![]() ![]() Is it as handsome as the last M2? Definitely not. The flares also make it incredibly easy to spot a 2023 M2 from miles away. The wide haunches look purposeful and do a lot to help the car stand out in a crowd, especially when paired to the standard quad exhaust tips out back. The boxy fender flares feel like an amalgamation of flares from the E30 M3 and a 1 Series M, pumping the M2 full of strength and presence. We’re not convinced they do much other than leave us confused. Squared-off openings on the lower fascia match similar outlines on the rear bumper BMW says these are a nod to the 02 Series saloons of the Sixties. The kidney grilles are built directly into the front bumper, with no outline and horizontal slats mounted into each cavity. The front end isn’t as outright offensive as it is on the M3 and M4, but it’s an undeniably strange collection of shapes. You feel the weight but it never detracts from the fun. That means more driver confidence and more smiles. The result is a balanced machine far more capable of putting the power down earlier. ![]() Thanks to a set of 285 section-width rubber at the rear, the 2023 M2’s track width matches the M4 at 63.2 inches. It was fast and fun, but its relatively small footprint meant it was easy to overwhelm the chassis with the engine’s power delivery. Another aspect where it seems engineers consciously swapped outright performance for driver enjoyment. In some ways the slower rack feels more natural, making the M2 easier to place. Feel is muted, and there’s more input needed versus an M4. BMW has come a long way with its EPS, though don’t expect Porsche or Mazda levels of feedback. The electrically assisted steering is good, not great. No more risking a tank-slapper just so you can heel-toe. There’s standard auto rev-matching, though unlike the first M2, where you needed to turn off traction control to switch off rev-matching, it can now be switched off independently within the iDrive infotainment system. Either way, it feels like BMW paid more attention to the inputs here. It could also be my mind playing tricks on me. I’d swear the shifter’s throw is slightly shorter and clickier than in the M3’s, but that could come down to the knob’s placement on the dash or my seating position. Noise from the silky ‘six is unchanged, which is to say it sounds lovely, if a bit synthetic.īMW says the six-speed manual is a total carryover, all the way from the gearing right down to the shifter linkage. The M3 is a freight train, the M2 makes you work harder to extract the most power, rather than just leave it in third and let the flat wave of torque do all the work. In fact, it gives the M2’s drivetrain some character compared to its bigger sibling. There’s a distinct gap in torque under 4000 rpm compared to the M3’s powerband, but it’s not so detrimental as to call it a fault. The M2 feels at least as quick as its 0–60 time suggests on the road, with strong pickup and plenty of grunt through the rev range. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, or 177 mph if you option the M Driver’s package. Still, 453 hp is more than enough to haul the 3814-pound coupe from 0 to 60 in a claimed 4.2 seconds, or 3.9 seconds with the optional eight-speed ZF automatic. It’s unchanged internally from the M3 and M4, but it’s detuned to put space between the cars in the lineup, a necessity since the M2 and M3/M4 have nearly identical curb weights. It puts out 453 hp at 6250 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque from 2650 rpm to 5870 rpm, making it the least powerful version of the engine. The M2 uses BMW M’s 3.0-liter S58 straight-six. There’s nothing to add weight or dull the experience. Unlike other, bigger M cars, you won’t find a trick AWD system or fancy hybrid assistance here. That’s linked to a six-speed manual transmission and sends power solely to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. Like the last car, power comes from a twin-turbo straight-six. The new M2 is 4.1 inches longer, 1.3 inches wider, and 0.3 inch lower than its predecessor, but BMW hasn’t messed with the core formula. Most importantly, as BMW’s smallest M car, it needs to spark joy-something the M3 and M4 fall short on. It needs to be capable of lapping a race track, but it also needs to be good at the daily driver stuff. With the M3 moving into M5 levels of performance and size, it’s up to the 2023 M2 to fill the gap as the Everyman M car. That makes this new one-internally dubbed G87 for all you BMW chassis code geeks-an important car for BMW’s performance division. BMW managed to move over 60,000 units in seven years, a testament to the enthusiast public’s continued desire for small, punchy performance cars. The last-generation BMW M2 was M’s best-selling car. ![]()
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