[Luftwaffe1O1]

Keep in mind, suspension wise, the M adaptive suspension in the M235i/M240i is different than the 228/230 variants. Hence why there is dinan shockware for the 228s and not the 235s.


Here is an interview from the launch of the M235i to go over some of the differences:
http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=935130

Now, my GF has a 135i and we go back and forth on this hahaha, she prefers her car to mine because it feels a bit more raw, but at the same time, speed wise the M235i/M240i are much more capable stock vs stock.

I have driven my GFs car quite a bit, and I will say it is definitely a fun little car and I enjoy driving it greatly, steering is definitely a better feel in my opinion, however, the overall drive of the 235i is what I prefer. It is much more capable and composed when driving it hard.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Luftwaffe1O1

Keep in mind, suspension wise, the M adaptive suspension in the M235i/M240i is different than the 228/230 variants. Hence why there is dinan shockware for the 228s and not the 235s.

Exactly. The Dinan Shockware upgrade for the 228/335/435 sets shock Sport setting (internal adjusting valve control) to the stock Sport setting of the M235/240. The stock Sport setting in those is the equivalent to the Comfort setting in the M235/240. This is why there is no Shockware upgrade in the M235/240; the internal adjusting valve is at it's limit thus can't create a stiffer shock setting.

[Drtsk]

I had some time today, so went to the dealer and looked at a 2018 estoril blue m240i in 6MT. This was the 1st time thoroughly checking out m240i. The exterior esthetic of the car (this is a subjective opinion so all u 2 series owner don’t get too upset) just didn’t do it for me. I decided not to test drive it , since I wasn’t going to buy it. I just hate test driving cars with no intent to buy.
While I was at the dealer, there was an AW and LBB M2 in the used car showroom that had been sold already. The General Manager told me to wait til Spring if I wanted to get a used M2 because the price will drop like a rock on a lightly used M2. And if I want a new M2 then they can get me one in 8-10 weeks upon ordering and give it to me for substantially below MSRP. I guess there are some benefits from being a repeat customer. I have bought 5 BMWs from them in the last 4 1/2 years.
As usual, Started with cheapest and leave buying the most expensive.
Informed my wife of my intention and she replies, “That’s good. Now you don’t have to sell your winter wheels and tires form your M4. Just don’t get the DCT like last time, and complain to me all the time. And you can’t give it to Zach when he turns 16 (Zach is our youngest at 13). That is too much car for him.”
She then left to go shopping.
I guess I will be going over to the M2 forum and getting some information .
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful information. Whatever I buy I will post some pics in the future.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

I am leaning toward 228 or 230 with Msport and 6MT. I’m not really interested in M235/M240 or M2 unless someone can convince me otherwise. I am looking for a DD with good gas mileage and little bit of fun.

So basically, you went against everything you were looking for? The least economical, non adjustable ride quality, etc..

Glad to hear you're happy, though. That's what matters! "Most expensive model" is not always better, for the end user. If this is a DD, you may want to find an M2 to drive, first, though. They are stiff and you can't turn it off! lol

Good luck!

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

I had some time today, so went to the dealer and looked at a 2018 estoril blue m240i in 6MT. This was the 1st time thoroughly checking out m240i. The exterior esthetic of the car (this is a subjective opinion so all u 2 series owner don’t get too upset) just didn’t do it for me. I decided not to test drive it , since I wasn’t going to buy it. I just hate test driving cars with no intent to buy.
While I was at the dealer, there was an AW and LBB M2 in the used car showroom that had been sold already. The General Manager told me to wait til Spring if I wanted to get a used M2 because the price will drop like a rock on a lightly used M2. And if I want a new M2 then they can get me one in 8-10 weeks upon ordering and give it to me for substantially below MSRP. I guess there are some benefits from being a repeat customer. I have bought 5 BMWs from them in the last 4 1/2 years.
As usual, Started with cheapest and leave buying the most expensive.
Informed my wife of my intention and she replies, “That’s good. Now you don’t have to sell your winter wheels and tires form your M4. Just don’t get the DCT like last time, and complain to me all the time. And you can’t give it to Zach when he turns 16 (Zach is our youngest at 13). That is too much car for him.”
She then left to go shopping.
I guess I will be going over to the M2 forum and getting some information .
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful information. Whatever I buy I will post some pics in the future.

