BMW M2 – driving toxins come in this small intoxicating performance bottle

BMW has set out to build an M car that is a high-performance sports machine with intoxicating performance.  Sounds familiar?  Not if it is M in BMW’s most compact coupé.  The BMW M2 has finally been created.

In the footsteps of BMW 2002 turbo follows BMW M2

It is of course not the first time that BMW builds a high-performance compact coupé.  The BMW 2002 and later 2002 ti and hotter 2000 tii were high-performance cars in a compact coupé body.  The 2002 became the original BMW 3 Series which was only available in coupé… and shocked people when the company fitted a 2.3-litre 6-cylinder engine in such a compact car to make the BMW 323i.

Fast-forward through cars like the 325i and unique to South Africa 2.7-litre 325is and 333i (also unique) and not for SA E30 M3… then BMW brought in their 1 Series, when the 135i coupé quickly earned its reputation as a high-performance compact coupé, thanks to a 3-litre 6-cylinder turbo.  The 1 Series M Coupé (nicknamed 1M – BMW could not call it M1 due to respect for the original M1 supercar) was based on 135i, but pumped out physically and technically.  The “1M” was a very small limited-edition run, and is today very collectible.

The hyper-active baby BMW is back

Now, with the 1 Series coupé which became 2 Series coupé, BMW thought ahead well – now the smallest M can be a full M car and have carry the M name – BMW M2.

With a full-on BMW M TwinPower Turbo engine is of 3.0-litre displacement, just as per the new BMW M4 coupé older brother.  Using engine power of 272kW at 6500 r/min and torque of 465 Nm at 1400-5560 r/min (boosting to 500Nm on short overboost bursts between 1450 and 4750 revs) driven through the straight-6 engine to the back for rear-wheel drive agility, on a short wheelbase and relatively light weight, the BMW M2 can only be a hyper-active baby.

Rest assured, the 6-cylinder is tuned for a perfectly composed M soundtrack (not the boring-sounding V8 turbo M cars) thanks to an electrically controlled special flap system which delivers a distinctive sound across the rev range without pushing volume levels to the limit… or choose from the Driving Experience Control switch to select a driving mode with a pre-configured sound.

A choice exists of 6-speed manual (yes, there are BMW drivers who prefer this, despite the automatics being more popular, and quicker) or M Double Clutch Transmission (M-DCT) using 7 forward gears.

We know you cannot wait for the numbers, right?  0-100 in 4.3 with M-DCT gearbox, or 4.5 for the manual.  Top speed governed to 250 km/h, or with the optional M Driver’s Package to use on the Autobahn it is a still-governed 270km/h.  Launch Control will help the driver in an M-DCT equipped car to get the best possible times.

Of course emissions and consumption are topical factors these days:  the M2 coupé with manual gearbox manages 8.5 l/100km and 199 g/km while the M-DCT is better at 7.9 and 185.

Characteristic M design shows tough-puppy attitude

The M2 is clearly a member of the M family, on a small scale.  Strongly buffed up from the M235i coupé (which looks almost slender) the BMW M2 immediately stands out with extrovert styling seen in max-botox flared wheelarches that would make a big pick-up feel self-conscious, big wheels on a wide squat tread, quad exhausts, chunky bumpers with hungry front air intakes and rear with vertical red reflectors (as seen on new X5 M and X6 M), side air intakes with M2 badges, and a general tough-puppy attitude that makes no secret of its extraordinary performance potential.

The interior is said to be M correct, featuring Alcantara suede-cloth door cards and centre console with porous carbon fibre – this trim creates an ambience of rare quality and a heady sporting ambition.  Blue contrast stitching as per current M Sport and M embossing on selected details are grouped with sports seats, M sports steering wheel and M gear lever or M-DCT M-specific gear selector.

Motorsport expertise

With the same 19-inch forged alloy wheels as found on the size-up BMW M3 and M4, M Servotronic (variable power steering, with 2 settings), M compound brakes, Active M Differential, and Dynamic Stability Control with M Dynamic Mode (MDM) which can control drifts (on the track, of course, ahem) the M2 coupé has raised the bar for the compact sports-car segment.

The BMW M2 is still 1-of-a-kind – the compact high-performance coupé

Strange how no other brand has yet copied what BMW has done so successfully with BMW 2002, 1 Series coupé, 2 Series coupé and now with BMW M2 – a compact coupé with high performance.  Does any other car maker build a similar car?  Sure, there are other compact coupé and performance compact cars… but is there any other car that can be a direct rival to an M235i coupé, let alone the BMW M2 coupé?  No.

Intoxicating driving

A new name, BMW M2.  The smallest full-M car yet.

The BMW M2 promises to induce driving toxins which come in this small intoxicating performance bottle.

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