[230iZTR]

The 230i is just about the cusp between being the fastest-slow-car or the slowest-fast-car depending on what mode you’re in and how willing you are to drive aggressively. So I can see how an m240i would be like driving a fast-car-slow with less of the feeling of specialness that comes from a few of the other truly fast cars they are discussing. I’d just take solace in the fact that to a layman like this guy, the 2-series is in the same class as the Ford GT.

But I don’t think he’s necessarily wrong when it comes to the big picture for the car, even among us, it’s most enthusiastic adherents.

What are the things we all do to our cars? More tire, more camber, more exhaust noise, more power, and an LSD to control it all...things that sharpen up the dynamics of a car that is indisputably softer than the 1M that came before it and the M2/3/4 that overshadow it.

Then there’s the weight. I’m still 100% convinced that Toyota/Subaru screwed up in not making an 86/BRZ Turbo. The 2-series may be the second coming of the beloved E46, but the journos wish it were a reincarnation of the 2002 Turbo instead, playing in that small, sporty, lightweight, RWD turbo coupe market space that’s been Toyota’s for the taking since the 86 debuted.

[VIN240i13]

Originally Posted by 123Britt

Just read this:....”

The Yahoo Auto Blog is not the place for any automobile enthusiast with an IQ above a field mouse. The most accurate comparison for the accuracy of the information you will receive when trolling that on-line rag is similar to asking Kim Kardashian to explain the Theory of Relativity.

[xantdieselx]

Seriously though, did anyone here buy their car solely (or in part) due to a what a magazine or blog said? I certainly didn't. I bought it because I drove it PCD and fell in love with it. It's great when you read something that reinforces how you feel but at the end of the day everyone's tastes are different.

[VIN240i13]

Originally Posted by xantdieselx

Seriously though, did anyone here buy their car solely (or in part) due to a what a magazine or blog said.....

Excellent point sir...

And I will throw in one more.. a "salesperson" at the dealership.

[Maynard]

They betray the spin-doctored nonsense by sort of 'forgetting' the price differential. I certainly knew when I bought mine that a Porsche or Mustang GT would offer more than my 228 does - but at more than twice the cost; and it was performance I don't think I'd have much chance to enjoy (they would also just roll over and die in an upstate NY winter, but that's another comparo altogether). The 235/240 is closer in price, but also a huge step up in performance numbers, so I think P-car or GT is really getting into diminishing returns for performance (and there's that 'build quality' that is hard to quantify). The 'go on a diet' bit is also strange and kind of unfair, given how heavy everything is these days - not really that much room for improvement, and if you compare the crash ratings of a BRZ and a 2 series you can see where some of that weight goes, and that is right where I'd have it.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Maynard

They betray the spin-doctored nonsense by sort of 'forgetting' the price differential. I certainly knew when I bought mine that a Porsche or Mustang GT would offer more than my 228 does - but at more than twice the cost; and it was performance I don't think I'd have much chance to enjoy (they would also just roll over and die in an upstate NY winter, but that's another comparo altogether). The 235/240 is closer in price, but also a huge step up in performance numbers, so I think P-car or GT is really getting into diminishing returns for performance (and there's that 'build quality' that is hard to quantify). The 'go on a diet' bit is also strange and kind of unfair, given how heavy everything is these days - not really that much room for improvement, and if you compare the crash ratings of a BRZ and a 2 series you can see where some of that weight goes, and that is right where I'd have it.

It's like anything else. Don't know if you've ever shopped for a decent road bike but you hit a point of diminishing returns where you're literally paying thousands to shave ounces. After you get past a stock M235/240 for most roads, at least on the coasts in the U.S., you're getting less and less in terms of usable vehicle for each dollar you throw at the issue.

Said another way, spend $50K on the BMW or $100K on something else, the $100K isn't 2x as good a car.

[amw896]

bmw 2 series vs a ford GT. Solid comparo..... da fuq