Jesse Adams - Monterey, California
Johannesburg - BMW says in no uncertain terms that its new M2 Coupé is not, I repeat not, a baby M4. Doesn’t matter. A baby M4 is exactly what it is. Except, in some ways… it’s actually better.
At its core is an already quite sporting M235i, but by core I really only mean basic floorplan and straight-six turbo engine. BMW’s M department has gone the whole hog with this new project, and onto this compact, rear-driven 2 Series chassis has bolted on an assortment of parts from the bigger, more expensive, and higher performance M4 Coupé.
Similarly to the limited-edition 1M which this car succeeds, engineers quite literally experimented by swopping out steering, brake, drivetrain, suspension and engine components until it had a mutant mix of M235i and M4 – the end result a squat-stanced pitbull of a sports coupé which hunts down corners, masticates their apexes, and trots off with wagging tail in search of more tarmac to toy with.
The M2 gets a 119mm shorter wheelbase than the M4, but it’s nearly as wide with a track just 10mm narrower because of slightly smaller 19-inch tyres. These aggressive dimensions have necessitated body panels flared and swollen in ways that’d make a DTM team proud, but also give it a natural nimbleness worthy of comparison to some early M division icons.
What’s that supposed to mean? Well, as impressive as the current M3 and M4 are as handlers, it’s true that they’ve also become a fair bit bloated compared to predecessors.
BMW itself admits that its current crop of M cars might also be a little less crisp than they could be, and the M2 most definitely signals a return to driver feedback in its rawest, purest form.
ON THE TRACK
BMW chose the Laguna Seca racetrack in California to show off its new baby last week, where it only took a handful of fast-paced hotlaps to know that Beemer’s whitecoats have come up with something very special here. Steering feel is hardwired to drivers’ hands with a directness reminiscent of Z3 M-Coupé, or, dare I say… E30 M3 even.
Front-end grip is tremendous, and with such a short wheelbase it’s possible to tease the back axle out into powerslides with relatively subtle pedal prompts. An Active M Differential, directly transplanted from the M4, seems to know quite well what the driver’s thinking ahead of time, and effectively sends power to rear wheels individually, either for maximum corner exit speed or for silly drifts, whichever suits the mood.
All four wheels use aluminium suspension also stolen from the M4, but is of non-adaptive type meaning only one firmness setting is possible. The driver control switch in the console adjusts steering weight, throttle sensitivity and exhaust noise, but is not connected to the shocks in any way.
A manually adjustable suspension which sits up to 20mm lower is, however, available optionally from the M Performance parts catalogue, along with a selection of racing stripes, carbonfibre body add-ons and an exhaust system with flaps adjustable by cellphone Bluetooth.
UNSETTLED AT TIMES
The simple standard spring and damper setup is balanced nicely for max-attack on smooth roads or circuits, but can be a little excitable over rough surfaces as I found on some of the narrow, winding B-roads near the track. It’s great fun to dance from one bumpy turn to the next, but the suspension can be unsettled and nervous at times.
Braking mechanicals (again, M4) comprise four-piston front and two-piston rear callipers biting down on 380 and 370mm cross-drilled steel discs respectively. For the track launch BMW fitted M Performance brake pads, which are available to buy, and are strongly recommended for customers who plan to play at track days.
They’re a little (no, a lot) noisier than standard pads, but held up well to day-in-day-out beatings by journos from around the world.
All M2s driven on track were equipped with seven-speed M-DCT auto gearboxes (yes, also straight from M4 with identical ratios), and impressed with short, sharp up- and -down changes.
Left in auto mode this transmission does a great job of choosing its own gears, but paddle override is also there for a more interactive experience.
Out on the road-test loop I tried the manual transmission which isn’t wildly different to other BMW manual boxes in feel and action, except that it offers a throttle auto-blip function on down-shifts. A neat feature that’ll make average drivers feel, or at least sound, like heel-toeing pro racers.
Under the hood is the same single-turbo 3-litre as the M235i, but with M4 crank, pistons and special oil sump devised for high G-force track use. Output is set at 272kW and 465Nm (500 for 13 seconds of overboost), making the automatic M2 good for 4.3 second 0-100km/h runs. The manual does the same in 4.5, and top speed in both is limited to 250km/h or 270 with optional M Driver’s Package.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE M4?
True, an M4 will absolutely drill the M2 in straight up drag races, but which is the better handler is debatable. As odd as it sounds the M4 is probably the better long-distance cruiser, and the M2’s a more acutely flickable corner monger. Still, BMW opted to stop short of carbonfibre roof panels and other weight-saving measures which might have brought performance comparisons between the two even closer. As it stands the M2 is only a few kilograms lighter than its in-house counterpart at 1 495kg. Purposefully porky perhaps.
The M2 will go on sale in South Africa, in a choice of four colours (blue, white, silver and black) this coming April.
M2 seven-speed M-DCT (272kW/465Nm) - R848 569
ALTERNATIVES:
Audi RS3 Sportback (270Nm/465Nm) - R745 500
Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG (280kW/475Nm) - R688 833
Article: Star Motoring