BMW M2 an old school adrenaline rush for purists

The new generation BMW M2 coupe is a petrol-driven, turbocharged car that drives down to the rear wheels through a manual gearbox if you so desire. Best you enjoy moments like these because they are going to disappear into an artificially intelligent and electrified world.

But thankfully right now, the premium motor manufacturers are still playing high-performance petrol-powered war games. And the BMW M2 compact coupe is here to battle Audi’s RS3 and Mercedes-AMG’s A45 S.

BMW M2 is dangerously fast

Staying far away from electrification, you have a howling 3.0-litre straight six producing 338 kW of power and 550 Nm of torque. This translates into some serious urge when you jump on the gas pedal.

The Citizen Motoring drove the standard eight-speed M Steptronic BMW M2 derivative at launch. With each tug of the paddle shifter, fast quickly upgrades to jail time. And the 0 to 100km/h dash is done in just 4.1 seconds, while 200 km/h is reached in 13.5 seconds.

Proving man cannot match machine, the optional six-speed manual version is said to cover the same speeds in 4.3 and 14.3 seconds respectively.

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Race-track focus

By specifying the optional M Driver’s Package, the electronically limited top speed can be raised from 250 km/h to 285 km/h. Make no mistake though, this BMW M2 is seriously fast in a straight line, no matter what gearbox you opt for.

Taking care of the corners, and riding on 19-inch alloys up front and 20-inch alloys at the back, you have an Active M Differential at the rear axle with a ten-stage adjustable M Traction Control function. Plus an adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers.

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It also features M Servotronic steering with variable ratio, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) including M Dynamic Mode and powerful M Compound brakes with an integrated braking system that offers two pedal feel settings. The option of track tyres add to the more than firm and sporty feel of the M2.

Conclusion

More because of all this racetrack focused technology, and not so much despite all of it, on less than perfect public road surfaces, the BMW M2 is very much alive at speed. And a little more challenging than its natural rivals to drive fast. As always, getting the best out of a rear-wheel-drive BMW M car requires a higher-than-average level of driver skill. Because of this, the purists will love it.

The M2 costs R1 503 975 in auto guise and R1 513 689 in manual guise. It comes standard with a two-year unlimited km warranty and five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.