The BMW M2 & M2 Competition Thread

BMW M2 Competition Black Sticker Pack Gives It More Edge

When you go to your local BMW dealer to start choosing options for your new M2 Competition, one of those options will be the so-called Black Sticker Pack.

Ticking this option will allow the dealer to fit your hot little Bimmer with a graphics pack that gives it the boy-racer feel and in a good way.

A stripe across the bonnet is the main attraction but you also get vinyl on the rear haunches of the car both with ‘M2 Competition’ lettering on display.

The graphics pack also seems to add some of the same colour to the side skirts with a little touch on the bottom edges of the front bumper sides.

https://www.zero2turbo.com/2018/07/bmw-m2-competition-black-sticker-pack-gives-it-more-edge.html

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Massive fan of this car. I lost all the love of the M3(M4) I used to have since the V8 and earlier.
 
BMW M2 M Performance Parts Concept

M Performance Parts embody a sporty appearance and further enhanced driving dynamics. The new BMW M Performance Parts Concept based on the BMW M2 provides an even more marked shift in athletic flair towards motor racing style by means of a consistent weight reduction of more than 60 kilograms combined with optimised aerodynamics. The BMW M Performance Parts Concept is aptly presented in the exterior paint finish Frozen Black with M Performance wrapping in gold for accentuations and inscriptions. In the interior, Alcantara and carbon fibre further emphasise the sense of exclusivity, along with additional gold accentuations. BMW M GmbH was closely involved in creating this more emphatic design, contributing its racing expertise to the development of all M Performance Parts. The BMW M Performance Parts Concept sees its world premiere at the 2018 Festival of Speed in Goodwood (UK).

Carbon fibre parts reduce vehicle weight

In addition to M Performance Parts that are already available, the BMW M Performance Parts Concept offers exclusive concept features. The result is a lower vehicle weight and therefore further optimised driving dynamics - and this applies on the race track, too. The overall effect is achieved by a range of individual measures - the use of carbon fibre has a particularly important role to play. This high-tech material is extremely stable but much lighter than standard components. With its unique appeal, it also ensures an exceptional appearance.

The striking M Performance Carbon front radiator grille (expected to be available for the BMW M2 Competition from 7/2018) - featuring an accentuating gold line in the Concept - perfectly matches the M Performance Carbon bonnet (expected to be available from 7/2018), which itself saves eight kilograms in weight as compared to the standard component. The M Performance carbon fibre front side panels (expected to be available from 11/2018) reduce the vehicle's weight by three kilograms, as well as optimising aerodynamics. A high-quality, individual look is also to be found in the M Performance carbon fibre front winglets and the carbon fibre side sill winglets (both available right away): these bear an exclusive gold accentuation in the Concept. The M Performance carbon fibre roof in clear carbon-fibre finish is especially impressive (expected to be available from 3/2019): it reduces the car's weight by another six kilograms and shifts the centre of gravity further towards the road. The complete wheel set with 19-inch M Performance forged wheel Y-spoke 763M in Frozen Gold (expected to be available from 7/2018) with semi-slicks not only provides a visual highlight, it is also six kilograms lighter than the standard wheels. This reduces unsprung masses as well as having the relevant positive effect in terms of driving dynamics and steering response.

https://www.netcarshow.com/bmw/2018-m2_m_performance_parts_concept/

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BMW shows off new ‘M Performance Parts’ on M2 concept

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the new BMW M Performance Parts Concept, a showcar based on the M2 but more than 60 kg lighter and boasting “optimised” aerodynamics.

Set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the concept is finished in Frozen Black with M Performance wrapping in gold. Inside, you’ll find swathes of Alcantara and carbon-fibre, along with additional gold accents.

While the concept is obviously fitted with items from the Munich-based brand’s existing M Performance Parts catalogue, it also shows off various fresh features that are expected to be added to the list in the coming days and months.

That M Performance Carbon grille (here featuring gold accents) will be available for the M2 Competition this month, as will the M Performance Carbon bonnet (which is 8 kg lighter than the standard item). New carbon-fibre front side panels will be offered from November 2018 and reduce the vehicle’s weight by a further 3 kg, while also improving aerodynamics.

