Tag: bmw m2

2021 BMW M2 CS Review

BMW’s fun-loving M2 scores more power, more stuff and some added rarity for its final bow as the M2 CS.

Four and a half years ago I drove the BMW M2 for the first time. I was dead-set hooked. There is stuff we shot for that video that we couldn’t leave in because we were having far too much fun. BMW M cars weren’t that much fun at that point. The M4 Competition was good, but not like the car it replaced. And I’m not complaining about the engine (although that V8 was glorious), but it just felt a bit inert.

Then the following year I scared myself silly in the BMW M4 CS in left-hand drive around unfamiliar roads near Goodwood. The M4’s intertness had gone, replaced by the hilarity of its baby brother, the M2. Then I drove the M2 in 2018 again and its charm was completely undimmed. The M2 vs M140i side-by-side review on this site was massive, the video far and away the most popular we’ve ever done. Then I drove the M4 CS again on roads I knew. And loved it.

Why am I telling you all this? Because the M2 CS is the end of that road not just for me (and anyone who buys it) but for BMW. This M2 CS is going to go down as the last of the breed, running the spectacular S55 straight-six from the old M3 and M4. Carbon fibre bits, stripped out interior and a set of very sticky semi-slick Michelin tyres.

I don’t mind telling you I was absolutely champing at the bit to drive this car. So here we go. The BMW M2 CS.

Words: Peter Anderson
Co-pilots: Mark Dewar, Blake Currall
Images: Blake Currall

What is the BMW M2 CS and what do I get?

$139,300 + ORC

The M2 CS is the last of the old line of CLAR-based 2-Series before being replaced with what will surely be the last generation of petrol-powered M2, again on CLAR, but that’s about all we know.

You can choose between a seven-speed DCT (the car I drove) or a six-speed manual, with the DCT adding a hefty $7500 to the price. Still, at least it’s not fifty grand more than the “base” car which sells at $102,900 and $109,900.

Despite the lightweight approach suggested by the CS nameplate, you get a 12 speaker stereo, 19-inch alloys, air-conditioning (no climate control), remote central locking and keyless start, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, electric front seats, sat nav, LED headlights with active shadowing, leather and Alcantara trim, auto wipers, proper M seats and a tyre repair kit.

BMW OS 7.0 graces the big screen and you can use the iDrive rotary controller on the console or use the touch screen. Apple CarPlay is wireless but there doesn’t seem to be Android Auto on this version. The single USB port is at the rear of the console so you’ll have cables snaking about the place. You will, also, survive.

It’s not bare in here, but the minimalist look of the less complex air-conditioning reminds you that this isn’t meant to be your daily driver. This is an event car – the one you take for a drive, not the car you just drive.

Safety

The M2 CS has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, driver attention detection and that’s your lot. As a consequence, there are far fewer beeps and boops and the unseen hand of lane keep assist

There are two top-tether and two ISOFIX points in the rear, which is made up of just two seats.

Warranty and Servicing

BMW’s increasingly dreary insistence on a mere three years for its warranty (with unlimited kilometres) is looking ever weaker by the day. Mercedes has a five-year offering across the board and BMW is going to get lumped in with Audi the longer this goes on. Even Jaguar offers longer coverage.

The M2 CS does, however, fall into the BMW Basic Service Inclusions (BSI) packages, with a choice of Standard and Plus. Both cover a period of five years/80,000k, roughly translating to a 12 month/16,000km service interval, but that’s not how BMW works. $2995 covers the basics, working out at $600 per year (not bad, really) with the $8805 adding coverage for brake pads and parts, a clutch service and new wiper blades every 12 months.

I just wish the warranty was better and I’m sure you do too.

Look and Feel

People always look at the M2 but they really looked at this one with its bright blue paint (mandatory, in my opinion) and the $1000 option gold wheels. I think this thing absolutely looks the business. The front bumper is properly aggressive, with an evil set of headlights framing a blacked-out grille. The bonnet looks normal but as with the roof and various obvious bits of aero, is made from carbon fibre.

The fattened guards under which all the M3/M4 suspension and other go-faster bits look as beautiful as ever in that aggro kind of way. The carbon roof is unpainted and I’m begging you, don’t replace it with a steel-roof-with-a-sunroof because just no. Oddly this car looks a bit meek in white, especially from the rear (never its strongest angle), so it’s definitely colour sensitive.

