BMW's M2 remains an addictive track tool in second generation form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.
There won't be many more combustion-powered BMW M cars and the brand's second generation M2 brings that era to a close with a bang. It's unashamedly extrovert, politically incorrect and very fast. Choose one and in fifty years time, show your grandkids what they're missing.
Is there any other car quite like the BMW M2? The Munich maker doesn't think so, claiming it to be 'in a segment of one' and most of the 60,000 enthusiasts who bought the original 'F87' 2015-era model would probably agree. For BMW, M used to be merely a performance badge; now increasingly, it's a sub-brand, with this Mexican-built model now the entry point to a widening portfolio of rocket-fast road racers.
It's very different this time round - and not only because all attempts at visual subtlety have been dispensed with; if you want that, we'd recommend a look at this variant's less frantic close cousin, the M240i. That car has 4WD, but for M2 folk, that wouldn't offer the purist potential being sought here. Those people must have breathed a sigh of relief when the current 'G42' 2 Series Coupe retained a rear-driven platform. And been even more relieved when BMW announced that a manual gearbox would be retained within the M2 range. So what's in store here? Let's take a look.
The switch to the cluster platform used by larger BMWs meant that pretty much all the engineering here could be borrowed from the M3 and M4 models. The downside of using a big car chassis comes with the inevitable increase in weight, but the engineers are adamant that the advantages of that outweigh the drawbacks. It really comes down to the kind of M2 you want. BMW freely admits that this model's predecessor was 'a bit more playful' (read as 'looser at the rear end'). This one's grown up a bit, though it's still rear-driven, it can still drift and do all that tyre smoking stuff - plus it'll be faster in lap time.
Not least because it's more powerful, the B58 3.0-litre straight six engine's 460hp output (with 550Nm of torque) being 90hp more than that of the previous M2 Competition and M2 CS models. That means 62mph takes just 4.1s with 8-speed three-setting paddle-shift auto transmission - or 4.3s with the manual stick shift that BMW's M division fought to retain with this car. Top speed is usually limited to 155mph, unless you pay extra for an 'M Race Track' pack, which raises the speed limiter to 177mph. To control all that grunt, there's an Active M differential allowing up to 100% of torque to be transferred to either of the rear wheels. In addition, unlike any other M2 to date other than the old CS, there's adaptive damping. Along with punchy 6-piston brakes and a 10-step M traction control system. Track fiends even get an M drift analyser which rates the standard of their smoky slides.
There's nothing subtle about the wild, angular way this G87 series M2 now looks. BMW says its designs are edging closer to the style of its race cars and this one's certainly got a degree of DTM to it thanks to an overt body kit with swollen wings, plus huge quad-exit exhausts in a GT-style rear diffuser and a unique front end with frameless kidney grilles said to be inspired by classic 02 series BMW coupes of the '60s and '70s.
The track width is much wider than a standard 2 Series Coupe (49mm more at the front and 18mm more at the rear) and the car itself is 114mm longer than the previous generation M2 - and only 219mm shorter than an M4. Wheels are 19-inches at the front and 20-inches at the rear.
Inside, there are grippy sports seats and an M-specific BMW OS curved screen. With this, you can set your own preferences for the two red thumb paddles on the bespoke steering wheel for quick access to favoured drive, transmission, stability and suspension settings. As usual on a 2 Series Coupe, you get a couple of small back seats - this time round, thanks to the slightly lengthier 2,747mm wheelbase, there's slightly more legroom in the back. And you get the kind of decent 390-litre boot capacity that a 718 Cayman or A110 owner would envy. If you need space for longer items, the rear backrest also has a useful 40:20:40 split.
BMW wants around £65,000 for this second generation M2 - so think about £15,000 more than was required for its predecessor at launch. That makes the car slightly less expensive than the comparably powerful Porsche 718 Cayman GTS. There's no news on an uprated 'Competition'-spec variant, but we can expect a lightweight, firmer M2 CSL model at some point for those who want a bit more track focus.
That distinctive M car touch, a lightweight M Carbon roof, is standard as usual made out of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic. And there are Adaptive LED headlights with a BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling High beam Assistant. Also standard is a 3-zone climate control system, acoustic glazing for the windscreen, auto headlamps and wipers, ambient lighting and a Harmon Kardon surround sound system. The key option is to replace the standard M Sport seats with optional M Carbon bucket seats, which are fully electric and heated, come trimmed in Merino leather, can be fitted with a multi-point harness and feature integral head restraints and an illuminated model badge.
Camera safety kit includes Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, Lane Departure Warning including lane return and a Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator. More features are provided in an optional Driving Assistant pack.
BMW quotes a combined fuel consumption return of between 28.8mpg and 29.1mpg - but of course if you ever regularly get close to that, you shouldn't have bought an M2 in the first place. The CO2 reading is rated at 220-219g/km.
What else might you need to know? Well, routine maintenance is dictated by 'Condition Based Servicing' that monitors oil level and engine wear, taking into account how long it's been and how far the car has travelled since its previous garage visit. Like all M cars, this one needs a first running-in service at 1,200 miles.
On to the warranty package. BMW offers a warranty that lasts for three years, no matter how many miles you complete. You can also insure your car through BMW, though as many M2s will be funded with company money through a lease deal, this brokerage fees are likely to be bundled into that.
Given that this M2 is basically now very much an M4 in a different, sportier suit, there was no point in BMW's stylists merely copying that only slightly larger model's more conservative vibe - and they haven't. You'll either like or loathe the fact that aesthetic subtlety's been tossed out the window here but you can't deny that this second generation M2 certainly has more roadway presence this time round. No longer do we find ourselves questioning whether an M240i might not be a cleverer choice: this now feels like a different kind of car entirely.
It has its own unique niche, just as is the case with the two similarly priced models that are closest to anything that might be called a 'competitor', Porsche's 718 Cayman and the Alpine A110. We applaud the fact that BMW's retained a manual stick shift option and has resisted the temptation to add in xDrive 4WD. We're less keen on the larger platform's extra weight and the step up in price. Still, it's a proper driver's car, just as we'd hoped the M division's last ever pure combustion model might be. Enjoy it while you can.
