The evora replacement

[Lazydonkey]

Criteria was... Fast, bit unusual, fun, manual, can fit a pushbike in / on it and wouldn't depreciate too much longer term. Budget was 30k ish.....

And the answer is...


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66 plate m2 manual with 23k on the clock.

Had it a couple of weeks and first impressions are;

Pros
-it's chuffing fast
-managed 32mpg on the way up from dealer in Sheffield
- its chuffing fast
- handles not too badly
- nice place to be
- sounds nice at full chat and sport mode means chavvy pops and bangs
- tonnes of space inside and in the boot
- will take a roof rack for bikes

Cons
- brakes don't have the immediate feel or response of the evora (but then what does?)
- 32 mpg isn't possible when your booting it
- 60 doesn't feel that fast......

Overall I love it. It's exactly what I wanted it to be and I think it's going to be here a while. Dont expect it to hit evora highs but hopefully it will fit into my life a toddler and pushbikes a bit better

[mik]

Nice. Enjoy it.

[rawsco]

If the Exige gets returned an M2c is on the cards lovely motor.

[mik]

I'm a driving enthusiast above car enthusiast. The latter are there to satisfy the former. M2 is suitably oddball for me thay I am sure it would get under my skin. As my 6.2 VXR8 did for 5yrs despite it's shortcomings.

Having experienced the tactility of the Evora - i am certain you will return to Lotus. Plenty of time for that though....

[Lazydonkey]

There is definately something special about the feel of a lotus chassis, but since I moved jobs we've dropped to two cars and the evora just wasn't moving enough.

The m2 gives a dose of extra practicality that means we are already using it more. Doesn't have the highs of the evora but hopefully won't have the lows. Sadly my evora was consigned to low speed town stuff more than West Coast blasts.

The M2 does feel special and a bit oddball and appealed in a way the M3/M4 simply didn't. The fact that to many people it's just a grey bmw is another part of the appeal.

Roof rack and bike carrier on it just now in advance of some Sunday "mountain biking" with the toddler.

[KennyT]

Very nice, I like that a lot, I've only been up close to an M2 once and loved how flared the arches were.

The E46 M3's I had are now 15 years old but when driving them back to back with a normal E46 they felt a lot more special than just a fast E46, I hope BMW have kept that step between their proper M cars and the sea of M-Sport everything on the road these days.

I have a country move coming up and have an M2/M3/M4 email alert set up on the local Autotrader

[mxvx]

Sorry for your loss Martin.

Only kidding, enjoy. But hopefully you will join us again soon....

Stewart

[Lazydonkey]

Dem hips

[renmure]

Looks lovely. In saying that, I'm so much out of the loop re BMW's that I hadn't even realised there was an M2. I'm still back in the M3 / M5 days. Oops!

[BigD]

Roof rack and bike carrier on it just now in advance of some Sunday "mountain biking" with the toddler.

Just watch those low roof car parks with the bars on.

[BigD]

I'm a driving enthusiast above car enthusiast. The latter are there to satisfy the former.

Great way of putting it and exactly the way I am. Have very little interest in ‘cars’ but interested in what they do. I can get as much fun from caning a 1 ltr hire car as driving the lotus.

[Rosssco]

Nice. Did you not get a 214d badge for it..?

How would you rate the on road performance against an Evora NA? My old M135i was quite a rapid thing (its claimed 315bhp being per particularly pessimistic I feel..) once it found traction, and wondered if an Evora NA might feel a touch lacking in straight line punch in comparision.. No doubt the Evora would destroy it when it came to braking and handling however!

[IanD]

Nice, enjoy, M2 being talked about as the practical, everyday car
Didn’t think it would be much different interior space wise than a Evora or that a bike would fit inside it but never looked in detail.
In a 24hr test drive found the m140i with 335hp rapid enough, not so happy with its suspension in any of its modes on demanding roads.
Sure M2 will be better suspension and even nicer engine.


One of the very few advantages of my 968 over an Elise is we can fit 2 people, 2 road bikes, luggage, all food and alcohol for a long weekend inside it.

[Lazydonkey]

How would you rate the on road performance against an Evora NA? My old M135i was quite a rapid thing (its claimed 315bhp being per particularly pessimistic I feel..) once it found traction, and wondered if an Evora NA might feel a touch lacking in straight line punch in comparision.. No doubt the Evora would destroy it when it came to braking and handling however!

It's night and day faster than evora - especially in gear. Same weight but 100bhp and 90 torques more. Torque peak is 1.5k But at a cruise it disguises it's speed a lot better.....so you look down and it's into three figures

Didn’t think it would be much different interior space wise than a Evora or that a bike would fit inside it but never looked in detail.

I can sit "behind myself" in the m2 quite comfortably and i'm 5'11. Couldnt even get vaguely comfy in the back seats of evora. Similarly you can fold the rear seats and you can get a road bike in there quite easily. And it will take a rack for anything bigger or dirtier

[Rosssco]

I figured that was the case.. The M2 is a chunk heavier than a NA Evora, but that powertrain will haul, so not surprising!