Nice read.
"Hit" and "miss" are so subjective it really comes down to personal preference. In my eyes, save for the M2 it's very easy to argue that a lot of the F/G-chassis M models have been "misses." The stereotype of their ever increasing size, weight, and numbed driving experience is rooted in truth.
Cars like the X3M, M5, etc. still deliver thrills...just in a different way than M models of the past.
: