10 Things You Need To Know About the BMW M2 Coupe

2016 BMW M2 ・ Photo by BMW Media

Last year, BMW experienced record sales and along with it the Bavarian’s high- performance M GmbH branch sizzled as well. Its line of “M” vehicles sold over 35,000 units in 2015, a scorching 65% increase over 2014. And with the debut of the 2016 M2 — the new entry-level vehicle from the M stable — you can expect BMW to draw even more shoppers to its glittery showrooms. Sure, the M2’s reasonable pricetag (just over $51K) is a plus. But it is the sport coupe’s superlative engineering and high-powered inline-six that reaffirms BMW’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” status, and that should quicken the hearts of enthusiasts the world over.   Here are 10 things you need to know about the 2016 BMW M2 Coupe.

1) The BMW M2 offers highly athletic styling.

On the surface, the M2 makes no secret of its high-performance DNA. Imagine a 2-Series after training in the NFL, and you’ll get an idea of the muscle mass the M2 demonstrates. Significantly swollen rear fenders housing 19” aluminum wheels juxtapose the sharply sculpted doors. An origami-like fascia riddled with air intakes underscores the car’s thirstiness for cooling, while the widened track (+2.5" front / +1.2" rear over the base 2-Series), quad tailpipes and rear spoiler boost its street presence. The burly athleticism of the M2 is evident from a quarter-mile away.

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2) The BMW M2 echoes its forefathers honorably.

The M2 is the same width, a half-inch taller and only one-inch longer than the eminent “E46” M3 that made the “M” badge one of the most coveted trunk accouterments in the automotive world. In the intervening generations, the 3-Series has swollen considerably – right up to the current version that is almost the same size as the “E39” 5-Series from the E46’s era. The smaller footprint of the M2 means that the ideal dimensions of the ideal M3 returns, only with a “M2” badge on the trunk.

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3) The BMW M2’s engine is a thing of beauty.

The direct injected, TwinScroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six offers power for days, especially at low rpms. It hits its peak power of 370-hp at 6,500 rpm, but it’s the torque that really sets the M2 apart. An overboost gooses torque from the listed 343 lb-ft to 369 lb-ft between 1,450 to 4,750 rpms, with nearly zero turbo lag to complain about. Even running up the vertiginous hills of Big Sur, you’re never lacking power to overtake the wagon trains of RVs you’ll encounter. It’ll help launch the 3,450-lb M2 from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds with the DCT tranny, and only 0.2 seconds slower in the 6-speed manual.

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4) The BMW M2 shares many components with its M3/M4 brethren.

Its brakes (4-piston calipers up front/2-piston rear), “Active M” multi-plate limited slip differential, big aluminum wheels, turbocharged inline-six and most of the front suspension are lifted from the M3/M4 cousins. That’s a lot of performance shoehorned into a smaller (but only somewhat lighter) package. The big difference between the M2’s engine and the M3/M4’s is dry sump lubrication with three pickup points, so even with the brakes slammed and/or under the duress of lateral g’s from high-speed cornering, the engine doesn't starve for oil. Another big difference? Adaptive suspension is not available on the M2, not even as an option. Not only are electronically controlled dampers available on the M3/M4, but you can even get them on the M2’s downmarket little brother, the 235i. But fret not. While the option of softening up the M2’s crossbow-taught suspension would be a nice touch of luxury for the sport coupe, the suspension setup of the M2 is pitch perfect for its true raison d'être: slicing up corners, on track or street.

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5) The BMW M2 was designed for the track, but excels on the street.

This is a car that ate up the Nürburgring in under eight minutes (7:58 to be precise). The widened Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, stiffened chassis, superb balance and aforementioned aluminum suspension help the M2 violate corners like the villain in a Swedish crime novel, something we experienced firsthand on the 3.4 miles and 11 corners of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. But it is on the street that the M2 shines, with a power curve readily available with only a slight tip-in of the toe. Sure this is a track superstar, but it’s a highly functional (and enjoyable) daily driver as well.

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6) The BMW M2 comes pre-loaded and offers very few options.

The base M2 arrives just north of $50K with a $51,700 sticker. From there the option list is shockingly limited: metallic paint (+$550), DCT (+$2,900) and the executive package (+$1,250) are the only way to add cost — a welcome rarity in a brand notorious for dramatic sticker inflation.

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7) The BMW M2 saves the manual, but eschews heel-to-toe.

The M2 is doing its part to save the manual. On top of the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, BMW offers a sharp, quick-shifting 6-speed manual. The short-throw stickshift is obviously a hat-tip to purists, so it’s strange then that BMW engineers don’t allow drivers to turn off the rev-matching option on downshifts unless they completely shut off all stability control. For fans of heel-to-toeing, it seems like one should be able to turn off this option in the vehicle’s setup screen independently. We expect (or rather hope) this shortcoming will be addressed in future model years.

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8) The BMW M2 vastly improves the 2-Series steering.

One of the biggest complaints of the M2’s donor car, the 235i, was its steering feel, which enthusiasts lamented as numb and flat. M engineers realized this deficiency, and addressed the weakness by adding a new ratio to the steering rack. “As the M2 is prepared for the racetrack, we need very direct steering, very clear feedback,” Christian Flessa told me from the paddock of Laguna Seca. As Head of Driving Dynamics Of M Division, Flessa was determined to ensure the M2’s steering was more communicative than the base 2-Series. “We used the steering hardware from the M3/M4, but we made new software parameters for the M2. We developed for the M3/M4 a special ratio for the steering for a very good feedback on the raceway, highway and surface streets.” Sure it may not be as communicative as the beloved 1-Series M Coupe was, but the M2’s steering is a big leap forward from the 235i.

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9) The BMW M2 shows off its performance heritage from the inside, too.

Step into BMW’s latest, and the fact that you’re in an M vehicle is instantly recognizable thanks to the badged steering wheel, door sills and shift knob. Electric blue stitching highlights the seats and dashboard, Alcantara covers the door panels and headliner, and a bright HUD and carbon fiber inlays add just the right amount of tech zeal (the GoPro app is pretty cool, too). Materials are all premium, especially the supple leather on the well-bolstered sport bucket seats.

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10. Unless (until?) the Audi RS3 arrives, the BMW M2 has no competition.

Quite simply, there is nothing on the market that compares to the M2. The Audi S3? The Mercedes-AMG CLA45? No way; neither are even in the same league. Their 4-cylinders may be boosted with more PSI than a Vegas showgirl, but there's no way they can compete with BMW’s potent inline-six. There are heated rumors that Audi will release an RS3 sometime soon, but its importation to America is not yet confirmed. And even if it does come, the RS3 won’t be here till mid-2017 at the earliest. That leaves the M2 as the lonely king of the entry-level performance segment for eons in the hyper-competitive automotive industry. The 2016 BMW M2 is truly peerless.

Photo by BMW Media