How’s my drifting?
BMW has taken the covers off its new M2, a car with a lot to live up to as the successor to one of the most highly regarded drivers’ cars in recent years.
The M2 is the smaller alternative to some of the larger models in BMW’s M line-up including the M3 and M4 and, like those, it has plenty in the way of visual upgrades setting it apart from the lesser variants in the 2 Series range.
Most noticeable are the larger flared wheel arches making the new car look wider and lower. As standard up top is a roof hewn from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which reduces the overall weight of the car by 6kg and lowers the M2’s centre of gravity.
The boot spoiler lip is slightly bigger than on the standard 2 Series Coupé and the rear diffuser is also more pronounced, with two pairs of exhaust pipes either side of it suggesting that the M2 has something a bit more potent under its bonnet than the 2-litre petrol or diesel engines of the base models.
Engine borrowed from the M3
Indeed, open the bonnet and you’ll see that the M2 is endowed with a twin-turbocharged 3-litre straight-six engine, the same base unit found in the M3 and M4. With the M2 producing 453bhp, it’s not tuned to be as potent as the engines in its sibling model, but it still boasts an extra 89bhp more than the M240i — the other 3-litre six-cylinder model in the 2 Series line-up. And it’s more powerful than the old M2 Competition, which had an engine tuned to 404bhp.
In the new M2’s case, that power gets sent to the 20in rear wheels (19in at the front) via a choice of either an eight-speed automatic gearbox or, yes, a six-speed manual.
The power boost over the standard 2 Series models is such that the M2 can complete the 0-62mph dash in 4.1 seconds in automatic form, with the manual making the sprint in 4.3 seconds.
The M2’s ability in corners is aided by the fact that it is very stiff in the body structure thanks to additional bracing in the chassis. Enthusiasts will get excited about the fact that new links connect the individual spring strut towers with each other as well as the nose and bulkhead; vertical braces connect the engine mounts to the new M-specific front subframe, which is itself stiffened by new, larger anchor points at the base of the A-pillars.
All of this adds up, in theory, to a car that feels a more predictable when it comes to cornering, especially under the fast road and track conditions for which it is designed.
Further evidence of the M2’s performance potential comes in the form of its cooling systems, with larger apertures in the front apron to channel air not just into the engine bay, but to the six-piston disc brakes, too, to prevent fade.
Changes to the oil cooling system are designed to ensure that the engine is never starved of oil under heavy acceleration, deceleration or cornering, as might be encountered during a track session.
Analyse this drift
While most drivers likely won’t need or want to turn off the driver assistance features or fiddle with the level of rear-wheel slippage in the course of everyday driving, the flick of a couple of switches allows them to do so. The M Mode button allows drivers to choose the level of assistance they’d prefer (Road, Sport and Track, in descending order), while the ten-setting traction control system permits everything from no slippage at all to enough to maintain a big smoky drift or burnout.
Also adjustable are the suspension’s damping characteristics, via a menu accessed through the interior’s touchscreen using a button on the centre console. The steering can be tweaked too.
Once inside, drivers are faced with the latest interior to feature BMW’s “Curved Display” interface that combines a 12.3in instrument cluster with a 14.9in central infotainment screen to form one expanse of glass angled slightly towards the driver.
Delving into the menus, drivers will find further evidence of the M2’s apparent track capability with, not a lap timer function and a drift analyser to assess and rate the quality of the driver’s power slides.
M Carbon seats optional
As standard, the M2 features bolstered sports seats with heating and electric adjustment, but at the top of the seating line are the optional M Carbon bucket seats.
Though heated and electrically adjustable, these reduce the M2’s weight by 10.8kg, thanks not only to their carbon-fibre construction but also sizeable cut-outs.
These are designed to provide serious body support, especially under hard cornering and, further underlining the use for which they’re primarily designed, there’s the facility to fit multi-point racing harnesses.
The new M2 is slated for its worldwide launch next April and BMW says it will initially focus on deliveries to its two most important markets, Germany and the United States, followed a little later by the UK, China and Japan.
The M2’s UK launch is expected next May, with pricing starting from £61,495.
- After reading about the new BMW M2 Coupé, you might want to see our review of the BMW iX
- Also check out what we said about the new Audi RS 3
- Jeremy Clarkson’s best and worst cars of 2021
Keyword: Here's the new 453bhp BMW M2 Coupé