2024 Dark Horse Mustang vs 2023 BMW M2 - Car and Driver Comparison Review

[JAL]

XDrive is what I love about some BMW's. That's why I have an M240i XDrive on order as a daily.

Yes and I am sure it is a good AWD system. It is just not for me. Same goes with Quattro and 4MATIC: I don't want AWD in my performance car. I get that most people like that and that's why they sell so many. I'm sure your M240i will be an incredible daily drive that you'll enjoy!

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[Baldilocks]

Yes and I am sure it is a good AWD system. It is just not for me. Same goes with Quattro and 4MATIC: I don't want AWD in my performance car. I get that most people like that and that's why they sell so many. I'm sure your M240i will be an incredible daily drive that you'll enjoy!

I sure will! It also looks much better than the M2.

I still enjoy my Mustang too, but on those dreary days, it's no good to me.

Pic attached not my car, but same spec I ordered:

 

[Mustang406]

1

The PP2 was never on the level of a GT350, Mach 1, or Dark Horse from a driving experience. It was a tuned up PP1 with stiffer springs and cooling, and the biggest set of Cup tires they could fit on the thing. Same crappy steering and poor damping that affects all the GT PPs, same crappy MT82.

And while I also think the DH is ridiculously priced, saying you could get the same thing for $50k in 2020 is just false. You couldn’t get a GT350 under $60k and a loaded model was retailing for $65k. Regardless, a $15k bump (with the, again, ridiculously priced DH paint package on on top of everything else) for like-models—not a $25k bump—is stupid. Kills the car’s value.

My takeaway is that both cars took a step forward and backward to varying degrees. The DH needs a diet, a bespoke engine, and a price cut. The G87 is in dire need of cosmetic surgery. Great car marred by some of the ugliest styling decisions I’ve seen on an M car short of the beaver teeth on the M3/M4. If they can fix the ugly taillights, put on some normal looking bumpers, and figure out how to resolve those bloated side panels and rockers, it would be an easy winner.

The F87 CS was a masterpiece, as was the GT350. Even the standard F87 Competition was just a tasteful looking awesome package. Tired of seeing the regression in the current crop of performance cars. The spec sheets mean nothing if they look ugly and have the same iPad glued on the inside.

I remember seeing the F87 and G87 side by side and it just makes the comparison even more depressing.

Looks are subjective and I don't mind how the new BMWs look. I am sure I am in the minority on that.

Performance however is not subjective. The Dark Horse fully optioned is over 91k. (Including stripes and carbon fiber wheels). Decline those options and you have a 75k ballpark car with the HP. (I personally see zero reason to get a non HP DH) That price puts the Mustang at 10k over the GT 350. 75k for a non Shelby.

The Dark Horse does perform well on a track in stock form (for a few laps at least) with the Trofeo R tires. What would a vastly cheaper M2 do with those same tires? Or better, what does a Dark Horse look like without those? Cup 2s is as far as I was willing to go for part time track use on my cars. PS4S is what I use for street driving. What does the DH performance numbers look like on PS4S?

In all performance except the track, the DH is already out hustled by its little brother the GT in manual form. The fact that a GT will do a 12.5 1/4 mile that still doesn't match the 2016 SS is embarrassing enough. The DH needing 12.6 is awful. The auto version of course is faster at a 12.0-12.2. Unfortunately at that price point there are cars doing that in mid to low 11s.

Only reason I can see buying a DH is if you absolutely must have a V8 manual with tracking ability from the factory. This is something only the DH offers and you will pay a premium for it.

 

[JAL]

I wonder how many people on this forum actually track their car... asking for a friend.
/end

I do.
That's the only reason I own my S650.

I drive it to the track and back in the CAM-C class that does not allow a lot of deviation from stock condition.

To make the Mustang sure-footed on the track in a sustainable way, some minor suspension mods need to occur. Mainly targeted at reducing roll and improving the tire contact patch in the turn.
The DH HP or the Mach 1 HP will do great without any suspension mods, but being able to dial in the right alignment and eliminating most of the bushing-induced dynamic alignment changes means expensive tires last longer.
And brakes. Racing pads that make obnoxious noises at city speed but that will not fade in a 20 minute session. And they make a lot of dust.

