Sometimes a car does precisely what it appears to suggest it does. When looking at, or perhaps that should be drooling over, the new BMW M2 Coupé, prospective buyers can clearly see that this car has a single purpose: Driving pleasure.
As should be crystal clear from the images, the new BMW M2 encapsulates the pure joy of driving. Featuring compact dimensions, a six-cylinder in-line engine, a manual gearbox option, rear-wheel drive and an advanced control/operating concept, which allows the driver to adjust the vehicle setup as desired, are all central to its appeal.
On The Outside
The car’s powerfully sculpted form marks a clear differentiation from the BMW 2 Series Coupé, which is also emphasised by its wide stance and M-specific design features that optimise cooling air routing and aerodynamic balance.
The front end is headlined by its large, horizontal and frameless BMW kidney grille, as ever. The elements of the M-typical three-section lower air intake have almost rectangular contours and maximise cooling of the power-train components and brakes. Adaptive LED Headlights with BMW Selective Beam, non-dazzling High-beam Assistant and M lights Shadow Line with dark inlays are standard and also standard is a lightweight M Carbon roof to save weight.
Prominently flared side skirts team up with broad wheel arches to create an appearance that is characteristic of the German brand’s more sporting motors and is inspired by racing cars. The car’s silhouette is shaped by its long bonnet, short overhangs and set-back passenger compartment. It’s good to know that BMW retain that famous silhouette on the M cars, not bending to modern trends. Note that the roofline swoops down from the B-pillar in true coupé style and the short boot lid culminating in a pronounced spoiler lip add to its distinctive style.
Horizontally pronounced surfaces give the rear end of the new BMW M2 its structure. These surfaces get their M-specific looks from the vertically arranged reflectors set deep into the outer edges of the rear apron, and a rear spoiler lip designed to generate extra downforce at the rear axle. The most striking element is the pronounced diffuser insert. This air-directing element adopts a pared-back racing look and incorporates another signature M feature: the two pairs of tunnel-like exhaust tailpipes.
On The Inside
The standard M Sport seats, heated and upholstered in Vernasca Black or Cognac leather, feature pronounced side bolsters and contour lines around the backrest and head restraint. They come with electrical adjustment too and their integral head restraints feature an illuminated M logo. M seat belts with a woven stripe pattern in BMW M GmbH colours are also standard.
But you don’t want those seats. The seats that you want are the optional M Carbon bucket seats that are also fully electric and heated, featuring integral head restraints and an illuminated model badge. The Merino leather seat covering optimises comfort, while removable head restraints and a facility for adding a multi-point harness underline the racing credentials of the M Carbon bucket seats. For rear seat passengers there’s an ‘Easy-Entry’ function making it easier to access the two rear seats. The rear backrest also has a 40:20:40 split and, when the backrest is upright, there is 390 litres of boot space.
Cutting-edge driver assistance systems allow comfort over long journeys to be enhanced effectively and safety to be optimised. The new BMW M2 is equipped as standard with Parking Assistant with rear view camera and front and rear sensors, Cruise Control with brake function, Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, Lane Departure Warning including lane return, the Attentiveness Assistant and the Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator and Manual Speed Limit Assist and there’s a host of safety options if you like them.
The standard BMW Curved Display in the new BMW M2 cockpit is angled clearly towards the driver to good ergonomic effect, making the intuitive touch control even more straightforward. It is formed by a 12.3 inch information display and a control display with a screen diagonal of 14.9 inches. The information display’s graphical layout and the M‑style content shown there lend themselves to a focused, performance-led driving experience.
Crucially and located in the centre console’s control panel, is the M Mode button, which opens the door to an incredible performance experience which is after all what this fine car is about. SPORT mode, which can be activated as an alternative to the default ROAD setting, scales back the range of driver assistance system functions to a minimum. As the new BMW M2 is fitted with M Drive Professional as standard, drivers are also able to select the TRACK (seriously, track only here) mode designed purely for driving on race circuits, which fully deactivates the assistance systems.
On The Road
Developing a maximum 460bhp from its advanced 3.0 litre engine, the new BMW M2 is the most astonishing variant yet. The 3.0 litre unit differs only in a small number of details from the engine employed in the BMW M3/BMW M4 models. The straight-six engine combines the latest M TwinPower Turbo technology with the high-revving characteristics of an M car. Peak torque of 550Nm is produced between 2,650 and 5,870rpm and maximum output arrives at 6,250rpm. The engine revs to a maximum 7,200rpm.
Sure-footed agility on demand and handling that remains easily controllable even as the driver explores the coupé’s limits are at its core. The distinct character profile of the new BMW M2 is reflected in a powerful design that looks fast standing still. It really is a remarkable sports car and it is available to order now to import from the UK to many worldwide destinations, including Kenya and New Zealand through the comprehensive MHH service. Ask for details.
