The New BMW M2 Is A Kick-Ass Manual Performance Coupe With A Surprisingly Attainable Price

M2 Topshot
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Here it is, the moment I’ve been waiting for. The last all-combustion BMW M-car ever. The new M2. As it’s last call for pure combustion performance cars, BMW’s chugged an original-formula Four Loko and gone all-out with this thing. It genuinely seems to feature a lot more of everything than the old model. Well, a lot more of almost everything.

P90481837 Highres The All New Bmw M2 I

Let’s start with power. The M2 cranks out 453 horsepower in U.S.-spec from BMW’s S58 twin-turbocharged three-liter inline-six. That’s more than the old special edition M2 CS. Peak power hits at 6,250 rpm while redline doesn’t happen until 7,200 rpm, properly good numbers. Even better, a six-speed manual gearbox is on the options list in true M-car tradition, with defeatable automated rev-matching. In theory, it should be the same six-speed manual gearbox as on the M3, which means it should be quite good. Job well done, I reckon.

In the words of the late, great Billy Mays, “But wait, there’s more!” Power is worthless without traction, so BMW’s pulled a rabbit or two out of its hat to keep things planted. The rear differential is an electronically-variable limited-slip unit, while the rear tires come in at a strong 285/30ZR20. The result is zero-to-sixty mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.1 seconds with the manual gearbox and zero-to-124 mph (0-200 km/h) in 14.3 seconds. Tick the box for the M Driver’s Package and you’ll be on your way to a top speed of 177 miles per hour.

P90481831 Highres The All New Bmw M2 I

Wait a second. That means this M-Division bruiser might be slower from zero-to-sixty than an M240i. That sounds like a bummer until you realize that if outright numbers aren’t being chased, driver experience likely is. The front tire size is plausible evidence of this, clocking in at 275/35R19, just 10 mm narrower than the rears. A greater stagger usually makes a car less eager to rotate, so forgive me for raising an eyebrow at these tire sizes.

Speaking of handling, the rear subframe is rigidly bolted to the body of the new M2, while both the front and rear suspension adopt unique geometry. Chuck in adaptive dampers and ten stages of traction control, and this new baby M-car should be a hoot and a half. When it comes to slowing things down, BMW’s relying on six-piston front brake calipers and single-piston units out back. Those big brakes are needed due to the M2’s weight, although how much it actually weighs gets a bit murky. BMW USA quotes a figure of 3,814 pounds for the manual car, or 1,730 kg. However, BMW Group quotes an EU curb weight of 1,775 kg including a 75 kg load and 90 percent of a tank of fuel. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lightest specification of M2 clocks in at just under 3,800 pounds.

carbon buckets

See, standard curb weight means standard equipment, and there are some neat lightweight options available for the new M2. Carbon fiber bucket seats are said to shed 24 pounds over the stock units, while an optional carbon fiber roof should reduce weight even further and comes bundled with the bucket seats in a package. Speaking of interior bits, the M2 also gets iDrive 8, although with three pedals to enjoy, who really cares about infotainment?

P90482716 Highres The All New Bmw M2 R

 

On the outside, the M2 is a bit of a mixed bag. Flared arches and bumpers give it a bulldog stance, while square bumper air intakes evoke shades of E36 M3. Thankfully, BMW’s stuck with small kidney grilles on this one, so it’s much less hideous than an M3 from the front. I’ll call that a win, along with the body-color side skirts. Out back, things get a bit weaker. The rear diffuser-like element isn’t quite as catastrophically sunken as it looked in leaked photos, but it isn’t exactly proud. What’s more, the overall design seems a bit messy.

P90482722 Highres The All New Bmw M2 R

However, think of the M2 less as slightly frumpy and more as purposeful. Those massive front bumper inlets cram air through heat exchangers. The C-pillars have been stiffened, as have the sills, as has the luggage compartment. Form follows function here, and function seems absolutely immense. Speaking of form following function, entry-level performance cars often see small color palettes, and the M2 is no exception. You have the choice of Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, and Brooklyn Grey if you live in black-and-white, or a rather pale Zandvoort Blue and the pictured Toronto Red if you have a soul. Toronto Red it is, then.

side

Perhaps the best thing about this new M2 is that it’s affordable. No, really. Pricing starts at $63,195 including a $995 freight charge, which means it’s actually cheaper than a Ford Mustang Mach 1 Premium with the handling pack. Considering the old car started at $59,895 in 2020, a $3,300 price hike seems like a bit of a deal. Expect deliveries to start in the second quarter of 2023 and since the new M2 will be made in Mexico, delivery should be fairly quick. I’ll have to order one, won’t I?

All photos courtesy of BMW

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51 thoughts on “The New BMW M2 Is A Kick-Ass Manual Performance Coupe With A Surprisingly Attainable Price

  1. “Perhaps the best thing about this new M2 is that it’s affordable.”

    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

    I think what you want to say is “competitively priced” as with the Mustang you quoted, and the RS 3.

    $60 for a small vroom vroom is not most people’s definition of affordable. In fact, I’d wager that most enthusiasts would (if you pressed them) say that $60K is not affordable for them, either. Most would be hard-put to call the Hyundai N cars affordable.

    1. I mean the average new car is like $50K.

      *Among the subset of people who actually buy new cars*, $63K for this is not out of line.

      If a Hyundai N car is not affordable to you, then you probably aren’t buying anything new anyways.

  2. There is literally nothing good I can say about this….vehicle. But, one thing I noticed that nobody has pointed out, is that it’s made in Mexico. And that’s all I have to say about that.