Thanks for the update; please do let us know what you end up doing.

This just further confirms what I am reading here in the forums, what I saw myself at my local dealer 2 weeks ago, and what I can gather from all the new M2 listings that have suddenly appeared all over the country. The market appears to be, temporarily at the very least, saturated for these cars. Whether this is just a brief seasonal phenomenon, or if it has legs, is unknowable at this point. It might also happen that some dealers will cancel some "spec" vehicles they might have ordered, and this could result in additional cars going to dealers who have longer waiting lists or more demand.

My impression is that it doesn't make sense to buy one of these cars, just now, for MSRP, and it definitely makes no sense at all to pay any sort of premium. If a given car has options that you do not want, I would suggest not offering to pay for them.

I've done a lot of real estate transactions (more commercial than residential, but both) and I've often heard it stated that you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. If you buy at the right price, that takes care of the resale at the other end. There is some applicability to the car market, since no matter how little you care about depreciation, buying smart is a generally good idea!

[Drtsk]

Originally Posted by Dylan86

So basically, you went against everything you were looking for? The least economical, non adjustable ride quality, etc..

Glad to hear you're happy, though. That's what matters! "Most expensive model" is not always better, for the end user. If this is a DD, you may want to find an M2 to drive, first, though. They are stiff and you can't turn it off! lol

Good luck!

Thank you for the advice.
I DD M4 for two half years, part time in the summer with 135i and full time in the winter. I am sure the M2 is similar to M4 in stiffness. As a safety net, the general manager at the dealer assured me if I didn’t like it, I could back out before signing.
And about happiness; I am sure I will be looking for happiness somewhere else in a couple of years away from M2. At least that has been the pattern for the past 20 years.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

Thank you for the advice.
I DD M4 for two half years, part time in the summer with 135i and full time in the winter. I am sure the M2 is similar to M4 in stiffness. As a safety net, the general manager at the dealer assured me if I didn’t like it, I could back out before signing.
And about happiness; I am sure I will be looking for happiness somewhere else in a couple of years away from M2. At least that has been the pattern for the past 20 years.

The M2 will be similar to the M4's stiffness when the M4 is in "Sport" mode, but unlike the M4, there is no comfort setting. Aside from that it should feel similar at the wheel, but a bit more nimble. The sound you'll get in the M2, especially the longer geared MT will probably bring a huge smile to your face. And you'll actually have a usable powerband to flog wherever you need, unlike the in-your-face M4. Best of luck, and sounds like you have a great Dealer to work with

[Drtsk]

Originally Posted by champignon

Thanks for the update; please do let us know what you end up doing.

This just further confirms what I am reading here in the forums, what I saw myself at my local dealer 2 weeks ago, and what I can gather from all the new M2 listings that have suddenly appeared all over the country. The market appears to be, temporarily at the very least, saturated for these cars. Whether this is just a brief seasonal phenomenon, or if it has legs, is unknowable at this point. It might also happen that some dealers will cancel some "spec" vehicles they might have ordered, and this could result in additional cars going to dealers who have longer waiting lists or more demand.

My impression is that it doesn't make sense to buy one of these cars, just now, for MSRP, and it definitely makes no sense at all to pay any sort of premium. If a given car has options that you do not want, I would suggest not offering to pay for them.

I've done a lot of real estate transactions (more commercial than residential, but both) and I've often heard it stated that you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. If you buy at the right price, that takes care of the resale at the other end. There is some applicability to the car market, since no matter how little you care about depreciation, buying smart is a generally good idea!

The dumbest thing you can do is buy these cars new. Obviously I am not the brightest when it comes to cars. Thank goodness I don’t have problem with gambling and women. My philosophy is I try not to buy two things used: cars and women..
The dealership where I purchased have always been good to me.
2012 650i conv. I got it $19,000 below msrp. (Biggest pile of junk bmw I have ever own. In 16 month of ownership, it was at the service department 18x) 2013 M5 $11000 below msrp. 2015 M4 $6000 below msrp. 2015 X6M $8500 below. Used 2013 335is $4000 below KBB. It can’t remember for 135i. That was almost 9years ago. What I’m saying is, I don’t buy cars for investment. I buy and drive it and take get taken to the woodshed when getting rid of it. Thank goodness I have a job.
The only brand I don’t mind used is Porsche. Porsche owners seem to really take care of their 911s.

