Searingly Fast BMW M2

The BMW M2 is huge fun, fast and practical

The BMW M2 is successfully a steroid-upgraded adaptation of the 2 Series. Under the hood lies a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six engine that pumps out 365bhp – enough for a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. The discretionary DCT programmed adaptation is considerably speedier.

Put essentially, the M2 is the sort of car that you’ll be searching for reasons to drive. The straight-six engine may not be very as intense as the one in the pricier BMW M4, yet speeding up is still truly great. The M2 took only 4.5 seconds to sprint from 0-60mph in our tests when furnished with the standard six-speed manual gearbox; BMW claims the discretionary DCT programmed adaptation is considerably speedier.

Put simply, the M2 is the kind of car that you’ll be looking for excuses to drive. The straight-six engine may not be quite as potent as the one in the pricier BMW M4, but acceleration is still seriously impressive. The M2 took just 4.5 seconds to sprint from 0-60mph in our tests when equipped with the standard six-speed manual gearbox; BMW claims the optional DCT carmatic version is even quicker.

Great Cabin

The M2 is about more than just straight-line speed, though. If you cycle through Comfort and Sport modes and up into Sport+, the traction and stability control systems will allow more slip before kicking in. If you have access to a test track you can even turn the electronic aids off entirely, at which point the M2 becomes really quite playful.

There’s a fair amount of leather and Alcantara spread around the cabin, along with soft-touch plastics in all the areas you interact with the frequently. Investigate further, though, and you find some scratchy surfaces that highlight the relatively low starting price of BMW 2 Series the M2 is based on. Some may also find the carbon fibre trim across the dashboard a little tacky.

Brilliant Driving Position

Furthermore, you will find the M2’s slightly offset pedals compromise your driving position. Although this is irritating at first, you do get used to it. You do at least get a decent amount of standard kit including sat-nav controlled by BMW’s excellent iDrive system.

The M2 is significantly more pragmatic than a large number of its sports car rivals. The reality you get two back seats instantly makes it less demanding to live with than Porsche’s two-situate Cayman, in spite of the fact that anybody more than six-foot tall will battle for head room in the back. Extra space likewise vanishes quickly should you have a couple of tall individuals sitting in the front.

You get decently sized door pockets up front, a cubbyhole under the central armrest and a glovebox that’s a good size. Making the BMW M2 even more practical is its sizable 390-litre boot – that’s officially 10 litres more space than you get in a VW Golf and easily enough for a couple of big suitcases. The boot opening is a little narrow, though, so in reality the M2 isn’t as practical as a similarly powerful hatchback, such as the Audi RS3.