The New BMW M2 Is The Last Of A Dying Breed
Good things come in small packages – BMW has just pulled the covers off the second-generation M2, and it looks to be a proper pocket rocket.
The first-generation M2 was one of the best-regarded performance cars BMW has ever made. The German brand’s tagline has long been ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ and the M2 fits that philosophy perfectly: a compact, rear-wheel drive coupé with a big engine, no bullshit and plenty of smiles per gallon.
Even the story of its creation is the stuff of legends. A secret passion project put together by a skunkworks at BMW’s M department that grabbed all the best bits from BMW’s range to save costs and smushed them into an improbably small chassis – then unveiled when the boss was on holidays, forcing his hand to bring it to market – the first-gen M2 is already a future classic.
In short, it’s a tough act to follow. Thankfully, the new M2 doesn’t just look like a fitting successor, but it’s flying the flag for small performance cars at a time when fewer and fewer of them are making their way to market.
So, some stats. It’s powered by a 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six, which is good for 338kW/550Nm plus a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds. The engine is actually an S58, the same engine that goes into the new M3/M4… Although the new M2 is almost a foot shorter than the M3.
Two things we particularly love about it: the fact you can get it with either an eight-speed auto or a six-speed manual… And that boxy kidney grille. Very different to the new M3 and M4 (which we happen to love as well, truth be told). We reckon it’s the best-looking car BMW’s made in years, too.
RELATED: The Simple Solution To BMW’s Big Grille Problem
The new BMW M2 is expected to be the final fully petrol M car… And what a fitting send-off. Where other brands are falling out of love with small performance cars (think Ford discontinuing the Fiesta ST or Subaru not making an STI variant of the new WRX), BMW is still flying the flag for compact thrills.
It’ll be priced from AU$119,000 before on-road costs – $17,000 more than the previous M2 Competition – and will hit dealerships in early 2023. Honestly, we can’t think of another car we’ve wanted to drive more… You can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be getting into one ASAP. Watch this space.
Read Next
- BMW’s New M3 Made Me Reconsider The #1 Sports Car Must-Have
- BMW’s New Electric Luxury ‘Barge’ Should Have Mercedes-Benz Nervous
The post The New BMW M2 Is The Last Of A Dying Breed appeared first on DMARGE.