  3. Looks better than the M3, glad they kept the kidneys. I see some hints of 1st gen M3 in the flared rear fenders. I’m no fan of the last 10 years of BMW design with their garish cartoon grills and exaggerated features, but this seems like a step in the right direction.

    Weight is bloated, and I take issue with calling $63k “attainable”. That word is reserved for the Miata, GR86, etc.. starting at under $30k.

  4. Not to pile on too much, but a CT4 Blackwing is cheaper, larger (but weighs the same), more powerful, also comes with a 6 speed, and is pretty universally acknowledged as a great driver’s car.

    The weight thing really is a buzz kill. V8 Mustangs and Camaros are 3600-3700 lb. Noted pigs like V6 Challengers are 3850 lb. The IS500 is 3890 lb. All these cars are a lot bigger and/or more powerful as well as cheaper. It’s just odd.

  5. It’s got weird made-of-legos astetic, but even so it’s not really that ugly for BMW. Not pretty, but tolerable. This furthermore supports my theorem that bread-and-butter models are less ugly so that they sell more. And flagships look like abominatios aimed for people with little taste and lot of money.

  6. BMW website says M4 weighs 3830 lbs with AT and M3 weighs 3840 lbs with AT. Given that auto/manual difference is about 40-50 lbs, this thing is actually heavier than the M3/M4.
    The reason for that is probably cheaper suspension bits from steel instead of aluminum.

  7. The looks of this, I’m not sure… Kinda looks like an 8 series had an illegitimate child with a GR86. Maybe that’s ok.

    Big power with a row your own and rear wheel drive, that’s a lot of street cred these days, and being a compact, I’m sold… Oh wait, a compact is 3800 lbs!?!? Hard pass.

  8. This will look better in person I’m sure, just as the 2 series, M3/M4 does. But even if it doesn’t, who cares, I will take that one, the one in the press photos, red, M red/blue seats (drool) manual please. This is pure BMW M. I think I might be obsessed with those seat trims…

  9. Say what you will about the current M3 and M4. Sure, the front end is terrible but at least you got a mostly cohesive looking car from the nose back. Not with this M2. It’s god-awful looking from every angle.

    BMW’s current design team makes Chris Bangle look like Michaelangelo.

  10. I think the M2 will be a great car. A good looking car, maybe not. The blend of square and rounded edges make it look like you are buying an old Japanese car that some teenager has put on parts from 3 different body kits. I think if they kept it all square or all curvy it would look much more collected.

  11. It looks like a Chinese knockoff of a BMW. I’m not sure yet, but this may actually look worse than the M3/M4. The rear is definitely a hot mess of ugly that makes Bangle Butt look like the Mona Lisa.

  12. THIRTY-EIGHT FUCKING HUNDRED POUNDS! DRY!

    What the fuck did they do? Hire the Mitsubishi GTO’s engineering team? Make the control arms out of depleted uranium!? Solid tungsten front calipers?! 250lbs lead slug in the useless rear seats for ‘balance’!?

    I mean seriously! This thing is six hundred pounds heavier than a late Buick Regal GS! It nearly weighs as much as a fucking Mercedes-Benz GLC250!

    Think of all the poor tow truck drivers, now that BMW’s “engineers” have had their way with the engine and interior. I mean, holy fuck, the S58? I am not a BMW guy and even I know that the “S” is going to stand for “Shitshow.” The B58’s known for devouring coolant at a prodigious rate, and turbochargers dumping coolant internally nearly as often. Plus an even more failure prone VANOS conveniently located inside the timing system ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE.

    I’m sure this is going to be VERY reliable.
    Reliable income for BMW mechanics.

  13. Alright I love this. I know that the new 2 series has been getting a lot of flack for its design but I really don’t understand why. I’ve seen a few in person and think they look great…modern but with cues that harken back to classics like the 2002. Considering how high the BMW design department seems to be these days I think this is a good middle ground.

    This is basically the same powertrain as the M3/M4 but in a normal-ish looking package for the cost of a top trim pony car. Don’t get me wrong, there’s 0 chance that any of the ones that wind up on dealership lots will be less than $70,000, but BMW will at least let you custom order a car. If you want a basest of base one with a manual, you can get one if you’re willing to wait.

    I’m not going to go out and order one tomorrow or anything but it’s firmly on my radar at this point. I think calling a car at this price point affordable is a little bit of a stretch but it’s within reach for young-ish professionals like me as long as you aren’t a total ding dong with your money. I’m excited to see what you can spec once the configurator goes live, because this is A LOT of car for the low to mid 60s.

    I also hope the manual trickles down to the other 2 series models. A base 230i with RWD and a stick would give Toyobaru shoppers something to think about. That being said I’ll happily take an as base as I can get version of this in that awesome purple color with the tan interior. As good as the ZF8 is I think I’d even suck up urban manual driving for something with this much character. I feel like it’s a moral obligation due to the fact that they’re still offering this in stick at all. Props to BMW for still making real enthusiast cars.

    1. Have you _driven_ the new 2 series though?

      A BMW can make up for a lot of ugly if it drives like a BMW. But the new 2-series is _awful_. The handling is awful. The transmission is awful. The visibility is awful. It’s just awful. (for it’s category, and compared to the old 2-series.)

      Luckily it doesn’t seem to share a lot with the new M2.

      1. I have not, but I’ve read/heard that the M240i is a bit of a numb and hyperactive mess….most journalists don’t seem to care for it much and it isn’t doing well in comparison tests. It seems like the current 230i is faring better though, I know that The Smoking Tire guys really like it.

        Even though the M2 is chonky, it’s lighter than the 240i and will be a much more focused machine even though it looks as though it’ll time slower. Plus, if the gearbox is an issue in the others

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