Cars like the BMW M2 are a rare breed these days, so when one arrived at AutoTrader for a week-long test, we grabbed the keys and got to work acquainting ourselves with this coupe!
BMW’s M Division is incredibly popular locally; South Africa is among the planet’s biggest M markets per capita. It’s then safe to say that SA car buyers’ interests are piqued when the brand launches its most attainable pukka M Division model. That model is, of course, the M2, now called the G87, and will sadly be the last model the brand will build that is rear-wheel drive, has the option of a manual gearbox and is solely powered by an internal combustion engine. How does this last hurrah fare?
Styling
There’s no getting past the controversial styling of the M2; when the car broke cover internationally in 2022, it broke the internet, and not in a good way. Thankfully, as with most of the M Division’s products, it looks a lot better in the metal, with our Zandvoort Blue test unit attracting admiring glances from so many during our week with the car. That is not to say this is a beautiful car, but a visually striking product. We feel that it could look better, and if we take its predecessors as an example of how good the brand is at making a visually stunning small coupe, the new model tends to look ungainly from certain angles.
Interior and space
The interior of the M2 is a fantastic place to be, with supportive bucket seats (racier buckets are an option), genuinely solid build quality, high-quality materials and a general aesthetic befitting of a sports coupe. The infotainment and digitised instrument cluster is powered by the brand’s latest iDrive software, and it is great that there are physical buttons to set up the drive models and control the system from both in the centre control by touching the screen and on the steering wheel. Its ease of use and the slab-style screen that houses both systems make this our favourite set-up in a small performance car.
When looking at practicality, the M2 offers a very usable 390-litres of boot space; however, we have found the rear seats only suitable for shorter passengers during equally short journeys.
Performance and driving impression
Powering the M2 is the brand’s S58 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbocharged petrol engine lifted from the M3 and M4, albeit with slightly less power at 338kW and 550Nm which is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed torque converted automatic gearbox. It is claimed to reach 100km/h in 4.1 seconds and go into a top speed of 285km/h with the limiter removed. The quoted figures fail to express how fast the M2 is in the real world.
The straight-six motor is said to have been detuned, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it, considering its 1 725kg kerb weight isn’t too dissimilar to its M3 and M4 siblings, and the fact that when we put it against the clock, it achieved a 0-100km/h time of 3.91 seconds and an 11.96-second quarter mile! The M2 feels manically fast, and with all the assistance systems switched off, it’s a proper handful to keep under control. This writer was smitten with the diminutive M-car’s brutish charm, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect.
The kerb weight is difficult to hide, and although some sophisticated damping, a potent powerplant and good brakes make the M2 feel lighter than it is in many situations, there are still signs of its mass, particularly in low-speed corners, in cases where fast changes of direction are required and under heavy braking, the weight can certainly be felt. Engineers have done a fantastic job with the suspension from a dynamic point of view, as the car feels firm, but not unbearably so, and this, paired with steering that is not quite in the Goldilocks zone, but very close to, just right for the vehicle type, make the M2 a fun and cohesive package to drive quickly, if the user is familiar with high-power rear-wheel drive vehicles, that is!
During the daily commute, the addition of a torque converter in place of the dual-clutch gearbox present in its predecessor, along with more comprehensively calibrated drive mode settings, make the M2 relatively refined and reasonably comfortable when the user wants it to be if you can get past the ever-present tyre roar. We were impressed with its ability to switch from tyre-shredding lunacy to quiet and docile at the touch of a button and find this to be a better daily driver than the previous M2 Competition.
Safety
The 2 Series coupe range was crash-tested in 2022 by Eur. It achieved a 4-Star rating with 82% for adult occupant safety, 81% for child occupant safety, 67% for pedestrian safety and 64% for its safety assistance systems.
Fuel consumption
BMW claims that the M2 will consume petrol at a rate of 9.7 L/100km, which is realistic when the car is driven with restraint. However, our seven-day test resulted in a figure of 11.8 L/100km, which is not quite what the brand claims but is entirely reasonable for a sporty coupe.
Pricing
An M2, without any additional specification, is priced at t R1 503 975, with our press unit being over R1.6 million with options. It appears expensive but is similar to a Toyota Supra and Mercedes-AMG A45 S(with similar options), both of which the BMW appears to have the performance edge over. The M2 comes with a 5-year/100 000km maintenance plan.
Verdict
The latest M2 is a more polarising car than the model it replaces; however, there is no denying that the new car is a devastatingly adept performance car that is also more usable daily. Aside from the hefty kerb weight and polarising styling, there’s a lot to like about this new M2!
Keyword: BMW M2 coupe auto (2023) Review