As promised. M roadster first impression.
03-30-2002, 05:45 PM
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As promised. M roadster first impression.
Hello all,
As most of you know i traded in my S2000 and purchased a 2002 M roadster. The first thing I want to make clear is that I really liked the S2000 but for problems with Honda I traded it in. To those interested in the story Search under my user name.
On to my initial impression.
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price However, BMW is running a 3.9% financing special to 4/30. So, my loan payment is only 120.00 more a month than before.. Anyway, The most notable improvement for me is the handling. My old S2000's rear end would slide out if I barely pushed it. The M's will not. That is even with the traction control turned off and at TWICE the speed of what I would take the corner in my S at. It is really amazing. Of course everybody is familiar with the torque curve and the 315 hp. So, there is no need to go into it. Suffice to say, the power scared the hell out of me when I opened it up the first time and the engine. sounds like a growling roar. In addition, The stereo is superior( 9 speakers!), and the inside is much more comfortable and roomy. Further, I like how in the M you sit up high and can rest your elbow on the door when the window is down. You know, It's difficult to compare the cars considering the price difference. However, I'm much more pleased with the M than I was with the S2000. In closing, I think that the absolute greatest improvement is in the handling.
Best of luck all,
George
As most of you know i traded in my S2000 and purchased a 2002 M roadster. The first thing I want to make clear is that I really liked the S2000 but for problems with Honda I traded it in. To those interested in the story Search under my user name.
On to my initial impression.
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price However, BMW is running a 3.9% financing special to 4/30. So, my loan payment is only 120.00 more a month than before.. Anyway, The most notable improvement for me is the handling. My old S2000's rear end would slide out if I barely pushed it. The M's will not. That is even with the traction control turned off and at TWICE the speed of what I would take the corner in my S at. It is really amazing. Of course everybody is familiar with the torque curve and the 315 hp. So, there is no need to go into it. Suffice to say, the power scared the hell out of me when I opened it up the first time and the engine. sounds like a growling roar. In addition, The stereo is superior( 9 speakers!), and the inside is much more comfortable and roomy. Further, I like how in the M you sit up high and can rest your elbow on the door when the window is down. You know, It's difficult to compare the cars considering the price difference. However, I'm much more pleased with the M than I was with the S2000. In closing, I think that the absolute greatest improvement is in the handling.
Best of luck all,
George
03-30-2002, 06:04 PM
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dorian,
i agree with you 100%...your rear plastic window is a zipper kind right? you can zip the window out and buy a new one from BMW and zip it in right? that is one option i like from BMW. i test drove the new M Roadster a few days ago, and I LOVE IT!! the power is equal to my Z06 Vette, actually feels faster since the car is smaller
the handling was awesome too. the only dislike i didnt like about the M Roadster is the looks.. it doesnt look all that great. not very sporty to me, and also its up for a complete change soon. maybe 04 model year.
i agree with you 100%...your rear plastic window is a zipper kind right? you can zip the window out and buy a new one from BMW and zip it in right? that is one option i like from BMW. i test drove the new M Roadster a few days ago, and I LOVE IT!! the power is equal to my Z06 Vette, actually feels faster since the car is smaller
the handling was awesome too. the only dislike i didnt like about the M Roadster is the looks.. it doesnt look all that great. not very sporty to me, and also its up for a complete change soon. maybe 04 model year.
03-30-2002, 06:40 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dorian Gray
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price.
Strange, how that price thing seems to dictate how many oranges you get. I would expect nothing less from the newbie M roadster, what with the current MSRP being what it is. Having said that however, I think I'm actually more impressed with the AMG SLK. I used to own a 2.3 Z3 and at the time, thought it was the cat's meow styling-wise, but now when I see these cars, they seem dated, especially when alongside a Boxster or S2K. I never liked the seating position of the Z3 (you sit ON the car, not IN it) and it simply was too tight for long term driving, which is why I finally let mine go. Anyway, The most notable improvement for me is the handling. My old S2000's rear end would slide out if I barely pushed it. The M's will not. That is even with the traction control turned off and at TWICE the speed of what I would take the corner in my S at.
I'm curious as to how you are driving the M Roadster and how you drove the S2K since the slalom speed of the Honda is actually faster than any reported result from the newbie BMW. What would you attribute your experience to with regards to why the M Roadster handles, as you wrote, twice as fast in the turns as the S2K?
It is really amazing. Of course everybody is familiar with the torque curve and the 315 hp. So, there is no need to go into it. Suffice to say, the power scared the hell out of me when I opened it up the first time and the engine. sounds like a growling roar. In addition, The stereo is superior( 9 speakers!), and the inside is much more comfortable and roomy.
