Test: BMW M2 – closer to the action and that makes it more intense

Is the BMW M2 a real M?

If you know the tradition of M models, the M2 looks like a very logical M. The first M3, with its two-door body and characteristic wheel arch extensions (almost no body part was equal to that of a normal 3 series), was a car where the power from splash. The M sedans were usually a bit more subdued, the many coupé versions of the M3 dripped with aggression and potential. Since the 1M Coupé of the early last decade, BMW has also had a traditional entry-level model for the fund division, and the latest M2 takes over from the previous M2.

The BMW M2 is actually a shortened M4, because it is on the same platform. Does it only come with rear-wheel drive?

That there is an M2 seems logical, no niche is almost still outside the reach of BMW Motorsport, but on the other hand you already have the M4 Coupé in so many flavors (480 hp, as 510 hp Competition, with 4WD, with only 2WD , etcetera). The M2 is more than 21 centimeters shorter, but shares a lot of things with the M4. For the time being, the smallest M is available in one power version. The same 3.0 biturbo six-cylinder petrol engine that you can get in all variants of the M3 / M4 produces 20 hp less here, which brings the power to 460 hp.

With only a manual gearbox, the BMW M2 would be much purer, wouldn’t it?

You can get it with a manual transmission, although that is an option. Unfortunately, we cannot say whether the M2 with manual gearbox is the end of it, because when we met on the Bridgestone test circuit during the AutoBild Test the Best event, a version with automatic transmission was ready, with the M Driver’s Pack that includes carbon seats, a carbon roof and extra sporty rubber should increase the fun.

Do you notice much difference with the M3 and the M4?

If you run them one after the other, sure. We also did a lap of the BMW M3 Touring Competition at the test event. What immediately stands out in the M2 is the higher intensity. Everything comes through and across more directly, the forces that are released on the rear axle that is closer behind you than in the larger M brothers, the exhaust that is less far behind you due to the shorter dimensions. The car is very direct, you feel the quick throttle response even better, as it were, also because there is more unrest in the M2. The back has a huge amount of grip, but you can also let it die very easily, the drift analysis in the display even invites you to do so. The many setting options within the driving modes road, sports and tracks Fortunately, they can also be saved in two pre-programmed settings, which you can activate directly via the two red buttons in the steering wheel. This way you always have your favorite setup right at your fingertips.

Is the M2 completely old school, because that’s how it looks from the outside?

You sit very low in the M2, but when you think you’re getting into a nice old school coupe, the view in front of you immediately brings you back to the present. BMW’s most modern dashboard style provides an almost EV-like experience, which is due to the application of the huge continuous screen that lies over the dashboard. Many displays are in a modern layout, there is no classic-looking meter display to set. As if you are in an M3 or M4. You don’t have that much car behind you, but there you do have a normal back seat.

The M2 surely grows faster around you because it’s shorter?

Well, not that. Going very fast on a track with an M2 is more difficult than in an M3 or M4 with four-wheel drive, in the M2 you have to explore a bit more due to its more direct responses and get used to how the car reacts, which is more balanced in the larger models. Minute steering movements that are translated into action so quickly, however, make it so addictive on a track that once you get the hang of it, the fun is just that little bit higher.

The engine is the same but has 460 hp, do you still notice that?

When shifting manually with the paddles, pay close attention to the tachometer bar, which lights up just before the rev limiter at 7,000 rpm. You are quickly too late to play pinball and then the rev limiter kicks in. The automatic transmission itself can also be fine, although with the real bangs on a fenced job, the box is often just not fast enough with the moment of downshifting. The gears are short, and the gear changes are fast, and the powertrain also contributes to the fanaticism of the M2. With a manual gearbox, the experience may be a bit more like it used to be and those looking for one of the last real funcars might do well to consider such a transmission. It does not take much speed in a straight line, because the version with the automatic transmission goes from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.3 seconds, the manual gearbox needs a tenth more.

A BMW M2 or just an M4?

Could that manual gearbox be the deciding factor to go for an M2 instead of an M4? No, because the M4 is also only available in combination with a manual gearbox and then the cars are certainly close to each other. Moreover, you then have the same engine but with 480 hp. An M2 doesn’t have to rely on its weight either. It saves about 75 kilos in favor of the M2 and the M2 also brings almost 1,700 kilos on the scales. Is the price still in favor of the smallest M? It starts at €114,896, for an M4 you have to bring at least 15,000 euros more.