I’m planning on a stripper M2. 6MT with executive package.
Not sure of the color, besides there are only 4 colors to choose from.
I will to do little more research to finalize what I want.
$55000 M2 doesn’t sound all that bad when Golf R is $40000. To me (remember I said to me) I rather have one M2 than two golf R.

[Drtsk]

Originally Posted by Dylan86

So basically, you went against everything you were looking for? The least economical, non adjustable ride quality, etc..

Glad to hear you're happy, though. That's what matters! "Most expensive model" is not always better, for the end user. If this is a DD, you may want to find an M2 to drive, first, though. They are stiff and you can't turn it off! lol

Good luck!

Once again, thank u for the kind words.
Canadians are so nice!
My wife is from OH CANADA! Montreal.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

And about happiness; I am sure I will be looking for happiness somewhere else in a couple of years away from M2. At least that has been the pattern for the past 20 years.

Looking for love in all the wrong places :-)

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

The dumbest thing you can do is buy these cars new. Obviously I am not the brightest when it comes to cars. Thank goodness I don’t have problem with gambling and women. My philosophy is I try not to buy two things used: cars and women..
The dealership where I purchased have always been good to me.
2012 650i conv. I got it $19,000 below msrp. (Biggest pile of junk bmw I have ever own. In 16 month of ownership, it was at the service department 18x) 2013 M5 $11000 below msrp. 2015 M4 $6000 below msrp. 2015 X6M $8500 below. Used 2013 335is $4000 below KBB. It can’t remember for 135i. That was almost 9years ago. What I’m saying is, I don’t buy cars for investment. I buy and drive it and take get taken to the woodshed when getting rid of it. Thank goodness I have a job.
The only brand I don’t mind used is Porsche. Porsche owners seem to really take care of their 911s.

I’m planning on a stripper M2. 6MT with executive package.
Not sure of the color, besides there are only 4 colors to choose from.
I will to do little more research to finalize what I want.
$55000 M2 doesn’t sound all that bad when Golf R is $40000. To me (remember I said to me) I rather have one M2 than two golf R.

I never bought a used car in my life before I bought my first Z3 Coupe (a 1999; not an M; long since gone) ~3.5 years ago. I have had some "interesting" experiences buying used since, but only with vintage cars. All 3 of the 1-Series cars I bought, which I still own, were bought used, in all cases with some warranty left.

Vintage cars is where you can really get screwed if you aren't careful, and I had one $20K plus disaster a couple of years ago that was a real learning experience. What I've found with low mileage cars that are a couple of years old, is that you can get a virtually brand new BMW for about 40% off, at least if you aren't talking about a 1M :-) My 2 year old 2013 135i coupe had only 13K miles on it, and my 135is convertible had ~6500 miles. This is where you can really save some serious money, since a lot of sporty BMWs are 2nd cars or summer cars, and once the first owner gets bored with them, you can buy them in virtually new condition, with a remaining warranty, at a great price.

I'd consider a 2 year old low-mileage M2 at the $40K price point, which I think is likely to be possible in the next year or so. At the same time, I could just go ahead and buy a new base model, which is probably more likely to happen since I've started to think about it and done a test drive.

But I don't really care all that much, I have a bunch of fun cars to drive, and if I don't get an M2 soon, or never, it isn't going to cause me to skip a beat.

Good luck and do keep us informed on what you do.

[wanofakind01]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

The dumbest thing you can do is buy these cars new. Obviously I am not the brightest when it comes to cars. Thank goodness I don’t have problem with gambling and women. My philosophy is I try not to buy two things used: cars and women..
The dealership where I purchased have always been good to me.
2012 650i conv. I got it $19,000 below msrp. (Biggest pile of junk bmw I have ever own. In 16 month of ownership, it was at the service department 18x) 2013 M5 $11000 below msrp. 2015 M4 $6000 below msrp. 2015 X6M $8500 below. Used 2013 335is $4000 below KBB. It can’t remember for 135i. That was almost 9years ago. What I’m saying is, I don’t buy cars for investment. I buy and drive it and take get taken to the woodshed when getting rid of it. Thank goodness I have a job.
The only brand I don’t mind used is Porsche. Porsche owners seem to really take care of their 911s.