The cabin, as I’ve already mentioned is a bit stripped back but not massively. The seats (from the M4 CS) are fantastic both to look at and sit in. The rear seats are not terrific to sit in because the front seats will crush your knees but if you have to, you’ll be snug and probably whack your head on the rear windscreen. As a CS, one wonders why BMW didn’t just fling them in favour of a helmet-friendly shelf or something similar. Because, let’s be honest, the M2 is going after some serious machinery that doesn’t bother with rear seats.

The centre console is just a slab of carbon fibre aft of the shifter, which looks good but reduces the available storage and there’s nowhere to put your elbow when you’re cruising. Or if you’re a passenger, you can’t brace yourself against it, although the seats mean you don’t have to worry about that so much.

Drivetrain

3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six
Seven-speed twin-clutch tranmission

The full-fat S55 straight-six delivers 331kW at a these-days dizzying 6250rpm and a properly scary 550Nm between 2350 and 5500rpm. The power figure betters the M2 Competition by 29kW while making peak torque available for an extra 300rpm.

The CS’s engine has an extra gear for ensuring the oil supply to the engine remains on track when you’re absolutely hammering it. New vents on the carbon bonnet get rid of the hot air trapped under the bonnet while helping suck more cool air in.

A new exhaust system with a switchable sound mode ends in four pipes to look like a proper M car, but tighter emissions regulations have robbed us of the theatrics of the older Competition spec cars.

DCT cars crack the ton in four seconds dead while the manual is two tenths behind. With the M Driver’s Package as standard, it will head off into the wide blue yonder at up to 280km/h.

Chassis

There’s a bit going on here. For the first time in the M2, you get adaptive M suspension. The other M2s don’t have it, making them marginal dailies unless you’re a masochist like me.

As before the suspension is cobbled together from M3 and M4 parts, with struts up front and a multi-link rear end with plenty of beef to make everything flat and fast. That lovely wide track remains, too, giving the M2 tons of street presence.

The massive front brakes measure 400mm at the front with six-piston calipers while the rears are a still massive 380mm with four-piston calipers. If you’ve got another fifteen grand lying about, you can splash out on carbon ceramic brakes. You probably don’t need them, just quietly.

The CFRP strut brace in the engine bay remains, looking good and keeping the two sides of the car apart more effectively, so stiffening the chassis for a better front end.

Between the rears you’ve got the Active M differential I fell in love with over a decade ago in the E60 M5. It’s a brilliant thing.

The 19-inch forged alloys come standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, 245/35 at the front on 9.0-inch width rims and 265/35 at the rear on 10.0-inch rims. You can delete these and have the M2 Competition’s Pilot Sport 4S which are better in the wet but you could also give yourself an uppercut. They’re fantastic tyres, but the Cups are the ones to have.

Driving

Okay, folks, take a deep breath. This thing is a belter.

While it doesn’t seem like a lot, the various bits and pieces added to the M2 CS spec – as well as the already impressive baseline – make it an absolutely colossal piece of machinery. And, curiously, much more liveable.

The liveability comes from the adaptive suspension. Being able to take a break from the buffeting of the stiffly sprung standard car means the drive back from the favourite road/track is much more pleasant and conducive to a lowering of the heart and adrenaline rates.

Having the comfortable option means you can drive it like a normal person, not trying to dodge potholes with a hyper-vigilance you might reserve for an Italian supercar’s low-hanging front end. You can take your significant other without the scoffing and whingeing at the ride comfort or lack thereof.

Annoyingly, when the car starts it defaults to a weird mix of sport settings for suspension and steering while putting the engine in (relatively) lazy efficiency mode. It’s not much fun to drive in that combination and it actually makes low speed manoeuvring really annoying because the twin-clutch still needs a good prod to wake it up from rest.

But you’re not here for the school run stories. You want to know what it’s like to point down your favourite bit of road. If you can’t be bothered reading on, here’s what I said to someone the day after I did just that:

“I now define my life as pre- and post-M2 CS.”Me, the other day

Now, obviously, that’s a bit of amusing hyperbole, but my giddy aunt this thing is wild. Not in a “gosh, what a handful kind of way,” in fact it’s the opposite. Those sticky Michelins not only tie the front end down with the help of that brilliant active differential, but they also conjure up extraordinary levels of grip.

