visited Garching I walked that same area escorted. Perhaps a guest got a few seconds alone and pulled out a phone.

[HotelGuy]

Nobody commented on what looks to be another test car in the top right corner.

We get a closer look at the front bumper showing how aggressive this car is really going to be. Can't wait!!!

[DCYT]

Belt line is so high!

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by HotelGuy

Nobody commented on what looks to be another test car in the top right corner.
We get a closer look at the front bumper showing how aggressive this car is really going to be. Can't wait!!!

Good catch, but, actually, I see no difference with the front fascia of other recent M2 test mules (featuring a 'fangs' aero-package).

[GoSlow2GoFast]

Doesn't look like a carbon fiber roof to me...

[fuddman]

Originally Posted by GoSlow2GoFast

Doesn't look like a carbon fiber roof to me...

I don't mean to provoke an argument; but, how do you know what a carbon fiber roof looks like? Do they all look the same? Or, can the thing just be painted over so you'd never know it from an ordinary metal roof?

[Hazey82]

That's what I had already suggested. BMW read here.. if this base M2 does not come with hood dome or CF roof or M4 seats You have lost me as a customer...
Add the non bespoke M engine and limited colour choice and that's a total of 5 items that I wanted in this car

[Spook410]

Actually, it would be great if it had 4 doors. In any case, I think it's a very good looking car.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by Hazey82

That's what I had already suggested. BMW read here.. if this base M2 does not come with hood dome or CF roof or M4 seats You have lost me as a customer...
Add the non bespoke M engine and limited colour choice and that's a total of 5 items that I wanted in this car

Hood dome is cosmetic. CF roof would be nice, but not needed. 911 GT3 has magnesium roof.

[W///]

Originally Posted by Hazey82

That's what I had already suggested. BMW read here.. if this base M2 does not come with hood dome or CF roof or M4 seats You have lost me as a customer...
Add the non bespoke M engine and limited colour choice and that's a total of 5 items that I wanted in this car

You might as well look into an M4 then, because you won't be getting most of those things in the M2. Hate to break it to you

[B///MW]

Could these be 2016 M2 specific 19" wheels? I don't believe this wheel design has been used on any other vehicle. I wonder if we'll be able to get black wheels or these were painted black to disguise the detail on this, yet to be released, model.

[tke743]

Originally Posted by IS3andME

Hood dome is cosmetic. CF roof would be nice, but not needed. 911 GT3 has magnesium roof.

Great point. I couldn't care less if the roof is CF, I care if the roof is lighter.

[allthatisntnow]

A magnesium alloy roof is far more expensive and slightly lighter than a carbon fibre one. Plus its only the GT3 RS that has it, a car thats £130k base (read £250k minimum due to its rarity). The poverty spec GT3 makes do with normal steel and aluminium. IE, the M2 will not be getting an exotic alloy roof either.

[-JLT-]

Originally Posted by rhonig

Could these be 2016 M2 specific 19" wheels? I don't believe this wheel design has been used on any other vehicle. I wonder if we'll be able to get black wheels or they were painted black to disguise the detail on this, yet to be released, model.

wtf! couldn't u have gone to the other side of the car and taken the pic so we don't have to look at the stupid pole

[allthatisntnow]

Originally Posted by -JLT-

wtf! couldn't u have gone to the other side of the car and taken the pic so we don't have to look at the stupid pole

I think the consensus is that these were very much opportunistic smash and grabs from a closed/monitored facility. They probably wouldn't have had the time nor the freedom to take close up detailed shots.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

A magnesium alloy roof is far more expensive and slightly lighter than a carbon fibre one. Plus its only the GT3 RS that has it, a car thats £130k base (read £250k minimum due to its rarity). The poverty spec GT3 makes do with normal steel and aluminium. IE, the M2 will not be getting an exotic alloy roof either.

Thanks for the correction. I meant that...

I think the absence of the CF roof also shows a slight disconnect from the M family. All the current M coupes get it, and so does the M3 sedan.

Also, I believe that if they wanted to shed weight on the Z4 and the M4 convertible, that the folding hardtop should be made out of carbon fiber. Yeah, I know that it would cost more, but I wonder if they had checked into it.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by IS3andME

Hood dome is cosmetic. CF roof would be nice, but not needed. 911 GT3 has magnesium roof.

Originally Posted by tke743

Great point. I couldn't care less if the roof is CF, I care if the roof is lighter.

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

A magnesium alloy roof is far more expensive and slightly lighter than a carbon fibre one. Plus its only the GT3 RS that has it, a car thats £130k base (read £250k minimum due to its rarity). The poverty spec GT3 makes do with normal steel and aluminium. IE, the M2 will not be getting an exotic alloy roof either.

Forget about a Posco magnesium roof (Porsche GT3 RS [2015]) for the M2 base version. Too expensive for the ///M entry model and so far BMW keeps venturing into using carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for its ///M cars.

CF roof for 2er exists and has been tested (http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showp...2&postcount=60), so it's possible to sport an M2 with it.

The M2 CSL will likely get the CF roof.

[BIGMIG]

Who is in Germany right now? How hard would it be to hang around this spot and get some interior shots?

Do car makers have a history of suing spy photographers or nosey on lookers?

[allthatisntnow]

Originally Posted by IS3andME

Thanks for the correction. I meant that...

I think the absence of the CF roof also shows a slight disconnect from the M family. All the current M coupes get it, and so does the M3 sedan.

Also, I believe that if they wanted to shed weight on the Z4 and the M4 convertible, that the folding hardtop should be made out of carbon fiber. Yeah, I know that it would cost more, but I wonder if they had checked into it.

Im sure they will have done studies into it, but probably decided that people buying the roadster/convertible weren't particularly bothered about that sort of thing. The cars as a whole are heavier to the the torsional strengthening required so would probably still come out bloated. Plus the price hike, manufacturing cost hike etc etc probably had a lot to do with it too.

The danger they face with the M2 is that if they gave it all the M features for a much lower price, no one would bother with an M3/4 unless they needed the extra doors and seating space. All the track fiends would never look back for sure.

At the end of the day a carbon fibre roof, imho, is a bit gimmicky. Yes it saves 10kg and yes it lowers centre of gravity, but probably not by any humanly noticeable measure. In a 1500kg car would you notice 10kg taken off the roof even in a back to back scenario? I think BMWs best bet is to be more like Audi and Porsche and use more aluminium in their cars. Reducing the mass of the whole body in white, in a realistically affordable manner, is the way to go. Going from a 1500kg to a 1400kg car is where the difference is noticeable across the board.

[oldmanstyle]

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

The danger they face with the M2 is that if they gave it all the M features for a much lower price, no one would bother with an M3/4 unless they needed the extra doors and seating space. All the track fiends would never look back for sure.

Yep, that is the business aspect of it. Hope they do it but I'm not expecting it.

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

At the end of the day a carbon fibre roof, imho, is a bit gimmicky. Yes it saves 10kg and yes it lowers centre of gravity, but probably not by any humanly noticeable measure. In a 1500kg car would you notice 10kg taken off the roof even in a back to back scenario? I think BMWs best bet is to be more like Audi and Porsche and use more aluminium in their cars. Reducing the mass of the whole body in white, in a realistically affordable manner, is the way to go. Going from a 1500kg to a 1400kg car is where the difference is noticeable across the board.

I think the cf roof is complimentary to that direction. It may not be worth "that" much weight, but when looking at weight reduction from the chassis it is weight lost in the most desirable spot, and is therefore the obvious place to start. I do prefer a painted roof though.