Twin vs BMW m240i
 

So I didnt find any threads on this and figured I'd start one.

I test drove one of these Saturday and thought while not in the same price range they vehicles are in the same size very similar when driving.

The m240i comes stock with 335hp and you can get it tuned from BMW to have the same output as a M2 (360hp) and keep your factory warranty.

The sitting position is very similar to a twin, the cabin size is almost exactly the same, and the overall feel is great.

Of course the biggest difference is when you put in your foot in it. The m240i even with the base 335hp feels like a rocketship compared to a twin.

So after incentives I could buy a m240i for about $46k.

Right now I have a BRZ ts on order and its sticker is $35.8k.
I'm going to boost the BRZ with most likely a Edelbrock Supercharger.
Installed that should cost around $7k and get me to ~300 crank hp.
Total that would easily put me at 42-43k.

Would it be worth it to spend ~3k more on the BMW?

I'm a Bimmer guy so I'd get the M240i lol.

My 0.02
I had a similar dilemma, 2010 135i vs 2013 FR-S in 2013.
While the 135i was a fast rocket, it was numb and joyless and understeered in the twisty parts of town. The FR-S was love at first drive, and made me a good enough driver eventually to keep up with M3s on the track with my autocross tires.

BMW no longer builds cars for long term use. They're lease only cars at this point, with long term durability a design afterthought.

I also felt this way in my ownership with both BMW's.

It really feels like they are built to maximize the joy of ownership in the first 3-4 years. There are too many failure points for long term ownership.. There are sensors to make sure your sensors are working, and they probably have a sensor to tell you if your having a problem with that sensor. I just couldn't really follow what the techs were talking about when I took it in for service and overall didn't enjoy that aspect of ownership. If you must have one, do what I did and get rid of them before your warranty expires.

Edit: Oh yeah back on point, Unless you get an M2 nobody in the BMW community will care much. Its a fickle group, you will buy the car for performance reasons and most of the other owners you meet just keep it in the garage for their wife to drive on the weekend. I wish there was more passion for any of the cars under 50k but its severely lacking. Just thought I'd share that, If you enjoy this community you will be let down when you cross over to BMW world.

My first German car was a 2008 VW Rabbit and it set the bar for what I consider typical "German-isms": not necessarily performance/handling (being FWD), but things like amenities and fit/finish. I traded the VW for a 2013 FR-S. While I loved how the FR-S drove, I missed some of those German-isms, so I traded it for a 2016 228i (RWD) with all of the performance packages that brought it on par with the M235i (aside from raw power, obviously). I was never as happy driving the BMW as I was with my FR-S, so this past December, I traded the BMW in for a 2017 BRZ and now I'm happy driving again.

I find all of this to be in conflict with my direct experience. The sitting position in a twin is far lower than the BMW. The drive-through is again hilarious. The BMW's back seats, while cramped, can actually seat 2 people. The back seats of a twin are a mere technicality. For me, the BMW was never as fun to drive as either my FR-S or BRZ. The extra weight was always noticeable and the engine responsiveness didn't compare. In Comfort Mode (the default), the engine responded slowly to the gas pedal - changing lanes while at speed frequently left me concerned about being rear-ended until the power kicked in hard. Sport Mode had much better responsiveness, at the cost of smooth driveability in the city. I never got to Sport+. Overall feel is subjective, so I can't comment meaningfully. I did like a lot about my 228i, except driving it when I was in a mood.


Are you certain about this? I'm sure Dinan can boost the power and they seem to have agreements with BMW about the warranty, but Dinan isn't BMW.

What are your priorities? For me, the answer is no. Now that I've had a 2er, I know that BMW doesn't have anything for me in their lineup. That might be different when the Toyota collaboration produces something real, but for now I know that I'm not missing anything.

So I just confirmed with the dealer today, when you order the performance exhaust the tune/remap is included and does bump the output to 365hp and its the official BMW M2 tune. The engine is the exact same in a M2 and a M240i only difference is the tune.

They quoted me $2216 installed for the exhaust and tune with carbon fiber tips.

FTR: I'm not saying I am buying the bimmer, just exploring my options while waiting on the ts to arrive.

240i. No contest.

Not that I've ever driven one. But I have kept an eye on used 235i and 228i prices.

The 228i appears to be incredibly fast (with a lot less weight on the nose) and offers really great value if KBB is anything to go from. The trouble is finding a manual. The 8 speed wouldn't suck, but...

If you're buying a bmw and it isn't made before 2000, what are you even doing with your life?

The ts is just a tarted up BRZ Limited. You're comparing a $46K car to a $26K car.

Don't forget to factor in the tax, license, registration, insurance, depreciation, maintenance costs, and resale value into the equation.

Agreed.

Most serious auto-jounalists seem to agree with this take. The BMW is quick, fast and German, but sorely lacking in all the intangibles. Steering feel, brake feel, chassis dynamics.

So to @tennisfreak since a 1 or 2 series BMW carries no cache among the brand loyal and like @TofuJoe mentioned, if you're going to seriously mod your BRZ, then skip the TS model. Get something in the mid-high twenties and make it totally yours with the right mods. You'll end up with a car that is better in nearly every measure (performance, feel, and looks) than the BMW for about 10 grand less.

M240i is a good 700+ lb. heavier. Let's be honest, BMW hasn't made a proper bare-bones car in a long time... And it's only available with an open diff :thumbdown:

You can get a brand new '17 BRZ PP for ~$26k + tax/tag/etc. You could easily get a PP and supercharge it for less than a tS...

Almost 800 lbs heavier, taller drive position. No thanks.

Open dif... Boooooo

However any M car is better than a brz in every way (Makes sense given the price point). Can't compare non-M bmws to M models and I don't mean the M they slap in front of any 240 340 440 ect.. M2 is the only car I've driven that feels tighter than a frs.

Also reliability not the greatest on non-M Bmws. They are lease cars for sure. M models different story altogether.

As far as a supercharged brz over m240... No question the brz takes it. M2 would be different but you are fooling yourself if you think tuning your 240 to M2 power means you'll have anythinng even remotely close to an actual M2.