You can feel your internal organs washing up on the insides of your ribcage when you’re cornering hard, the steering doing a reasonable job of telling you when the rubber is running out.

The MDM mode lets the car slip about while also delivering the kind of change of direction I previously only felt in the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lotus Elise and Exige. A 220i is a fine thing, but there’s no inkling that you could make a sporty version of that same car dance on its spinning rears through a corner. And dance it does with such ease.

Feeling it move about on your way out of a corner, the tail waggling heroically as the Cup 2s wag their fingers at the 550Nm of torque, is legendary. The M2 feels much lighter than its 1550kg kerb weight and that engine never gives up, spinning to the redline without complaint or reluctance.

And like every twin-clutch BMW, the gearbox absolutely shines with fast, whip crack shifts that you can’t hope to replicate in the six-speed manual. In its most aggressive mode, the M2 cheerfully spins its wheels between shifts to remind you what it’s like to be alive and have a car more than happy to misbehave underneath you without killing you.

Redline Recommendation

I don’t even know if you can still buy one of these things. If you’ve the means and the motivation, get off the fence and order one, pronto. You’re going to get tired of hearing this, but we’re not going to have these sorts of cars for much longer, especially not bonkers straight-six, twin-turbo, rear-wheel drive sports coupes in such a small package.

The size is intrinsic to the fun, with a short wheelbase, extraordinary front and hilariously grippy rear end. The S55 is a true classic of mechanical engineering while the M2 CS will go down as one of the absolute greats. Not just a great 2 Series, not just a great M car, not even just a great BMW. It will go down as one of the best cars ever made. I’ll still be talking about this car on my deathbed.

May 29, 2021
BMW M2 Competition 2019 Review

As if the BMW M2 wasn’t wild enough, BMW wanted to give its second stage of life a bit more pep. More power, more torque and more fun.

By far our most popular video in 2018 was the BMW M140i vs M2. They’re both amazing cars but for me, if I had the money, I’d choose the M2. It was a tougher choice than, I thought, though. I’d genuinely have both at the same time.

BMW must have seen that video, because not long after, Munich confirmed the M2 Competition. There’s a bigger gap back to the M140i now, making the choice harder.

Words: Peter Anderson
Images: Matthew Hatton
Co-pilot: Philip Siu

History

The LCI M2 from 2017.

You can probably trace fast two-door fun from BMW back decades, but the reality is a little less lengthy. The first 1 Series spawned two properly fast coupes – the M135i and 1M.

The 135i made its debut in in the E82 Coupe and E88 convertible. Power came from a twin-turbo straight-six with a very decent 225kW (306PS) and 402Nm. 0-100km/h (0-62mph) arrived in a brisk 5.3 seconds. It was quick and you could tune it for a lot more grunt. It even sounded okay, but not as good as my E87 130i…

To give the E82 a send-off, the M guys got weird and created the 1-Series M, or 1M. BMW couldn’t (wouldn’t) call it the M1 because of the late-70s supercar of the same name, but boy-oh-boy was it wild.

The 1M was first unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (yeah, me neither) as the 1 Series tii Concept. It had a four-cylinder engine and was all about harking back to things like the 2002.

Thankfully, M went bonkers and dropped in the N54 twin-turbo and confirmed the car’s existence in December 2010. Power went up from the 135i to 250kW (340PS) and 450Nm. An overboost function kicked things up to 500Nm for a bit, just to make sure. You could only get a six-speed manual and it came with the excellent M diff. Nice.

Bitey, fighty 1 Series M

With BMW’s rearrangement of the model names, the 2-Series replaced the 1 Coupe when the F20 1er arrived. It also meant that the M could go before the number, giving us the M2. As we already know, it has M4 bits crammed under the pumped up bodywork and shipped with the N55 single turbo six with 272kW (370PS) and 465Nm. Rear-wheel drive, of course, and with a six-speed manual or seven-speed twin-clutch.

BMW M2 Competition

I really liked the M2 as it was, but BMW has spent a bit of time changing some bits and pieces.

As it stood, I thought the M2 was missing some important spec bits like LED headlights and conveniences like Apple CarPlay. At least in Australia, the M2 Competition now comes with the former and you can pay for the latter.

The seats are better, too, which is nice. There is also a new dash, which makes for a nicer experience and to help with the feeling that you’ve paid extra and got extra.

M2 Competition Drivetrain

I think the M2 Competition is the first car I can remember that gets more power because of tightening emissions regulations. The N55 couldn’t hit the new numbers so the M guys shrugged and went for more power. Suddenly emissions regulations don’t seem so bad (they’re not, obviously).

Goodbye to the N55 and hello to the, ahem, clean and green twin-turbo S55.

And it makes a difference. Maximum power has risen to 302kW (410PS), which is up 30kW (40PS). Maximum torque has risen by 85Nm to a super-healthy 550Nm. Technically it’s up 50Nm, but where the 500Nm of the earlier cars was overboost-only, the new number is always there for you. Like that one true friend.

It will now cover the sprint 100km/h (62mph) in 4.2 seconds, although as I’ve said before, I reckon it’s four flat.

The six-speed manual gearbox (a no-cost option in some markets, including Australia) features a carbon fibre friction lining to save weight. It also has wet sump lubrication which BMW says reduces “sloshing.” Sure, why not. Hate all that sloshing.

Extra cooling from the crackerjack M4 CS helps deal with the added warmth from the S55, meaning a new bigger central radiator and two extras behind the big scoops in the front bumper.

And there’s a new bi-modal exhaust for more noise and to better suit the S55.

BMW M2 Competition Chassis

When you pop the bonnet (or hood), you’ll see something new – the M4-style carbon strut brace that snakes its way around the engine bay. It’s not about looks, obviously – this tightens the front end a fair bit. Given the old car was already pretty good on turn-in, this seems superfluous…

The new brakes are bigger, which is always welcome when you’ve got more power. Still no adaptive damping, but I guess there just wasn’t the room. Whether there wasn’t room to annoy M4 owners or physical room I’ll leave for you to decide.

The rear suspension now has tricksy rose-jointing, which is very race car-ey. The electric steering has a new mapping for a bit more feel, which comes from more precise control of the assistance. Of course, new spring and damper settings are nice and easy to sort out, so they’ve gone on as well.

As ever, you’ve got an active M differential at the back which is always a Good Thing. I can’t stress enough how much a good limited-slip diff does a car.

And to go with the M diff, there are two programmable M buttons on the steering wheel.

Driving

I loved the M2 to bits. User-friendly, fast and a bit on the bucking-bronco side, it was great. The only thing you could complain about in the handling department was that you knew there was more in it. A lot more.

I’d still have one in a heartbeat, no question. It’s that good.

The Competition, though. Wow. You’d never accuse the M2’s front-end of being a bit tardy, but with the new strut brace, steering and spring/damper set up, it’s now a precision-bomber. The turn-in is even more crisp, the front end bites harder meaning an almost Lotus-like change of direction. Slight exaggeration there, but you get my drift.

You always got the impression that the M2’s weight had meant compromises. The steering feel wasn’t quite there and there felt like a filter between rubber and road. That’s largely gone now, but the way it turns in is mighty. I’d cheerfully go without the extra power and torque such is the improvement on something that was already great.

I spent most of the time driving around in M1 – as the suspension is static, there’s no value in bumping around in Comfort. On start-up, the car is set to be a bit softer on throttle and enine (and you can turn it all down even further.

The out-of-the-box settings for M1 mean the throttle is a little more lively as is the rear end, and that’s what we like. Couple that with the epic front end, a blast down my favourite road and one of my favourite corners brought it all home. You can re-program M1, but I never felt the need.

That favourite corner is a downhill left, tightening to a hairpin. The entry is a disaster – bumpy patchwork of surfaces, high crown on the road and crumbling edges. And you can’t see the exit, so no naughty line-crossing to open it up.

Fire in, brake straight, ride the bumps – the M2 did it, the Competition is just as good. Then turn-in – that’s where the Competition is suddenly on its own. It destroyed this particular corner, which made me got back and do it again and again.

There’s more confidence on turn-in and with the looser traction and stability control, there’s plenty of swing on offer should you so choose. If you prefer – as I do – to keep things tidy even on roads I know well, it will shred that corner.

I think the bigger brakes are also a little more confidence-inspiring, but I could be making that up.

The added precision of the front end means you can really get the entry-apex-exit sequence right more often and more satisfyingly. It’s now undeniably more fun than the M4 Competition and feels almost as wild as the M4 CS, a car I love.

