Road test: The BMW M2, a wonderful pure combustion send off

BMW’s M2 is a pretty special car. It’s closer in driving feeling and metaphorical soul to the earlier M3s than the current crop, and has always felt like it was linked more with the ‘ultimate driving machine’ ethos of the Bavarian company.

It’s less concerned with zero-to-100 times, and even lap times to an extent, more interested in delivering maximum driving fun through a tried-and-true formula – burly straight-six engine up front sending power to the rear wheels.

So when BMW revealed the second-generation M2, complete with a version of the mighty S58 engine from the M3/M4 and no xDrive all-paw fluffery, you bet we took notice.

Even more so when BMW confirmed this very M2 would be the last-ever M car to use a pure-combustion powertrain. Everything new from here on out will have some degree of electrification.

Is this the beginning of the end-times? Probably not, because M will still be M and make some outrageously brilliant hybrids to go with the full EVs. Bear in mind the next M5 is all but confirmed to get a plug-in hybrid V8 …

It’s still sad though, because it is the end of an era. But thankfully it’s a properly good send-off, so let’s stop being down and get into it.

The new M2 boasts 338kW/550Nm from its twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six, a small bump from 331kW/550Nm in the outgoing M2 CS but a healthy increase of 272kW/465Nm from the original M2 Coupe.

By default, it gets an eight-speed automatic, but you can get it with a six-speed manual if you want for no extra money. And you probably should, as this will also be the last manual from BMW, which would make it an instant collectors item.

This one is an auto, which makes sense because it’s the one most people will actually end up getting. It’s a brilliant ‘box too, absolutely savage with its upshifts when you turn it to level three. On level one it’s as docile as you’d like. Compared to a dual-clutch it’s a hint laggy on the downshifts, but you honestly won’t really notice. It’s the same as in the elder M vehicles.

As for the powerplant, the S58 is really in its element here, despite making slightly less power than the M3 and M4. Sending all of its grunt through the rears alone is an absolutely delightful experience, and as good as xDrive is at emulating rear-wheel drive, it’s not quite on par with the real deal. It sounds alright too.

You might have noticed that a lot of the M2 is related to the M3 and M4, and you’d be right. The M2 really is like a baby M4. Same engine, transmission, platform, even the same interior. BMW says the changes in the wheelbase (roughly 100mm less in the M2) means the smallest M car is the most playful. And I can’t help but agree.

Even with the driver aids turned on (but in their sportiest setting), you still get a hint of rear-end wiggle when powering out of corners, but just enough for you to feel like a hero without going overboard.

The rear tyres are fat and nicely matched to the engine power – you never feel like you’re fighting the car. Everything is so precise, and despite the steering being electric and ever so slightly numb these days, you always know what the front wheels are doing.

It’s a little porky, weighing broadly 1750kg, but M’s engineers have done such a bang-up job on the chassis you really don’t notice.

And, while the larger M4 can find it somewhat difficult to turn off the sportiness, setting the M2 into Comfort mode actually does what it says on the tin.

As for styling, I think it’s brilliant. I absolutely love the design of the grille, and how the bonnet stays almost perfectly horizontal before angling downward just ahead of the grille. The big square corner intakes I’m less sold on, but they do look far better in person than in photos.

I’m also unsure on the rear light design – perhaps it would look better if the squiggle was mirrored horizontally, sort of like the new X3. Overall, though, I think it’s a design win.

Inside is standard fare for M cars. There’s the twin curved display, the one mounted on the centre console still frustratingly full of far too many apps and icons – I don’t need news or weather when I’m driving, thanks BMW.

Some work done to coalesce even some of the icons would go a long way to making the system easier to use. But you do get sports seats with an ‘M2’ logo that lights up.

Weirdly, the M2 doesn’t get a 360-degree camera… Like, at all. It’s not on the options list. For a car costing nearly $150k, you’d think it would. The same goes for adaptive cruise control with active lane-keeping.

Speaking of price, despite the figure being rather high into the six-digit range, I struggle to think of something that delivers as well on the fun factor while still being reasonably well specified.

Porsche has the base 718 Cayman for $141,900, but it’s less powerful and slower, albeit mid-engined which makes up a decent chunk of ground. Mercedes-AMG offers the C 43 for $149,500, but it’s all-wheel drive, less powerful and a four-door.

Audi’s closest offering is the RS 3, which obviously doesn’t qualify for comparison, and while the four-door Tesla Model 3 Performance is more powerful than the M2 and cheaper, it doesn’t come close in terms of driving pleasure.

So the M2 manages to stand alone in a surprisingly crowded segment. As it should, the last, fantastic, shining example of a combustion-engined, rear-wheel drive BMW M car.

I can only imagine that, while the manual will be slower and more fuel-hungry than the auto, it would be even better to drive.

Bonus images