This makes for a very rough daily driver. I will drive it maybe 20 miles a week because I can't help myself, that's it.

I like to drive it fast, but I won't do it on the normal roads. And like you said, most people never track theirs and it's fine. We each have our reasons to like what we like and they're all valid!

 

[Karguy]

I hear what you say but I think the M2 looks different and sticks out from the sea of me too sameness which I like…Controversial looks or ugly as some say is better than boring to me…So thats no negative point to me…All for me thats missing is V8 sound which I love! As powerful smooth and quick revving the inline 6 biturbo is I would love to see BMW go back to the glorious M3 V8 days…As for the Mustang where you still can get a V8 with a manual you are right the PP2 is no DH but $25K more in 5 years for the same car except for the Tremec which is a must is plain ridiculous which would be plus 10% a year or $25000 for the mexican tremec instead the chinese getrag , a titanium shift knob and cheaper to manufacture touchscreen because the knobs and buttons are gone… As for the GT350 being a masterpiece I respectfully disagree as I have never been so disappointed by a car after a testdrive in 2019 when I bought a new SS1LE instead a car that was written up by the media so much also and was really not that much fun to drive at all and super impractical with a cheap squeaky interior that drove me nuts…The GT 350 I remember on that testdrive made no power below 4000 rpm and not really more above than a 5.0 Coyote which sounded much better ! It also vibrated so bad that you could feel it in the shifter.Also the handling was not good as I felt the car could get away from you in a straight line as the engine/body twisted like a empty beer can…Weird as the regular GTPP2 did not do that but felt not as good either but sounded much better than the SS1LE I ended up buying.Btw I drove a C7Z51 on the same day which I did not like either…It felt like the rear could come around at any time and was very quiet inside and had really no power in gear 5,6,7…3 overdrives…LOL The Challenger WB 392 I had not on my radar screen by then and the M2 at the local dealership was out because if automatic and markup which the GT350 also had for myself unknown reasons… I had such high hopes / expectations after reading and watching videos and felt so disappointed after driving it…A very sobering experience and reminder to to a testdrive before any purchase !

 

[Karguy]

I hear what you say but I think the M2 looks different and sticks out from the sea of me too sameness which I like…Controversial looks or ugly as some say is better than boring to me…So thats no negative point to me…All for me thats missing is V8 sound which I love! As powerful smooth and quick revving the inline 6 biturbo is I would love to see BMW go back to the glorious M3 V8 days…As for the Mustang where you still can get a V8 with a manual you are right the PP2 is no DH but $25K more in 5 years for the same car except for the Tremec which is a must is plain ridiculous which would be plus 10% a year or $25000 for the mexican tremec instead the chinese getrag , a titanium shift knob and cheaper to manufacture touchscreen because the knobs and buttons are gone… As for the GT350 being a masterpiece I respectfully disagree as I have never been so disappointed by a car after a testdrive in 2019 when I bought a new SS1LE instead a car that was written up by the media so much also and was really not that much fun to drive at all and super impractical with a cheap squeaky interior that drove me nuts…The GT 350 I remember on that testdrive made no power below 4000 rpm and not really more above than a 5.0 Coyote which sounded much better ! It also vibrated so bad that you could feel it in the shifter.Also the handling was not good as I felt the car could get away from you in a straight line as the engine/body twisted like a empty beer can…Weird as the regular GTPP2 did not do that but felt not as good either but sounded much better than the SS1LE I ended up buying.Btw I drove a C7Z51 on the same day which I did not like either…It felt like the rear could come around at any time and was very quiet inside and had really no power in gear 5,6,7…3 overdrives…LOL The Challenger WB 392 I had not on my radar screen by then and the M2 at the local dealership was out because if automatic and markup which the GT350 also had for myself unknown reasons… I had such high hopes / expectations after reading and watching videos and felt so disappointed after driving it…A very sobering experience and reminder to to a testdrive before any purchase !​

 

[roadpilot]

Just another lather, rinse, and repeat thread. *yawn*

 

[9secondko]

The PP2 was never on the level of a GT350, Mach 1, or Dark Horse from a driving experience. It was a tuned up PP1 with stiffer springs and cooling, and the biggest set of Cup tires they could fit on the thing. Same crappy steering and poor damping that affects all the GT PPs, same crappy MT82.