BMW’s S55 is a giant of an engine. In this tune it’s fast, flexible and brilliant. It doesn’t transform the car, but it fills the gaps and just makes the corners come at you even faster.

Should I get one?

Uh, yeah. You really should. There’s nothing else like it.

And there is unlikely to be another one – the new 2 Series is based on the Mini platform, which means tranverse fours and all-wheel drive, if a second M2 happens at all. It will still be great, but it won’t be this.

It won’t be special, in other words, it will be more like its Audi and Mercedes rivals.

The M2 Competition is a truly special car and deserves its place in my fantasy five-car garage alongside much more expensive stuff. It’s that good.

January 2, 2019
BMW M2 Competition: Munich’s twin turbo tacker

BMW’s M2 Competition is here and it’s probably more than we could hope for.

BMW M2 Competition

No sooner had BMW’s rip-snorting M2 hit the roads we wondered what it would be like if it was closer to the M4 spec. As the bigger M3/M4 reaches the end of its life, BMW faces a bit of a hole in the go-fast line-up. Whenever a new 3 launches, the variants take a while to trickle through, the Ms coming close to last.

So, as the M4 and M3 CS takes the parallel lines to the back paddock (with a bang, granted), Bavaria’s go-faster division is giving us the M2 Competition.

It’s a twin-turbo

Yah-huh. While the M2 has a single turbo N55 delivering a very respectable 272kW (370PS) and 465Nm, the Competition has even more. As if lifted straight from an M4, the M2 now has two turbos to produce 302kW (410PS) and 550Nm. Power is up 30kW (40PS) and there’s a whopping 85Nm extra twist. Let’s have a little reality check here – the M4 Pure has 331kW (450PS) and…550Nm. That means fireworks. Proper, proper fireworks. The M2 is a fair bit lighter, you see.

Max power is available from 5250rpm all the way to 7000rpm while max torque runs from 2350 to 5200rpm.

With the seven-speed twin clutch, BMW says the M2C will hit 100km/h (0-62mph) in 4.2 seconds. Look, I reckon it’ll do a four dead. I think BMW is being modest/sparing M4 owners’ feelings.

The six-speed manual gearbox (a no-cost option in some markets, including Australia) features carbon fibre friction lining to reduce weight. It also has wet sump lubrication which BMW says reduces “sloshing.” I know that annoys me a lot in other manuals.

With extra turbos and power comes extra heat. The M2C’s cooling system is based on the M4 CS’s, with a bit central radiator, two smaller radiators off to each side and a separate oil cooler.

A new bi-modal four-outlet exhaust – with black chrome tips – should make the right noises and look the part.

Chassis

The basic M2’s chassis is a proper sparkler. I know I keep saying it, but I reckon the M2 redefined modern M car. While the current M4 is a terrific thing, it wasn’t until the M2 and then the M4 CS that I truly felt the heights of the E92 were back – and surpassed.

Suspension is by forged aluminium control arms and the rear axle subframe is mounted rigidly to the chassis. A carbon fibre strut brace – weighing just 1500g – snakes around the engine bay and looks amazing.

Between the rear wheels the Active M Differential works hard to keep things straight and/or fun. When you’re in Sport+ this thing is already fun personified, so with all that extra grunt…I dunno. It’s going to be quite something.

The M2C has steering wheel mounted M1 and M2 buttons to activate personalised dynamic setups. Not only that, they activate M Dynamic Mode which means plenty of tail-waggling fun and a turn in so sharp it’ll split you in two. I can’t stress enough how much a limited-slip diff can transform a car and an M diff is brilliant when done right.

If you’re super-keen, BMW will sell you a set of 19-inch forged alloys with Y-shaped spokes. They look mean.

Also available as an option is the M Sport brake system. That means 400mm discs up front and 380mm at the rear. The front callipers are six pot monsters, the rears four. There isn’t much wrong the M2 brakes to start with, so these will be enormously strong.

Design

Things have changed inside and out. The front bumper and kidney grille are even more aggressive. The kidney grille itself is a slightly different design with a black paint job. The double arm mirrors add a little extra M flavour, with darker badging scattered around.

Open the door and the sill plates let you know you’re stepping into a special. Thankfully, the uninspiring M2 seats have been replaced with much better-looking and presumably more effective front seats that look great. They also have that naff illuminated badge from the M4.