I’m planning on a stripper M2. 6MT with executive package.
Not sure of the color, besides there are only 4 colors to choose from.
I will to do little more research to finalize what I want.
$55000 M2 doesn’t sound all that bad when Golf R is $40000. To me (remember I said to me) I rather have one M2 than two golf R.

Coming from a 2017 m2 where executive package was the only option you can choose outside of color, transmission, and CarPlay, id say you're getting a fully spec'd m2 lol! Moonroof option was added for LCI.

I would agree that market is getting saturated for used market where you're finally seeing m2's selling for under 50k (mainly private party). However, new market at MSRP is just becoming a consistent fact, so if you can find one under MSRP it's still considered a steal (happen to get corporate fleet discount when it was still available, USAA also gets you 2k).

The one thing that is still in speculation is whether the price point of the base m2 will be seen beyond a 2018 model as the n55 production is supposedly stopping this summer. So it's possible the m2 CS will be the new base model with the s55 engine. Pricing will certainly be higher given the pricing of the m3 and m4 cs. So for low 50k brand new, it may be the last time you can grab a new m2 at this price point. Performance to price was one of the main incentives of the m2 to begin with.

[Drtsk]

Originally Posted by champignon

I never bought a used car in my life before I bought my first Z3 Coupe (a 1999; not an M; long since gone) ~3.5 years ago. I have had some "interesting" experiences buying used since, but only with vintage cars. All 3 of the 1-Series cars I bought, which I still own, were bought used, in all cases with some warranty left.

Vintage cars is where you can really get screwed if you aren't careful, and I had one $20K plus disaster a couple of years ago that was a real learning experience. What I've found with low mileage cars that are a couple of years old, is that you can get a virtually brand new BMW for about 40% off, at least if you aren't talking about a 1M :-) My 2 year old 2013 135i coupe had only 13K miles on it, and my 135is convertible had ~6500 miles. This is where you can really save some serious money, since a lot of sporty BMWs are 2nd cars or summer cars, and once the first owner gets bored with them, you can buy them in virtually new condition, with a remaining warranty, at a great price.

I'd consider a 2 year old low-mileage M2 at the $40K price point, which I think is likely to be possible in the next year or so. At the same time, I could just go ahead and buy a new base model, which is probably more likely to happen since I've started to think about it and done a test drive.

But I don't really care all that much, I have a bunch of fun cars to drive, and if I don't get an M2 soon, or never, it isn't going to cause me to skip a beat.

Good luck and do keep us informed on what you do.

According to the manager at the dealership, we are definitely going to see used M2s in the low $40k by spring.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by wanofakind01

The one thing that is still in speculation is whether the price point of the base m2 will be seen beyond a 2018 model as the n55 production is supposedly stopping this summer. So it's possible the m2 CS will be the new base model with the s55 engine. Pricing will certainly be higher given the pricing of the m3 and m4 cs. So for low 50k brand new, it may be the last time you can grab a new m2 at this price point. Performance to price was one of the main incentives of the m2 to begin with.

We all speculate about stuff like this, future pricing of XXX or YYY, based upon circumstances QQQ or ZZZ that we see coming down the road.

My own experience is that I am usually either completely wrong because something else I didn't see intervenes, or I'm right about the idea, but so wrong on the timing that the conclusion I reached is of no value.

The huge "if" in all of this is how much demand there will be for this sort of car at various points in the future, and what other vehicles might take the spotlight away from the M2. In the end, there is no escaping supply and demand, and although we can have some idea about the supply part, we have no clue about the demand.

I would personally not suggest buying ANY vehicle at any time before when you actually want or need it, based upon assumptions of what a future marketplace may look like. If you do so, you will probably decide later that your predictions did not pan out.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

According to the manager at the dealership, we are definitely going to see used M2s in the low $40k by spring.

The ball is my dealer's court right now. I rejected the offer they made me, and I left. I've had a couple of email exchanges with the sales guy, one of which he initiated (the other raised the possibility of an ED on an upcoming trip). This isn't the most convenient time of the year for me to deal with a transaction like this, because I would have the issue of snow tires, and doing this in the spring or early summer would put this off. So, I am withdrawing from the conversation unless contacted again, otherwise I'm content with what I have for the moment!