And while I also think the DH is ridiculously priced, saying you could get the same thing for $50k in 2020 is just false. You couldn’t get a GT350 under $60k and a loaded model was retailing for $65k. Regardless, a $15k bump (with the, again, ridiculously priced DH paint package on on top of everything else) for like-models—not a $25k bump—is stupid. Kills the car’s value.

My takeaway is that both cars took a step forward and backward to varying degrees. The DH needs a diet, a bespoke engine, and a price cut. The G87 is in dire need of cosmetic surgery. Great car marred by some of the ugliest styling decisions I’ve seen on an M car short of the beaver teeth on the M3/M4. If they can fix the ugly taillights, put on some normal looking bumpers, and figure out how to resolve those bloated side panels and rockers, it would be an easy winner.

The F87 CS was a masterpiece, as was the GT350. Even the standard F87 Competition was just a tasteful looking awesome package. Tired of seeing the regression in the current crop of performance cars. The spec sheets mean nothing if they look ugly and have the same iPad glued on the inside.

I remember seeing the F87 and G87 side by side and it just makes the comparison even more depressing.

not only is the “styling” atrocious on the m2, but the whole visual quality of it is off. The top half of the car looks like a cheap, entry level bmw and the bottom half looks like either the bottom portion of a boat or a Jegs body kit meant for a Fiero or something.

it’s like the hired a fresh out of industrial design school student who turned out to be lazy and then didn’t pay them enough.

in those photos, the materials of the fascia look cheap, the paint doesn’t quite match -especially in the shadowed areas, it looks like a different color than directly adjacent sheet metal on the hood.

man’s basically nothing in the lower grille area? I get that some folks live in lofts and they like not having an actual ceiling do they can look at the AC ducts, electrical wiring, etc. but on this car it just looks like an unfinished piece of remedial art school homework.

BMW Has usually always had great design. There have been a few exceptions. A couple years ago, I passed on an m4 solely due to the design. The front end was just not happening. But this m2 … I don’t know what in the world they were thinking.

after the stellar designs of the previous gt350 and gt500, I was sure we’d at least see Ford pick up the slack. But it looks like they need to get those designers back to work on the 650 - as well as some engineers who know how to edit a platform for light weighting instead of just tacking stuff on.

 

[Mustang1987]

Just another lather, rinse, and repeat thread. *yawn*

It's almost sad now lol The users that complain everyday don't even own mustangs. Imagine just spending your whole day in a forum about a car that you don't even own

 

[roadpilot]

It's almost sad now lol The users that complain everyday don't even own mustangs. Imagine just spending your whole day in a forum about a car that you don't even own

IKR?! Not just sad, but pathetic.

 

[Q6543]

How is it that a 500 hp mustang in 2024 is slower than a 455 hp Camaro in 2026?

there’s too much focus on one magazine article and it’s NOT what we’re seeing in the real world.
In real world testing the mustang GT dominates the Camaro and runs almost as fast as the ZL1s are running.

a base 10r80 GT is closer to a Zl1 in the 1/4 than a SS/ SS1le

 

[Dave2013M3]

I actually love the quirkiness of the M2. Some 15mm spacers and a touch of lowering and they look great.

 

[Klipshpoke]

It's almost sad now lol The users that complain everyday don't even own mustangs. Imagine just spending your whole day in a forum about a car that you don't even own

Pretty sure a lot of these reponses are AI generated. I'm serious.

 

[Klipshpoke]

I actually love the quirkiness of the M2. Some 15mm spacers and a touch of lowering and they look great.

I think they are great looking cars in person. They are also a lot larger standing next to one.

 

[Piotr]

I was a huge hater for the m2 looks but then I saw it in person in the black color and I really liked it, both the front and the back. It had some bmw performance carbon parts though.

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