The dashboard is also part-digital, which BMW calls Black Panel.

With all that, it looks and feels more like a proper M car, which is how it drives already.

We’ll get our hands on one as soon as is humanly possible.

Scroll down for heaps more photos.

Read and watch our BMW M4 CS review.

Read the rest of our BMW coverage.

Watch our side-by-side BMW M2 vs M140i video. And don’t forget to to subscribe!

M2 Competition Exterior Photos

M2 Competition Interior Photos

April 18, 2018
Side-by-side: BMW M140i vs M2

BMW’s rear-wheel drive fun machines go side-by-side. Which one to buy and what happens if you choose one over the other?

I’ve been wanting to a M140i vs M2 comparison even since Munich’s riotous two-door joined the range a couple of years ago. The M2 is an absolute rocket and its ever-so-slight change in chassis philosophy made it a barrel of laughs the M4 never quite was. Until the M4 CS, of course. We’re still rubbing our hands in anticipation of the M3 CS.

M140i vs M2

The BMW M140i is a bit of an unsung hero in the range. Idiots sniff at it not being a “real M car” – one of the YouTube commenters called me “a joke” for referring to it as such. It’s part of the M Performance range that takes in a range of cars and acts as like an Audi S-Line pack or AMG add-on for “normal” cars, doing more than adding an M-Sport pack.

I put the two cars together, but not in the way everyone else does. I wanted to see what the relative strengths of the two cars were when driven side-by-side rather than “which is best.”

Interior

The two cars are very similar inside – they share much the same architecture and given the 2 Series is a 1 Series in a frock, it’s hardly surprising that they look the same.

The M140i’s seats are 1 Series sports seats. They’re a bit on the small side but do enough to hold you in while keeping you comfortable. While not much to look at, there is plenty of adjustment on offer to help you settle in and enjoy the ride.

Obviously, with the five-door version (here in Australia, we don’t get to choose a three-door 1er), access to the rear seats is fairly straightforward and they’re comfortable enough for short journeys. I’ve had a couple of kids in the back who had a whale of a time while I threw the car around rural roads, but there’s no shape to hold them in. Up to six-footers will fit, but the closer they get to that height, the less comfortable they’ll be.

The M2’s seats aren’t a great deal better to look at, but again they look after you where it counts. Getting into the rear is a bit of a drama – the front seat not really getting out of the way. Once you’re in the back there’s even less room than in the hatchback and the seats are flat and shapeless. Headroom is a bit of a challenge, too. If you’ve got young kids that can get in and out themselves, it’s probably okay. As they march into teenager-hood, forget it.

Exterior

Things really diverge on the outside and there are some genuine technical reasons.

The 1 Series has always been a controversially-styled car. This second-generation post-facelift is the least-dramatic but has also been the best-received. I really liked the E87, particularly with M-Sport bumpers and wheels. The surfacing was lovely and even the rear end managed to work.

The F20 was an abomination. Gone were the inventive shapes, replaced by something inexplicably ugly. The more aggressive bumper of the 135i helped lessen the blow.

The 2015 facelift brought order where there had been chaos. Better at both ends and tied to the new F22 2 Series range it’s a vastly better-looking car, even if the proportions remained slightly odd.

The 2 Series, on the other hand, was pretty out of the blocks. Again, it looks better with M-Sport wheels and aero bits, but it put to rest the demons unleashed by the F20. The M2, though, well – it’s different. The front and rear guards are pumped up to resemble a drift car’s. The people at M had no choice – somebody convinced management that the M2’s suspension had to be from the bigger M4 and there wasn’t the room.

The result is something properly mean-looking. With darker wheels, it really looks the business in the near-default vivid blue. The high-ish profile tyres add some real toughness. Looks the part, is the part. BMW really does do menacing in its passenger car range Ms, unlike the mild obnoxiousness of M-pumped Xes.

Engines & Tranmissions

BMW likes to keep things fresh, so when the F20’s mid-life update arrived, the 135i’s 3.0-litre turbo straight six was replaced with…a 3.0-litre turbo straight six. Power rose to 250kW (340PS) in the transition to the B58 (previous cars ran the N55). The B58 also came with an appreciable jump in torque to 500Nm, up over 10 percent. Most of the changes involved the way the twin-scroll turbo worked, improved emissions and reduced friction. It’s a very smooth engine and revs happily to a 7000rpm redline while making a terrific noise. I don’t care how much popping and banging the AMG 2.0-litre turbo four makes, the BMW straight-six is better.

