Since the 1970s, BMW’s M division has been tasked with creating the company’s race cars and high-performance street cars. In terms of the latter, recent years have seen this vaunted arm of the company arguably losing its way. As we reported last year - opens in new window or tab., some detractors say the M division moved away from the light nimble M cars—to heavier luxury models that neglect core principles of cars like the much-heralded E30 M3 coupe. (See this fine 1990 example - opens in new window or tab..)
Models like the new M4 coupe have certainly received their fair share of praise, but there are still enthusiasts who long for something that recalls well-honed BMW driving machines of the past. For those diehards, there’s good news: after some time behind wheel, we can confirm that the new M2 is a legitimate return to form for M.
Based on the diminutive 2-Series coupe, the M2 should be considered something of a successor to the 2011 1M Coupe. Like the 1M, the rear-wheel drive M2 is powered by a turbocharged inline six cylinder making 365 horsepower—sounding great in the process. That’s enough grunt to get this 3,400-pound coupe from rest to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds when equipped with a DCT automatic gearbox, or 4.4 second with a six-speed manual transmission (as our tester was equipped).
With a near 50-50 weight balance and a wheelbase that’s only five inches longer than the aforementioned E30 M3, the M2 feels positively spritely in comparison to the M4. It’s the first M car we’ve driven in recent memory that is fantastic candidate for a day at the autocross. The M-tuned suspension is taut and responsive while never feeling abusive over rough pavement, although the lack of an adaptive damper option is disappointing.
But that goes along with a general theme we observed with the M2: simplicity. Where the M4 presents you with a myriad of configurable settings and options—most of which connect to things that add weight—the engineers designed an M2 that sets preferred settings as the default. For instance, on an M4 you’ll find no less than three steering weight settings, but none of them feel exactly right in our hands. By contrast, the M2 does not offer any steering weight options. Instead, the steering feels properly weighted by default. That general theme makes the M2 feel fun to drive from the moment you get behind the wheel, rather than requiring the driver to search through various options for a supposed optimal configuration.
Of course, there are caveats. On manual-equipped cars, the M2 offers active rev-matched downshifts, much like the C7 Corvette, Cadillac ATS-V, and Camaro SS. But unlike those cars, rev-matching in the M2 can’t be disabled without fully shutting off all traction and stability controls, which seems like a significant oversight. And although the M2 has rear seats, we can't recommend putting a normal-sized adult human being back there.
But these are minor gripes in the grand scheme of things. For enthusiasts who’ve been waiting for M to make a comeback with a car that nails the size, power, grip, and daily-driving comfort that made BMW synonymous with high performance, the M2 is a breath of fresh air. Bottom line: it’s a ton of fun to drive.
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