I'm sure your dealer is correct; gravity can only be resisted for so long.

[jordantii]

Originally Posted by champignon

Which vintage?

:-)

Good question, 1995

[Drtsk]

A beautiful late autumn day in Northern Virginia today. A perfect day to test drive cars. Wife and I went to the bmw dealer and got to test drive 230i Msport, m240i and M2 all with 6MT. I was very fortunate to test drive all back to back to back. There probably isn’t another dealer in the country that has all three in a manual. All three test drives were short so cannot give extensive review.

230i Msport felt like a rental car. BMW should be ashamed of themselves. The only thing that felt decent was the shift knob. The ride quality was awful, maybe it was due to run flat tires. To make the long story short, it felt like your typical entry level econobox. I would take the WRX over 230i any day of the week. I see why the folks at 1addict speaks so poorly of the 228/230.

The m240i felt like a proper BMW. Theoretically there should be no difference in the interior between 230/240, but m240i just felt better. The m240 drove very well with plenty of power. The clutch and gearbox was nothing special, but it wasn’t bad either. I would have no issues driving the manual in DC traffic. To me, m240 was lacking something. I just can’t put my finger on it. I’m sure I can figure it out if I had more seat time. I can definitely live with this car as DD if I had to. I just wouldn’t drive it for the sake of driving. It is kinda clinical and doesn’t stir my emotion. It is your typical well executed modern car. M240 is that pretty girl I meet on the street. She is pretty but I wouldn’t stay up late thinking about her.

M2 interior felt no different then m240. It is okay but nothing special. Interior of a M car should be different, in a good way The exterior difference is obvious from the other two. It definitely is a proper M car. I expected lot more, maybe it was all the hype in my own mind. I prefer M3/M4 over the M2. Being 50+, interior comfort has become more important. I wish BMW would have spent few more dollars on the interior or given the buyers some more options for upgrades. Being that this would be my DD, interior comfort is essential. I didn’t drive the M2 hard enough or long enough to determine its capabilities. I am sure I will enjoy owning it and driving it. The SA said, it would take 8 to 10 weeks to order. And if I wanted an individual color add 2 more months. $5k deposit to get everything going. I would have bought it if they had the color I wanted. It was the LBB and that is the only color I don’t want.

As we were driving home, wife and I decided to get the M2, actually I decided and the wife agreed. She also wants me get the individual color (Probably not! I’m too cheap to do that). During dinner, my son insist I check out the RS3 before finalizing the M2. His reasoning is; “RS3 has a much nicer interior and AWD will help during winter commute. And if you want to go for a spirited driving, just take the 911. I rather have the M2 but RS3 will be a better fit for you.”
Now, I am going to check out the RS3 tomorrow ( hope the Audi dealer is open) before the final decision.

P.S. I’m sorry if I have offended the 228/230 owners. It is just one person’s point of view.

[wanofakind01]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

A beautiful late autumn day in Northern Virginia today. A perfect day to test drive cars. Wife and I went to the bmw dealer and got to test drive 230i Msport, m240i and M2 all with 6MT. I was very fortunate to test drive all back to back to back. There probably isn’t another dealer in the country that has all three in a manual. All three test drives were short so cannot give extensive review.

230i Msport felt like a rental car. BMW should be ashamed of themselves. The only thing that felt decent was the shift knob. The ride quality was awful, maybe it was due to run flat tires. To make the long story short, it felt like your typical entry level econobox. I would take the WRX over 230i any day of the week. I see why the folks at 1addict speaks so poorly of the 228/230.

The m240i felt like a proper BMW. Theoretically there should be no difference in the interior between 230/240, but m240i just felt better. The m240 drove very well with plenty of power. The clutch and gearbox was nothing special, but it wasn’t bad either. I would have no issues driving the manual in DC traffic. To me, m240 was lacking something. I just can’t put my finger on it. I’m sure I can figure it out if I had more seat time. I can definitely live with this car as DD if I had to. I just wouldn’t drive it for the sake of driving. It is kinda clinical and doesn’t stir my emotion. It is your typical well executed modern car. M240 is that pretty girl I meet on the street. She is pretty but I wouldn’t stay up late thinking about her.