You’ll likely also notice the carbon-fibre front winglets and carbon-fibre side-sill winglets, as well as the M Performance carbon-fibre roof (the latter set to be available from March 2019), which shaves off another 6 kg.

The same weight saving is achieved with the fitment of the Frozen Gold 19-inch M Performance forged alloys (in Y-spoke 763M design), here shod with semi-slicks. Round back, a carbon-fibre tailgate (on offer from November 2018) saves another 5 kg, while a carbon-fibre rear diffuser again aids aerodynamics.

The BMW M Performance Parts Concept also features the M Performance suspension system, a coilover set-up that lowers the vehicle by 20 mm. The suspension’s damping is independently adjustable to 12 distinct compression stages and 16 rebound stages. The springs are finished in black, as are the brake callipers. An additional weight reduction of 14 kg is achieved thanks to the use of a lighter battery.

Inside, the carbon-fibre sport seats (9 kg lighter than standard) are trimmed in Alcantara and include a folding function for easier access to the rear. The two lightweight rear pews, too, are covered in Alcantara and reduce the weight of the vehicle by another 13 kg.

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/bmw-shows-off-new-m-performance-parts-on-m2-concept/
 
Here’s what BMW says will eventually kill the manual ‘M’ car

The head of BMW’s M division says that the Munich-based brand will strive to continue to offer manual performance vehicles as long as there is demand, but concedes that there will be a “natural end” for the stick-shift.

Speaking to CarAdvice, Frank Van Meel said that he felt compelled to fulfil the fairly high demand for manual performance vehicles.

“Buyers vote with their wallets. Being an engineer, I would say from a rational standpoint that even though the manual gearbox is lighter than an automated gearbox it uses more fuel and is slower, so it doesn’t really make sense,” Van Meel told the Australian publication.

“But from the emotional standpoint, a lot of customers say ‘I don’t care, I want to have one’. As long as we have these take rates on M2 [about 50 percent in the United States], but also the M3 and M4, we’re going to offer manuals because we listen to our customers. If demand is so high, then why not fulfil it?” he asked.

In South Africa, of course, the only M car currently offered in manual is the M2 Competition.

Still, Van Meel conceded that there was one thing that would eventually sound the death knell for the clutch pedal.

“The bad news is that if we one day have autonomous cars, then the manual cannot work any more. So that would be, let’s say, the natural end.”

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/heres-bmw-says-will-eventually-kill-manual-m-car/

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BMW M2 Competition 2018 review

Should I buy one?

That limit playfulness – the rear differential’s willingness to lock, let you ride out a slide on neutral steer or with everything crossed up – remains the M2’s ultimate party trick. But this time it has more dimensions than that. It has more keenness, incisiveness and engagement all the time. It's a sports car, not a muscly coupé.

When Porsche moved to a four-cylinder engine, I wondered if its rivals would sense a weakness, an opportunity. BMW is the first to really take it. I give you one of the best driver’s cars of the year.

BMW M2 Competition specification

Tested Spain Price £49,805 On sale August Engine 6-cylinder, 2963cc, twin-turbo, petrol Power 404bhp at 5250-7000rpm Torque 405lb ft at 2350-5200rpm Gearbox 6-speed manual Kerb weight 1625kg Top speed 155mph 0-62mph 4.4sec Fuel economy 30.7mpg CO2 227g/km Rivals Audi TT RS, Porsche 718 Cayman GTS

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bmw/m2/first-drives/bmw-m2-competition-2018-review

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BMW M2 Competition (2018) International Launch Review

Summed up?

When I asked BMW’s engineers why they didn't further develop the rev-happy 240i engine, they said that they had achieved the limit (in terms of reliable power output) of that motor and felt the extra kick from the twin-turbo would give the M2 Competition a more muscular driving experience. That makes sense, but a report suggests the first M2's fettled N55 motor would not comply with the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) for emissions, whereas the M3/M4 motor does, which is why the one was swapped for the other, albeit in a detuned state.

It's true that the extra torque gives the rear tyres more to think about when they're groping the asphalt, but that also makes the newcomer more akin to its mercurial M3/M4 siblings when you mash its throttle pedal. It gives up a bit of that pliable, even-tempered M2 character we enjoyed so much.

