The BMW M2 & M2 Competition Thread

BMW M2 (2023) Review

FAST FACTS

Model: BMW M2 coupe auto
Price: R1 503 975 before options (September 2023)
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol
Power/Torque: 338 kW/550 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-100 kph: 3.96 sec (tested)
Fuel consumption: 9.7 L/100 km (claimed)
Luggage/Utility space: 390 litres

Price and After-Sales Support

BMW M2 coupe auto R1 503 975

The BMW M2 coupe auto comes standard with a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.

Verdict

This marks the end of an era for BMW M. This M2 will be the last M car to feature a manual ‘box and, as widely reported, it’s the last model not to feature hybrid/electric assistance. We suspect this will be the final rear-wheel-drive M car and, from here on, every M will have xDrive and some form of electrification.

Compared with its rivals, the new BMW M2 seems steeply priced (okay, apart from the 4.0-litre Porsche Cayman), but the reality is that it does not have an extensive options list, plus it’s the latest and most powerful model in the segment. “Still, it seems like a lot of money for a baby M,” detractors may say. “Is the M4 that much more expensive?” Well, the M4 coupe demands R2.1 million-plus these days, so the new M2 costs a notable R600k less. For what it’s worth, its nearest Porsche rival begins at R1.8 million.

Should you buy one? The M2 is a more practical “daily” than the previous M2 Competition and boasts the latest generation of in-car connectivity, but these are not factors that will wow BMW M aficionados.

We found ourselves asking: Is the M2 still capable of challenging us? Does it reward with a thoroughly engaging driving experience (once we’ve taken the time to get to know it a bit better)? Does it still sound like a deranged beast when you demand full-bore acceleration from it? Yes is the answer on all counts.

That’s why the new BMW M2 is likely to be one of the finest machines we’ll get to drive in 2023. Enjoy cars like these while they’re still around.

www.cars.co.za

BMW M2 (2023) Review

The 2nd-generation BMW M2 has arrived in SA with huge tyre tracks to fill. Should you dig deep for the most powerful model in its segment?
www.cars.co.za www.cars.co.za
 
AC Schnitzer has turned the BMW M2 up to 11

“Lighter, faster, sportier,” claims German tuner. Plus: more power incoming…

German tuner AC Schnitzer has revealed – or should that be unleashed – its take on the BMW M2. A car that – says ACS – is “lighter, faster, sportier”. Here we go.

Or rather, here we don’t. One of the headline upgrades has yet to be fully detailed, that of the power hike, ACS explaining work continues and is currently still “on the test bench”. Though, the standard car already kicks out 454bhp, enough to focus one’s mind.

So, we instead turn our focus onto what we can see, including a suite of new body parts honed for better aerodynamics of course. There’s a new front splitter able to add 60kg of front downforce, new arches, many winglets, new side skirts, and a two-piece rear spoiler.

Said spoiler – apparently awaiting homologation – adds a further 55kg of downforce on the rear axle, and this total can be improved by the addition of a Gurney. The optional trailing edge for the racing wing adds 25kg extra, for a total of 80kg of downforce. Naturally, there’s a new rear diffuser too.

 
Yay: centrelock wheels on the new BMW M2! Eurgh: the rest of it

Are snazzy lightweight rims enough to make you forgive the BMW M2’s Performance Parts?

Centrelock wheels are cool. These are the facts. Yes, they’re sometimes heavier than a regular studded wheel hub, and if you get a puncture, it’s a bit of a pain trying to wrench them off by the side of the A34 on a wet Tuesday afternoon. But they look superb. They look… racecar.

And you can now spec centrelock wheels for the latest BMW M2. According to BMW’s M Division, the single-nut 19-inch front and 20-inch rear rims “enable particularly fast wheel changes and, consequently, short pit stops. Instead of the usual five screws, each wheel is attached to the wheel hub with only one central screw. An extremely solid connection is ensured during the installation of the central locks by applying a torque of 930 Nm".

That, maths fans, is over twice as much torque as the 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine that lives under the M2’s bonnet. So your wheels will presumably be staying firmly attached to the car.

Unfortunately, so will all the other nonsense BMW has stuck to the already challenging-looking baby M coupe. To showcase the possibilities offered by the M Performance catalogue, the Germans have discovered a way to magnetise plastic, then driven this Gender Reveal Blue example past a Lego warehouse.

 
Anyone know why the same year BMW would have 2 different variations of the logo on the cars? So two cars, both manufactured after the new logo and a month apart but one has the old logo and one has the new one
 
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