New BMW M2 unveiled with more power and contentious styling

BMW’s new M2 had its global premiere at last weekend’s M Fest at Kyalami, and as usual the Bavarian firm set tongues wagging with the contentious styling of its latest car.

The compact high-performance coupé marks a break from the carmaker’s recent fascination with oversized kidney grilles, but introduces a brutalist design with squared-off air intakes and a grille that breaks BMW convention by being frameless.

Whether you think it’s pugnacious or pretty, the new M2 doesn’t look like any other BMW and you can’t accuse the firm of a one-wurst-cut-into-different-lengths strategy for its car line up.

Speaking to media at the M Fest, Franciscus van Meel, head of BMW M, addressed the polarising designs coming out of the German firm by saying: “If you have cars that appeal to everyone, they’re boring.”

Timo Resch, vice-president of customer, brand and sales at BMW M, added: “We tend to be bold with styling and actively accept there are people who don’t like it. We will continue with this more aggressive design approach.”

The second-generation M2 also courts controversy by being about 150kg heavier than its predecessor, due to having grown in size. It is longer, wider and lower than before, with prominently flared side skirts and muscular wheel arches. An M Carbon roof that reduces vehicle weight by about 6kg is offered as an option.

The weight gain is offset by extra muscle however, with the 3.0l twin-turbocharged straight-six petrol engine essentially the same unit used in the M3 and M4 models, with a high-revving peak of 7,200rpm.

Compared with the previous-generation M2 Competition, power has been boosted from 302kW to 338kW, with torque staying the same at 550Nm. The muscle is fed to the rear wheels via a choice of an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, or a six-speed manual.

BMW claims the new automatic M2 will sprint to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds, one-tenth quicker than its predecessor, with the new manual slightly slower at 4.3 seconds. The limited 250km/h top speed can be raised to 285 km/h with the optional M Driver’s Package.

Van Meel confirmed that all future M cars will be either hybrid or fully electric, but that petrol versions will retain their current six or eight cylinders and would not be reduced to four cylinders as rival Mercedes-AMG has done with the new C63. He added that customers are embracing electrification and the best-selling M car globally is the electric i4 M50d.

The M2’s corner-taming skills are assisted by an M Traction Control function with a choice of ten driver-selectable stages, and an Active M rear differential that can send up to 100% of drive to either rear wheels, optimising power transfer when accelerating hard out of corners.

Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers combines roll-resistant handling with decent ride comfort, and other standard fare includes variable-ration M Servotronic steering, and powerful M Compound brakes with two pedal feel settings.

The new BMW M2 wears 19-inch light-alloy wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear, each representing an increase of one inch on the diameter of the wheels fitted as standard on the BMW M3 and BMW M4 models. There is also the option of fitting them with track tyres.

Inside, the car boasts a cockpit with a driver-centric design featuring M-specific readouts, controls and setup options, as well as the advanced BMW Curved Display. An M Mode button on the centre console can be used to adjust both the level of driver assistance and the content shown in the information display and Head-Up Display, with a choice of Road, Sport and Track settings.

The front sport seats are covered in Sensatec/Alcantara, while M Sport seats with integral head restraints and perforated Vernasca leather/Sensatec are available as an alternative. Also optional are M Carbon bucket seats that are 10.8kg lighter.

It was a static reveal and we didn’t get to drive the new M2. That chance will come when the car goes on local sale in the second quarter of 2023.