2023 BMW M2 Test Review – M Manual Missile

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Compact dimensions, twin-turbo straight-six, manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. This isn’t a wish list; this is what the second-generation BMW M2 is equipped with.

Story: Joshua Varghese
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

There’s a certain purity to going fast and the formula for such a car goes back a long way. BMW’s M division is among the best at distilling it into usable sports cars and, with the latest M2, has tried to offer a balance between the things that make our hearts race while driving and the features we can’t do without when driving a car. every day. We meet this odd little sports car on a winding road on a beautiful sunny day to bring you the following review.

The first of the sacred sports car formula is evident in the color and dimensions of the new Toronto Red M2. It’s 4,580 millimeters long, 1,887 mm wide and 1,403 mm high — plenty for a car. The bonnet appears to be the longest element in this two-door form and the roofline descends smoothly to the tight but firm rear. The M2 gets a frameless kidney grille, an aero-optimized bumper, and new headlights that will eventually grow on you. The rear, on the other hand, has been reworked more nicely with a compact diffuser and a quartet of exhaust pipes. While appreciating all of this, it’s easy to overlook the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. The M2 we drove was equipped with an optional carbon fiber roof which reduced six kilograms and further lowered the center of gravity.

Two doors are all you get to access the M2’s cabin and it’s frameless, which adds to the premium sports car experience. One doesn’t just sink into the newest M seat; one fits them like a Lego piece. They are among the best in the business because, based on my own experience, their contours and bolsters locked me tightly, holding me in place while the car spun around corners with brutal intent. However, they are just as comfortable when cruising in Comfort mode.

The next part of the experience begins in the cockpit. A reasonable term to use here as the curved 14.9-inch touchscreen display tilts towards the driver while the stunning steering wheel, complete with “M1” and “M2” missile launcher-like switches, awaits further orders. There is also a head-up display for Sport and Track modes. Not that anyone cares, but I must quickly comment on the usability of the second line. Flick the buttons on the front seats and they’ll move forward automatically, offering enough space to fit into the back seats. They are comfortable but space is limited, especially with tall people occupying the front seats.

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An in-line six-cylinder engine driven by two turbo chargers lives under the hood. That also works in the M4, but, in the M2, it develops a strong but usable 460 hp at 6,250 rpm (rpm) and 550 Nm of peak torque between 2,650 and 5,870 rpm. This car is offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission that makes it go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, but thank God, the car I was driving was equipped with a charming six-speed manual transmission. The 0-100 km/h time is 4.3 seconds. A little slower, yes, but much more usable. The throttle response is snappy and easy to extract power smoothly without upsetting the car’s balance. In Comfort mode, it’s tame at best while the other modes tap into the M2’s true potential.

As previously mentioned, the engine sings through a quad-tip exhaust and sounds best in Sport and Track modes. The race to the red line is delivered acoustically with an addictive exhaust tune, complete with pops and crackles. The clutch is a little close to the dead pedal, which takes some getting used to, but is very intuitive to use. The short throw and tactile feedback kept me looking forward to changing gears, a luxury not available in many modern sports cars and certainly one of the things that made my time behind the wheel memorable. Suffice it to say that this is my benchmark at the moment as far as manual transmission is concerned.

With precise footwork to match the revs, this is a machine that will become an equal partner in crime if you decide to do some quick work on the zigzag trails. However, if fancy footwork isn’t a skill on your resume, fret not, because BMW has solved that for you with “Gear Shift Assistant”. When turned on, it becomes your best friend as it senses downshifts and throttle blips for you with precise timing. A defining highlight of the M2 experience.

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The Pirelli P Zeroes at the front are not only narrower than the ones at the back but are also wrapped in 19-inch wheels while the rear gets wider tires and 20-inch rims. The exact level of their contribution to the M2’s agility is hard to measure as the car is well supported by the M’s adaptive suspension. In Sport and Sport Plus modes, this combination allows the car to stay on the road and generate maximum grip while keeping it level through corners.

The steering is some of the most precise I’ve ever experienced and it’s easy to tell exactly what the front wheel is doing as it turns a corner at high speed. The faster one drives, the easier it is to appreciate how well the power sent to the rear wheels is managed by the electronics and the differential. In Track mode, skilled drivers can easily take advantage of the Drift Analyzer feature in the M2 feeling fully capable of drawing the line between traction and speed and playing jump rope with it. It appears on the stiff side in this mode but the ride quality is not comfortable. One can feel the walk but I wouldn’t say the ride is jarring.

My personal admiration for the car’s electronics culminated when I switched it to Comfort mode: the car that was for all intents and purposes a proper hooligan a few seconds ago transformed into a gentleman.

Steering feel, damping and exhaust tone change to a much quieter state. Then the M2 feels like any other car and its compact dimensions are an added advantage in our traffic. The flexibility of the machine must be appreciated as it is excellent when racing through every gear, it is just as captivating to be able to go around town in higher gears. Likewise, the ride quality in Comfort mode is also impressive. Ground clearance is not a concern because the car has never been scratched anywhere. With a very dim exhaust tone, there’s no reason to roll down the windows and with a Harman/Kardon sound system, one doesn’t have to. With automatic climate control, good music, good ride quality and the latest smartphone connectivity, the M2 is like any other car and makes a serious case for a daily driver; as long as the road is decent, of course. The tires are still a bit low-profile, you know.

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Fast cars require big brakes and the M2 is equipped with huge discs bitten by equally large six-piston calipers up front. They offer enough feedback to subtly decelerate into corners and that makes fast driving safe and enjoyable. With enough support from Pirellis and electronics, the speed at which they dissipate momentum and bring the car to a standstill is a beggar’s belief.

On paper, the power difference between the M2 and M4 is only 50 hp, but the M2 is about as heavy as its bigger sibling. I’m not saying the M2’s weight is obvious anywhere. It would be difficult to make a statement like that without leading them off one by one. The M2 allows enthusiasts to enjoy driving and is ready to help drivers sharpen their skills without the threat of derailing from the road at the first mistake. The price hasn’t been revealed yet, so there’s not much to discuss on that front. It will be somewhere between the 2nd Series and the M4, that much is clear.

I’d put my money on this car because rarely do people get to enjoy the thrill of working through a manual gearbox mated to a fiery engine in a car with such clinical driving dynamics. The fact that it is usable only adds to its desirability. The M2 will continue to be the first step towards the sacred M family and perhaps also the last step in the pure ICE M lineup.

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