M2 interior felt no different then m240. It is okay but nothing special. Interior of a M car should be different, in a good way The exterior difference is obvious from the other two. It definitely is a proper M car. I expected lot more, maybe it was all the hype in my own mind. I prefer M3/M4 over the M2. Being 50+, interior comfort has become more important. I wish BMW would have spent few more dollars on the interior or given the buyers some more options for upgrades. Being that this would be my DD, interior comfort is essential. I didn’t drive the M2 hard enough or long enough to determine its capabilities. I am sure I will enjoy owning it and driving it. The SA said, it would take 8 to 10 weeks to order. And if I wanted an individual color add 2 more months. $5k deposit to get everything going. I would have bought it if they had the color I wanted. It was the LBB and that is the only color I don’t want.

As we were driving home, wife and I decided to get the M2, actually I decided and the wife agreed. She also wants me get the individual color (Probably not! I’m too cheap to do that). During dinner, my son insist I check out the RS3 before finalizing the M2. His reasoning is; “RS3 has a much nicer interior and AWD will help during winter commute. And if you want to go for a spirited driving, just take the 911. I rather have the M2 but RS3 will be a better fit for you.”
Now, I am going to check out the RS3 tomorrow ( hope the Audi dealer is open) before the final decision.

P.S. I’m sorry if I have offended the 228/230 owners. It is just one person’s point of view.

Whoa...individual color is available on m2 now? Which dealership did you visit btw? I'm all for the m2, but coming from an m235 (which I didn't daily drive either), I can see where adaptive suspension is much more suitable for those who would prefer it over the m2 for a dd.

[Drtsk]

Originally Posted by wanofakind01

Whoa...individual color is available on m2 now? Which dealership did you visit btw? I'm all for the m2, but coming from an m235 (which I didn't daily drive either), I can see where adaptive suspension is much more suitable for those who would prefer it over the m2 for a dd.

I went to BMW of Silver Springs in Maryland. It was little out of the way but well worth it since they had all three models on the lot. They were very nice and accommodating. There was no feeling of pressure to buy whatsoever. I usually buy from BMW of Fairfax, but I think I will buy from them this time. I felt very comfortable with the dealership and the SA, Len. The sales manager, Michael, assured me that individual color is available for $5k.
What I really want is a calypso red (that was the color of my 1990 e30 325i. My first real purchase after grad school in 1990). Obviously, that is not possible. It has be existing color in the bmw color palate. As cheap as I am, I would pay $5k in heartbeat for calypso red. And it would seal the deal for the M2.

[wanofakind01]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

I went to BMW of Silver Springs in Maryland. It was little out of the way but well worth it since they had all three models on the lot. They were very nice and accommodating. There was no feeling of pressure to buy whatsoever. I usually buy from BMW of Fairfax, but I think I will buy from them this time. I felt very comfortable with the dealership and the SA, Len. The sales manager, Michael, assured me that individual color is available for $5k.
What I really want is a calypso red (that was the color of my 1990 e30 325i. My first real purchase after grad school in 1990). Obviously, that is not possible. It has be existing color in the bmw color palate. As cheap as I am, I would pay $5k in heartbeat for calypso red. And it would seal the deal for the M2.

That red would be awesome! Individual colors would be new on the m2 then, and I'm sure a lot of people will bite! I purchased mine from BMW silver spring, and have purchased from fairfax as well, both were smooth processes except silver spring had dented the door of my m2 upon arrival for delivery. I had to notice it myself before purchasing during the walk around, was hoping they would've been more careful tbh. Luckily it didn't require any paint work and they came to me to fix it.

[Drtsk]

wanofakind do u notice a big difference between m235 and M2 clutch?
They both felt very soft and disconnected. I didn’t notice much difference. It maybe a blessing in disguise since I have to daily it on the beltway.

[wanofakind01]

Originally Posted by Drtsk

wanofakind do u notice a big difference between m235 and M2 clutch?
They both felt very soft and disconnected. I didn’t notice much difference. It maybe a blessing in disguise since I have to daily it on the beltway.

No difference, believe clutch is the same on both models. It's soft and has a lot of dead space before engaging. I installed the BMS clutchstop for both cars, and would recommend it if you're going to be commuting with it.