No way is the M Roadster more roomy than the S2K, well...as far as legroom is concerned. The Honda has it beat by more than 2 inches (44.3 to 41.8)
Further, I like how in the M you sit up high and can rest your elbow on the door when the window is down.
We'll part ways with the seating position, and I'm usually in the 9-3 position with the hands so I'll leave the "cruising" ergonomic superiority to the BMW.
You know, It's difficult to compare the cars considering the price difference. My point exactly.
However, I'm much more pleased with the M than I was with the S2000.
I think it's that price thing again but bear in mind you're not buying service, just a car. Would you put up with the same crap from BMW that you did from your local Honda reps? Probably not.
In closing, I think that the absolute greatest improvement is in the handling.
I think the greatest improvement might be the fact that you don't have to deal with your dealership anymore!
Enjoy the car...it's worth every penny but watch out for those SLK's...they're even quicker and better handling!
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price.
Strange, how that price thing seems to dictate how many oranges you get. I would expect nothing less from the newbie M roadster, what with the current MSRP being what it is. Having said that however, I think I'm actually more impressed with the AMG SLK. I used to own a 2.3 Z3 and at the time, thought it was the cat's meow styling-wise, but now when I see these cars, they seem dated, especially when alongside a Boxster or S2K. I never liked the seating position of the Z3 (you sit ON the car, not IN it) and it simply was too tight for long term driving, which is why I finally let mine go. Anyway, The most notable improvement for me is the handling. My old S2000's rear end would slide out if I barely pushed it. The M's will not. That is even with the traction control turned off and at TWICE the speed of what I would take the corner in my S at.
I'm curious as to how you are driving the M Roadster and how you drove the S2K since the slalom speed of the Honda is actually faster than any reported result from the newbie BMW. What would you attribute your experience to with regards to why the M Roadster handles, as you wrote, twice as fast in the turns as the S2K?
It is really amazing. Of course everybody is familiar with the torque curve and the 315 hp. So, there is no need to go into it. Suffice to say, the power scared the hell out of me when I opened it up the first time and the engine. sounds like a growling roar. In addition, The stereo is superior( 9 speakers!), and the inside is much more comfortable and roomy.
No way is the M Roadster more roomy than the S2K, well...as far as legroom is concerned. The Honda has it beat by more than 2 inches (44.3 to 41.8)
Further, I like how in the M you sit up high and can rest your elbow on the door when the window is down.
We'll part ways with the seating position, and I'm usually in the 9-3 position with the hands so I'll leave the "cruising" ergonomic superiority to the BMW.
You know, It's difficult to compare the cars considering the price difference. My point exactly.
However, I'm much more pleased with the M than I was with the S2000.
I think it's that price thing again but bear in mind you're not buying service, just a car. Would you put up with the same crap from BMW that you did from your local Honda reps? Probably not.
In closing, I think that the absolute greatest improvement is in the handling.
I think the greatest improvement might be the fact that you don't have to deal with your dealership anymore!
Enjoy the car...it's worth every penny but watch out for those SLK's...they're even quicker and better handling!
03-30-2002, 10:34 PM
#6
I think I would agree with a lot of that except for the handling part. I could take turns faster in my Accord Coupe at times than I can in my S2000. That doesn't mean the Accord handled better. I have learned that it takes some skill to drive the S2000 and a lot of skill to drive it to its limits.
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03-31-2002, 08:10 AM
#8
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dorian Gray
[B]Hello all,
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price However, BMW is running a 3.9% financing special to 4/30. So, my loan payment is only 120.00 more a month than before..
[B]Hello all,
This is like comparing apples to oranges. The M roadster appears to be a superior car in all regards except price However, BMW is running a 3.9% financing special to 4/30. So, my loan payment is only 120.00 more a month than before..
03-31-2002, 10:40 AM
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Originally posted by Dorian Gray
The first thing I want to make clear is that I really liked the S2000 but for problems with Honda I traded it in.
The first thing I want to make clear is that I really liked the S2000 but for problems with Honda I traded it in.
It seems so illogical, I can only guess that maybe you really weren't entirely happy with the S, and you were trying to be nice to all the S2000 freaks on this forum. That makes sense. Maybe you had some cash to throw around, and you were looking for something nicer and better. You seem to have found it in the M Roadster, and that's cool too. But to get rid of a car you really liked, just to get even with AHM, that seem strange to me.
No offense intended, this is just a friendly question. I like the M Roadster, and I respect your decision. I'm just trying to understand it first.
