[MattUK]

This is very much dependant a few things.. I'll offer my views.. take them or leave them.

I've owned M cars for the last 15 years, ranging from the E36 M3, the E46 M3 and M3 CSL (Best one I've owned) E39 and E60 M5 and currently M6 Gran Coupe.

Considerations... the country you live in, the roads, the cost of fuel, the cost of insurance, how you drive, how good the cops are, if you track your car, if you mod your car, if you keep or lease the car, if you have owned a BMW before or another sports car etc.

My ultimate dream was always to have an M3, and when I finally got one, no one could have talked me out of it, it was the car I wanted.. and I loved it. Back in those days, the prices were reasonable. In the US, the pricing is still superb, but elsewhere its a different story today.

If this is your first sports car, and you are dying to get into an M car, then I would probably say if you can afford it, you can afford the insurance etc, then hell, the M2 is perfect for you, it looks fantastic, has great DCT if you like that and you will grin all day long.

Depending where you live (I am in the UK) then I have to consider the following, and this is based on the previous ownership.. quality of roads in the UK is awful, the M cars even with their variable suspension options provide a hard ride no matter what setting you are in, when you want to drive fast, great, use a track, but on the road, you are going to catch up with the next problem quicker, and then you are frustrated anyway.. motorways, well you gamble with the cops anyway, but these days you don't see many, although ANPR will probably get you in the end.

I love my M6, it looks to me stunning, it turns heads.. but its hugely impractical due to the size of our roads, car parks and generally people getting jealous (most nice cars to be honest) and the ride, which on the GT is nicer, its hard.. and on the M3 before it, sometimes when I wasnt in the mood, too hard.

The M240 provides a nice medium between the two, slightly better comfort, lower insurance, better MPG (just), hardly slow and only a fraction slower than the M2 (and that would depend on the driver anyway) and has some great looks, although the M2 looks far better.

As a daily driver, having driven it, it provides me more fun and grins than the M6 ever has, its only let down by its sparse interior, which most new BMW's have now, cheap crap inside.

I know that the ride while it will still be firm, not as firm as the M2 in its basic setting, so for me, it fits the bill perfectly.

The M2 is kinda hard to come by currently, and no doubt will be upgraded shortly to improve it over the M240.. given an instant delivery of a new M2 over M240 it might have been a tougher decision (heart over brain time) but semi normal head, says its a more practical car for ME.. I don't track cars any more, I have crap roads, and I can add a few bits to make it look a little more special.

Random thoughts from me.. so yeah if this is your first venture into the world of a real M car, hell go for it, and enjoy it, its the cheapest fun you're gonna have out there.. the value on them, I would imagine between the 2 is going to be fairly similar, I personally think the 240 will be better as there will be more demand for it (could be wrong, but based on my experience)

For me, I could get the colour I wanted, Estoril, which always used to be an M only colour in the UK, and reminds me of my first M car, so I'm happy.. the performance is stunning (only let down by its brakes) the lack of LSD.. if you have a manual, then consider it, if you have an auto, dont bother.