BMW has revealed its new M2 Coupe in full, with more power, performance and ability than before, more technology borrowed from its M3 and M4 siblings and, in Ireland, a €112,350 price tag.
Beefy looks with carbon roof as standard
The new M2 builds on the distinctive 2 Series Coupe design but won't ever be mistaken for one of the regular M Sport variants thanks to bulging wheelarches, M-specific door mirrors, a carbon fibre roof and, of course, the brand's characteristic quad-exhaust setup at the back. Those four outlets poke out of a pronounced diffuser and chunky rear bumper with vertical reflectors emphasising the car's muscularity. An extra spoiler lip extends the boot lid, while beefier side sills are finished in body colour.
Up front, the detail design is much bluffer than that of the regular 2 Series Coupe, with a squarer, frameless interpretation of the traditional BMW kidney grille, along with blocky, almost rectangular air inlets below giving the M2 a distinctly raw, motorsport vibe. Adaptive LED headlights with BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling High-beam Assistant and M lights Shadow Line with dark inlays are standard.
Mixed-size tyres and wheels are also part of the package for the first time, with 19-inch rims up front and 20-inch wheels on the back axle, wearing 275/35 ZR19 and 285/30 ZR20 tyres, respectively. The five paint colours are Alpine White solid, Sapphire Black metallic, Brooklyn Grey metallic, Toronto Red metallic (pictured) and Zandvoort Blue solid.
You have to go for the carbon bucket seats
Inside, the M2 retains the 2 Series Coupe's four-seat layout, though it gets BMW's Curved Display dashboard before it comes to that model, incorporating digital instrumentation, a large (14.9-inch) central touchscreen and BMW Live Cockpit Professional, built on BMW Operating System 8. Within that are many M2-specific menu items, including the Drift Analyser launched on other BMW M cars.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of other M signifiers, such as the M1/M2 driving settings buttons, a red engine start-stop button, carbon-fibre trim, a smattering of M stripes and some incredibly special seats. Even the standard M Sport items are deeply bolstered, have an illuminated M logo, integrated headrests, heating and electrical adjustment.
You'll want to tick the box marked "M Carbon bucket seats" however, as these are exceptional. They look a little too track-focused thanks to their carbon construction and large cut-outs, but actually prove to be supportive and comfortable (as we've experienced in the M3). They also cut about 11kg from the weight of the car, despite retaining heating and electric adjustment.
And in spite of the performance focus, the BMW M2 is generously well-equipped, with niceties such as three-zone climate control, a richly specified infotainment system and a wealth of active safety equipment.
The loud and oily bits
Under the bonnet of the new M2 is more or less the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine used by the BMW M3 and M4. It isn't quite as powerful, but with 460hp at 6,250rpm and 550Nm of torque on tap between 2,650- and 5,870rpm, we don't think there will be many complaints. That all enables a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds.
Well, it does if you go for the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox... Driving nuts will be happy to hear that there will still be a manual gearbox available for the M2. It's a six-speed unit and it features a Gear Shift Assistant to rev-match the engine when you change down a gear. This can be switched off among the usual myriad of driving system settings. And yes, the manual M2 is 0.2 seconds slower to 100km/h from rest, but who cares, right?
Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels (there will never be an xDrive all-wheel-drive version of this generation of the BMW M2) via the usual Active M differential, an electronically controlled system M fans will be familiar with. Indeed, the M2 uses the same chassis technology as the M3 and M4 and even the same track widths front and rear as the latter.
All the settings
Underneath is adaptive damping for the first time in an M2, with three different baseline settings, plus M Servotronic steering that pairs speed-sensitive assistance with a variable-ratio steering rack. The driver can choose two distinct levels for the steering, two different brake pedal feel settings from the 'integrated' braking system and even ten different stages of rear-wheel slip from the M Traction Control feature - included as part of the M Drive Professional system.
That's before we look at altering the torque curve from the engine and its response to the accelerator, plus the variability of the automatic gearbox depending on your preferences. Even the instrumentation and driver assistance can be tailored. It sounds mind-boggling, but its owners will love getting to know the ins and outs of all this customisation.
Buyers that like the sound of all this still have a while to wait before the M2 arrives, as it doesn't officially launch until May 2023. Plenty of time to create your perfect example on the BMW Ireland configurator...