Thankfully, the M2 Competition’s chassis is good enough to steal the show on its own. It's fun in a way that's not as threatening as when you're at the wheel of an M3/M4 at (or near) the limit; the thrills are more accessible and it still feels fast, plenty fast in fact. You don't need to take your big and brave pills to have a little fun in the corners, the MDM mode will allow you enough slide and angle to not mute the enjoyment or reign you in.

The M2 Competition is a great BMW M car, it ticks all the boxes for a driver who takes driving seriously and wants to have fun. But is it better than the M2 that preceded it? Nope, unfortunately, the initial excitement of having an M3/4 motor under the bonnet subsides as the fierce torque distribution (to get the tyres working under power) take something away from the M2's purity. That said, the M2 Competition is still the best M car available (because it replaces the outgoing M2). In spite of its engine it's still an M2 – its sweetly-balanced handling characteristics remain.

Local pricing:

The M2 Competition will be available in SA from September 2018 and is priced at:

BMW M2 Competition 6-Speed manual: R972 029
BMW M2 Competition M-DCT (7-Speed): R1 026 505

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/bmw-m2-competition-2018-international-launch-review/45336/
 
DRIVEN: BMW M2 Competition M-DCT

Ronda, SPAIN – Please join me on a trip down memory lane as we revisit Performance Shootout 2017 and specifically the first-generation M2. As has become custom, after driving each year’s newest performance cars on an epic road trip right before their keys are handed to CAR’s track tester Deon Joubert for hot laps at some or other racetrack, the team votes and then we rank the vehicles from best to worst.

That year, the Audi R8 V10 Plus scored a resounding overall victory, in the process bumping BMW’s M4 GTS into second place. There was an M2 in that clash, too, but it placed a relatively disappointing sixth. The little coupé showed much promise before Shootout kicked off and there were excited murmurs of its chances of snaffling the crown. On the road trip, however, not all of CAR’s testers found it endearing, often commenting on its laggy power delivery and a rear-end that didn’t feel settled enough in high-speed mountain-pass driving. And I’m one of those who found the M2 more challenging than charming…

Which is why, sitting in the driver’s seat of the new M2 Competition as I wait for the all-clear to head out onto the 26-cornered 5,4 km track at Ascari in the south of Spain, I can’t help but feel a tinge of apprehension. I know the layout incorporates interpretations of some fearsome corners, including the Corkscrew and Eau Rouge, and I vividly remember the M2 nearly biting me in a high-speed bend along our Shootout route.

Enough background! What’s it like?

Imagine, therefore, my surprise when I exit the car six laps later in a euphoric state. The new M2 Competition is hugely thrilling to drive but it’s also forgiving, predictable and tolerant of ham-fisted manoeuvres behind the wheel as I try (and fail) to memorise the intricate track layout. Those initial impressions are confirmed later in the day when we head out onto Andalusia’s snaking mountain passes, where the newest M car deftly puts its power down despite a patchwork of road surfaces. How did M GmbH achieve it?

The devil’s in the details

Well, the biggest difference between M2 and competition is the engine. Where the former’s powertrain was a significantly revised version of the M240i’s N55 motor, the Competition features a reinterpretation of the M3/M4 unit, complete with a second turbocharger and 302 kW and 550 N.m. Gone is the slight low-rev lagginess and in its place is delightfully linear power delivery that’s progressive from the low reaches of the rev range (torque of 550 N.m kicks in at 2 350 r/min and plateaus through to 5 230 r/min). Gone, too, is the N55’s understated note; the M2 Competition’s S55 inline-six, while still no Audi 2,5-litre five-cylinder in its aural range, sounds purposeful and potent.

Mated with BMW’s flawless interpretation of a dual-clutch – if you excuse some low-speed hesitancy in engaging drive – the M2 Competition is a car transformed. Front-end grip is prodigious, but when that axle washes into slight understeer, easing off the throttle is all that’s needed to toe the line. Add some pressure on the accelerator and the opposite happens, the rear-end coming into play and pivoting the vehicle round its centre point. As before, there’s no option of adaptive dampers, but the M2 doesn’t need them. While firm, the ride is beautifully controlled and gets better the faster you go.