And before I’m accused of bias, I reckon the Audi twin-turbo V8 is the best-sounding engine in “normal” cars.

The M140i is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a ZF eight-speed automatic. That gearbox has to be the best auto on the market today and is installed in hugely varying types of car, from a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo right through to the madcap twin-turbo V8 on the new M5 (and Audi’s RS6/RS7 pair).

The M2 “soldiers on” with the turbo straight-six from the M3/M4. While it’s not as potent, 272kW (370PS) and 465Nm isn’t messing about. And yes, those figures don’t compare particularly favourably to the B58, but we’ll come to that. Here in the M2, the engine is known as N55 rather than the S55 codename on the M3/M4/M4 CS.

The N55 also scores forged pistons and crankshaft to handle the thrashing and an extra oil cooler handles the higher demand.

You can choose from two transmissions – one is the same six-speed manual (with a revised linkage) from the M140i or BMW’s seven-speed DCT twin-clutch. I had the DCT version – quicker to 100km/h and it’s the gearbox most buyers choose.

Chassis

These two cars are very different here under your backside. The M140i is obviously a 1 Series. Even a basic 1 is good fun to drive, so the work for the M Performance team wasn’t hugely difficult. The M140i has adaptive damping to deliver an easy ride around town and a stiffer, flatter chassis for the fun stuff. If you want, you can spend (a lot of) money to add a mechanical LSD. Do it. If you’re buying one second-hand, Quaife will supply you with an LSD too.

Sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 225/40 tyres wrap the 18-inch wheels up front while the rears are 245/35s.

The M2 is a bit of a Frankenstein car. The fatter guards hide M3/M4 suspension bits to widen the track front and rear. Between the rear wheels you will find a multi-plate limited-slip diff where the M140i is stuck with a torque-vectored unit. Michelin Pilot Super Sports connect you to the road, 245/35 up front and 265/35 at the rear, fitted to 19-inch wheels.

Unlike the M140i, the suspension is static – no adaptive dampers, just good old-fashioned springs and dampers honed with thousands of hours of testing. The track is a whopping 63mm wider up front and 69mm at the rear, but that explains the 80mm wider bodywork.

The M4’s rear subframe is attached directly to the body, which means a bit more noise and a bit less comfort. Both ends feature serious bracing between the suspension towers, too.

Driving

Before we get cracking, both of these cars are absolute rockets. Anything small with 250kW-plus of power is going to demolish the benchmark 0-100km/h time (0-62mph). Both of these cars flash by in well under five seconds, so if drag-racing is your thing, there’s little in it.

The M140i is clearly the softer car. There is much to like about it, though. It’s the more appealing everyday car, with a comfortable ride and handling balance that you can use every day. It’s not a track warrior, but in Sport mode you will demolish just about anything in its class and you will be having a ball doing it. On its own, it feels unstoppable and is without doubt more fun than a , without doubt,s rear-wheel drive chassis has the edge over all-wheel drive for driving purity, with excellent electro-nannies and a finely-judged rear end to keep you out of trouble.

The M140i is almost a best-kept secret – a modern classic and with the move to a front-wheel drive platform for the next-generation, it’s also an instant classic. No other small hatchback is this fast and at this level, affordable. Sorry to my American friends, you can’t have one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a healthy private import market develop over the next few years.

The M2, however, is completely off the chain. Not like the 1 Series M, which was mental, but it’s just so much fun. The super-stable platform of the wider-tracked M4 suspension, stickier Super Sport tyres and stiffer everything provides thrills in the wet and dry. Despite its torque deficit, the extra potential in the chassis is super-easy to unlock and you will never fail to enjoy yourself. You can get it sideways with the electronics on to make you feel like a hero (but not too sideways), which is brilliant.

I can’t stress enough how much I love the M2. It’s just an amazing car. People chortle at me when I say it’s responsible for the M4 CS, but I reckon it is. They feel so similar – so adjustable, so much fun. The M2’s front end is so sharp but it’s so forgiving – you can storm into corners with huge speed and know the rear is going to go with you. Sideways is never surprise, you’re in on all the fun. It’s just amazing.

But how do you choose? Watch the video…

March 24, 2018