The all-new BMW M2 has officially gone on sale in South Africa and we tore through the Western Cape to see what this polarizing offering has up its sleeve.
I supposed I shouldn’t have been shocked when I heard that the BMW M2 is the best-selling M-product in the history of M. With more than 60 000 M2s sold worldwide, the plucky coupe has secured its place in the lineup as one of the more important models for the BMW brand.
Why wouldn’t it sell well? It’s a convenient size, offers a modicum of practicality, is respectably priced, carries the hallowed M-badge, and is attractive to look at – well, at least the previous generation was.
BMW has officially unveiled the latest version of the M2, an all-new offering that takes all their learnings and dials it up to 11. Although for some (myself included) not all aspects have been improved on.
Styling
Perhaps I’m out of touch with reality, but I can’t get myself to genuinely like this current era of BMW design. Sure, I can force myself to admit that it looks better in person than it does in images, but that doesn’t change the fact that BMW is not making pretty cars at this current stage of the game. This current approach reminds me of the notorious Chris Bangle era, cars that, admittedly, broke free from the cookie-cutter approach taken by too many, rolling the dice in the process, hoping that trends would catch on in time. It’s much the same now and it’s a gamble that I’m not sure is going to pay off.
You didn’t mistake the previous generation BMW M2 for anything other than a BMW; it was elegant and sporty at the same time. Slightly muted and understated perhaps, but attractive in both images and the flesh. This latest one tries to combine hard edges with bulbous curves, neither complementing the other. The front bumper appears to be fashioned by a backyard boy-racer with square apertures and black details. The frameless kidney grilles, while not as large as we’ve seen of late, lack in inspiration and don’t appear cohesive with the rest of the design.
At the rear, it’s more of the same, with the bumper appearing too large, overly complex and mismatched to the rest of the design. It’s safe to say that I do not like the way that this G87 looks but I know that it will still draw the adoration of bystanders if for nothing other than the fact that it is a BMW M car.
Heart of the Beast
The M2 is powered by a 3.0-litre, straight-six turbocharged engine and sends its power to the rear wheels, devoid of any electrification. Just fuel, air and a spark to create the power required to propel it from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. When you think about it carefully, this sort of arrangement is a dying breed – especially when you consider that a manual gearbox is also available to create that visceral driving experience. Most will probably select the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox though, replete with steering-mounted paddles.
This engine is very much the same S58B30 engine that you will find in the current generation BMW M3 and M4 but the parts bin raid doesn’t stop there. The rear end of the M2 is as wide as it is because this G87 generation M2 shares a rear axle with these siblings as well. We’ve seen this done before in the Z3 M-coupe.
It’s not perfect
Sadly, this seems to have created some form of disconnect. The front of the M2 wants to do one thing, while the back end has a mind of its own. Whether this is actually down to the variance in track between the front and rear axles or if its a product of the adaptive suspension programming, we would have to spend more time with it to say for sure. On our spirited run over a variety of tarmac surfaces in the Western Cape, the M2 feels too tautly sprung in the rear and soft in the front by comparison. This is in Comfort mode, one of the more agreeable driving modes. Switching the suspension over to Sport or Sport Plus resolves this issue, but then you’re left with an M2 that is just far too firm for the daily grind.
As with modern M products, the steering wheel is home to two M-buttons, configurable from the main infotainment screen and allowing you to customise two individual profiles for different occasions. The steering, brake feel, suspension, gearbox response and engine behaviour can all be altered with infinite combinations – there are 10 different traction control settings to choose from. You’ll spend your first three weeks with the car tweaking this alone – no doubt.
Performance
You’ll want to get that dialled in so that you can make the most of the 338 kW of power that the turbocharged unit produces and tweak the driver assistance systems to reign in the 550 Nm of torque. This new BMW M2 is electronically limited to 250 km/h, but you can spec it with the optional M Race Track Package and see that limited bumped up to 285 km/h.
The swell of torque from the straight six is highly addictive, and in a body shell that has been designed to be light and agile, the M2 gathers speed at an alarming rate. This is no longer a ‘dinky’ M car; this is as potent and serious as any M3 or M4, with hints of M5 lunacy thrown in for good measure.
Interior
A wash of options awaits those who wish to order an M2, and in that smorgasbord of options are tasty touches like carbon-fibre race bucket seats and even more carbon fibre for the interior. Our launch model was fitted with the standard seats, which are more than adequate for holding you in place and offer a semblance of sanity for those wishing daily an M2.
Space in the rear is what you would expect; tight, somewhat cramped, and only suitable for short distances. The M2 may as well be a 2-seater if we’re being honest. For the young, unmarried individual or the buyer whose children have already moved out, great, but the M2 is not what one would call a particularly practical car. For that, you buy an X3.
Two large screens make up the curved display with a large 14.9-inch serving for infotainment and vehicle controls while a smaller 12.3-inch screen sits in front of the driver.
Price
The all-new BMW M2 in automatic guise will set you back no less than R1 503 975 before you start customising it with selections from the options list. If you’re looking for a manual version, that will cost you R1 513 689. That will include a 2-year/unlimited km warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan as standard.
Conclusion
The M2 has all the makings of a great car, compact, rear-wheel drive with a large displacement, turbocharged engine up front and the famed M badge. I don’t doubt that it’s a great track-day toy and the perfect scalpel for some mountain pass carving, but the lack of refinement in its softest settings ruins the appeal for me. If you’re after an ‘angry-all-the-time’ car, then the M2 is worth it. But if you have to live with it on the daily, I fear you may be left wanting.
Keyword: BMW M2 Coupe Auto (2023) first drive review