What else is new?

Elsewhere, the M2 Competition benefits from an Individual Shadow Line package painting some trim in gloss black, larger air intakes, new M mirrors, 19-inch forged alloys, optional M Sport brakes with enlarged discs (they’re fantastically effective and worth getting) and new paint colours.

Inside, meanwhile, there are smatterings of carbon-effect trim, Competition badging and illuminated M emblems in the seats. You’ll also find some iffy plastics straight from the 1 Series, which start looking a touch cheap at R1 million.

So, what’s the verdict?

Where before the M2 sometimes felt more like a muscle car than its carefully honed M lineage would suggest, the Competition is scalpel sharp yet crammed full of character. Cue Performance Shootout 2019…

Model:BMW M2 Competition M-DCT
Price:R1 026 505
Engine:3,0-litre, 6-cyl, twinturbo-petrol
Power:302 kW @ 5 250-7 000 r/min
Torque:550 N.m @ 2 350-5 230 r/min
0-100 km/h:4,2 seconds
Top Speed:250 km/h
Fuel Consumption:9,0 L/100 km
CO2:206 g/km
Transmission:seven-speed dual-clutch
Maintenance Plan:five years/100 000 km
Notes:The manual model costs R972 030

http://www.carmag.co.za/car-reviews/driven-bmw-m2-competition-m-dct/
 
BMW M2 Competition out-light sabres a Jedi Knight

It looks like something out of Star Wars, but the light sabres used for this stunt are real; they’re laser beams hot enough to burst a standard latex balloon in milliseconds.

No, we’re not kidding; BMW set out to prove that its new M2 Competition is more agile than a Jedi knight by tackling the world record for busting balloons with a hand-held laser beam.

Capable as it may be, the M2 has no hands, however, so the M crew mounted a laser projector behind the kidney grille of the stunt car, tied more than 80 balloons to rails laid out in a giant M logo inside an old warehouse and put their top test driver behind the wheel for the amazing light (sabre) show you’re about to watch.

We don’t know how necessary it was for the record attempt to be held indoors, in pitch darkness, rather than in the car park of the local primary school, but it makes the video a lot more dramatic - and drama af course is what the M2 Competition does best.

For the record, the previous record was 63 balloons busted in 60 seconds by a human wielding two laser projectors; the M2 vapourised 79 in the same time.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/motorsport/bmw-m2-competition-out-light-sabres-a-jedi-knight-16333940

[video=youtube_share;QzJeQOibd5s]https://youtu.be/QzJeQOibd5s[/video]
 
BMW working on M2 CS and CSL - report

While the new BMW M2 Competition is already a little bombshell in its own right, there is much more excitement on the way, according to sources from Germany.

BMW Blog, quoting inside sources from Munich, reports that the German company is working on CS and CSL variants.

The CS, according to one insider, will unfortunately only be sold in the US, but an M2 CSL is apparently under consideration for global markets.

But how fast will they be?

If one considers the approach taken with the M4 CS, it's a fair assumption that the M2 CS will only get a modest power hike - over the M2 Competition’s 302kW and 550Nm - but will there will likely be a fair amount of weight shedding through numerous lightweight components, along with suspension and aerodynamic enhancements

The M2 CSL, on the other hand, would likely get all those aforementioned mods along with a more substantial power hike - and remember that the M2 Comp runs a detuned (as in 302kW) version of the M4’s (317kW to 338kW) force fed straight six, so there is still a lot of room to play with in that regard.

In fact, with BMW’s complicated water injection system installed, that motor produced as much as 368kW in the M4 GTS.

It’s all speculation at this point, but these new additions would certainly make sense, given the cult following that BMW’s M2 has attained so far.

But don’t expect either of these new models to surface before 2020, according to the aforementioned source.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/latest-launches/bmw-working-on-m2-cs-and-csl-report-16488979
 
All these iterations will make owners of the launch model salty. Was in the market and skipped the whole M2 thing ...

M for me have lost their way. Or is it that the competition has become so good?
 
New BMW M2 Competition driven at Ascari Racetrack - TheMotoristSA

[video=youtube;BnM31-Acn4Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnM31-Acn4Q[/video]
 
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