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TL;DR I like it.
BMW has been driving me away for many years as a customer since the 1M. I've always lusted for an M2 body with the 1M soul. I was never fortunate enough to be able to purchase a brand new BMW and finally do my dream ED with my wife.
This might be my last chance with this brand and hence my liking for the M2 Competition and most likely the CS/CSL/GTS that will be coming. I've driven both manual and DCT M2 and both didn't deserve my hard earned money because I was spoiled by older BMWs and the 1M. Price wise, I don't think it will be far off from the current M2 at the base level. Putting an S55 in is merely for emission and catching up with the competition. The cost increase for BMW is minimal and they'll get their money back either on options or volume cars like the M3/M4. It definitely won't be limited but it will be a bargain in terms of BMW money. What I honestly do feel is that BMW is finally listening to the lowly enthusiasts' wants and needs from an M car. We wanted M mirrors, a true M engine, M seats, oil temp, and a manual on the purest and smallest M car that they can make in this day's age while also not charging a ridiculous amount of money.
The M2 competition is the stepping stone to the next best modern M car. The current M2 is a good car for what it is but it's far from what a 1M was and what it represented. The 1M is far from perfect but its as close to what the true meaning of ///M is to me in the last decade.
As I've become a tad more fortunate over the years, I've struggled really hard with the brand that I grew up loving so much. I live and breathe M. Having 4 M cars right now and most likely adding a couple more in the near future (E36 M3, E39 M5, E30 M3, Z4M Coupe, E60 M5 stick), I can't fall in love with anything that BMW sells anymore. Trust me I've tried very hard. I might be too nostalgic or old school at this point but the only thing that will stir my pot is the most hardcore M2 variant that they can make. Not even the M4gts could do that.
All I know is that if we don't support the M2, M2 Competition, M2 CSL, then BMW was right all along to forget us and build high volume/high margin cars that satisfy the masses and produces the highest profit. The M2 competition will not be great but its at least the best true M car that we can get at this point.
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