Photo: BMW
When it comes to the BMW M2, VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) decoding has almost proved as successful at feeding us new information via the official channels. The latest episode of this alphanumerical wizardry shows us precisely how different US and European tastes are.
The M fanatics over at Bimmerpost have managed to retrieve the info (VIN decoders are public) for at least 333 units of the M2, based on the guessed VINs.
Since BMW is one of the few carmakers that still make go-fast machines with three pedals, we'll start with the transmission battle. These guys also took the time to list right-hand-drive cars, so we can also talk about the British manner of ordering an M2.
About one-third (32.33%) of US drivers have gone for the stick, the percentage drops to 20% in Europe. As for those who will drive the M2 in the rain on a daily basis, only 5% of the them wanted a clutch in their life.
Another important aspect concerns the optional M Driver's Package. This is the kind of tech development that requires one to be more of a driver, since its main asset is that it messes with the electronic top speed limiter. As a result, the maximum velocity jumps from the all-annoying 155 mph (250 km/h) to at least 168 mph (270 km/h).
While the 155 mph limitation started out as a German gentlemen's agreement, it seems there's a just-as-unwritten international consensus on this matter, since the percentages on all three markets are close.
Perhaps more or less due to the Autobahn inspiration, European M2 orders lead the pack here, with 33 percent of these Bimmers being allowed to fly higher than your diesel. While a quarter of the US cars (25.56%) come with the Driver's Pack, only 5% of British-destined M2s can pull such stunts.
Sure, an important part of these vehicles are press cars, while many dealers will want to hold on to their demo cars for a while. But this still means that those in the market for an M2 and running low on patience should forget about choosing a color.
While BMW only offers four hues for the M2 (Long Beach Blue metallic, Alpine White, Black Sapphire and Mineral Grey), factoring in all the data above can lead to hilarious results. For instance, this initial batch of cars means that America will only be blessed with one white M2 with a manual.
Oh, and if you happen to have a neighbor who got to the M2 first and is bragging about His New M2, you can tell him the car isn't all that new anymore - according to the VIN play, the first (pre-production) vehicles were built in late November 2014.
Since BMW is one of the few carmakers that still make go-fast machines with three pedals, we'll start with the transmission battle. These guys also took the time to list right-hand-drive cars, so we can also talk about the British manner of ordering an M2.
About one-third (32.33%) of US drivers have gone for the stick, the percentage drops to 20% in Europe. As for those who will drive the M2 in the rain on a daily basis, only 5% of the them wanted a clutch in their life.
Another important aspect concerns the optional M Driver's Package. This is the kind of tech development that requires one to be more of a driver, since its main asset is that it messes with the electronic top speed limiter. As a result, the maximum velocity jumps from the all-annoying 155 mph (250 km/h) to at least 168 mph (270 km/h).
While the 155 mph limitation started out as a German gentlemen's agreement, it seems there's a just-as-unwritten international consensus on this matter, since the percentages on all three markets are close.
Perhaps more or less due to the Autobahn inspiration, European M2 orders lead the pack here, with 33 percent of these Bimmers being allowed to fly higher than your diesel. While a quarter of the US cars (25.56%) come with the Driver's Pack, only 5% of British-destined M2s can pull such stunts.
Sure, an important part of these vehicles are press cars, while many dealers will want to hold on to their demo cars for a while. But this still means that those in the market for an M2 and running low on patience should forget about choosing a color.
While BMW only offers four hues for the M2 (Long Beach Blue metallic, Alpine White, Black Sapphire and Mineral Grey), factoring in all the data above can lead to hilarious results. For instance, this initial batch of cars means that America will only be blessed with one white M2 with a manual.
Oh, and if you happen to have a neighbor who got to the M2 first and is bragging about His New M2, you can tell him the car isn't all that new anymore - according to the VIN play, the first (pre-production) vehicles were built in late November 2014.
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