2017 BMW M2

One of the most awaited cars of 2016 is undoubtable the BMW M2. The M235i introduced a couple of years ago is a great car with plenty of punch, perfect size & weight, but alas it isn’t a full blown M product. One can only imagine what the M2 is like when you had a canvas like the M235i to start off with. There are a lot of car enthusiasts out there who believe that BMW has lost its edge as now their cars are growing bigger & softer. The M2 promises to put that argument to rest. They have the perfect recipe to make a great sports car. It’s a smallish rear wheel drive coupe with a perfect 50:50 weight balance, comes with a 3 liter straight six twin turbo motor producing a whooping 365HP & 343lbft of torque at very low down in the RPM range. Couple this with the excellent dual clutch transmission that is second to none or as most purists will prefer, the excellent 6 speed manual. Thank you BMW for keeping the manual alive!! The suspension is perfectly tuned for spirited driving & makes going around curves & bends a pleasure. It’s also fast in a straight line & this little beast can propel itself from 0-60 MPH in just 4.4 seconds & creating all the acoustic theatricals from the exhaust note which will make you giggle like a child!!  The car looks really mean from the outside as it gets the full M body kit with wide fenders, bigger wheels, breaks & bigger air intakes in the front & the sides. The interior is plenty spacious too considering this is a coupe. It has ample room in the back for two medium sized adults & has decent trunk space.  But that’s not the reason why anyone will buy an M2.

The 1M was an excellent car but unfortunately BMW just made them in limited numbers for a couple of years. That’s one reason why they have become instant collectables & have appreciated in value ever since. The M2 will not be a limited version & BMW will make as many as they can sell, and trust me, they will sell them by the bucket loads! I consider the M2 to be an even better track car than the much more powerful BMW M4. Even though the M2 is no match as far as horsepower & torque figures are concerned compared to the M4, its 0-60 time is the same as the M4. Its smaller, lighter & better balanced than the M4. Don’t get me wrong, the M4 is a hell of a car but if it was my money, I’ll get the M2.

Prices begin at $51,700 here in the US but expect it to rise sharply as you add options. I think if one can keep the options low, then this is a bargain for the kind of technology & fun that this car offers. Competition includes the Mercedes Benz CLA45 AMG which starts at $49,000 offering similar performance figures from a 2 Liter turbo engine. The CLA45 had some reliability issues when it was first launched 2 years ago but I’m sure Mercedes has fixed those initial teething issues. Audi S3 is another little pocket rocket to watch out for offering 295HP from its 2 liter turbo. The S3 & the CLA45AMG both come with an all-wheel drive system, Quattro in the case of the Audi & 4-Matic in the case of the CLA45. The M2 will be a rear wheel drive offering only. The S3 starts off at a more affordable $43,000 price tag. Bothe the S3 & the CLA45 AMG don’t offer a manual option which is a shame as both of these would be even greater fun to drive with a stick. Porsche offers the Cayman at this price point but if you want similar levels of performance you will have to upgrade to the Porsche Cayman GT4 or the 911 which is much pricier than any of the above mentioned cars. The M2 is a reincarnation of the E46 M3 & that was the car which helped BMW attain the status in sporty cars that it currently enjoys. This is the biggest complement that I can bestow on the BMW M2. I would go to the extent of selling my house, my possessions & a kidney if required to buy this car & I would highly recommend you to do the same!!