BMWs aren’t normally considered bargains. In truth, for many years the badge has been shorthand for premium costs as a lot as premium efficiency. However there’s one mannequin that breaks the mildew: the BMW M2. It’s the automobile that proves you don’t want six figures to get a full-blooded M expertise. We’ve examined it on winding roads in Arizona and lived with it as a each day driver in Chicago, and it’s a real Swiss Military Knife—brilliantly sharp once you wish to carve corners, but surprisingly docile and straightforward to drive every single day.
Certainly, revealed in 2015, the M2 has grow to be BMW’s best-selling full-fledged M mannequin, forward of the M3 and the M4. It has additionally received numerous prestigious accolades, equivalent to MotorTrend 2024 Efficiency Car of the 12 months, Evo Journal 2020 Automotive of the 12 months, and AutoExpress 2023 Efficiency Automotive of the 12 months. Its beginning value of $68,200 may appear a bit steep, however not when you think about the general bundle it affords.
Efficiency That Rivals Extra Costly BMW M Automobiles
In spite of everything, the G87 comes geared up with the award-winning S58 inline-six engine, which produces 473 horsepower within the base variant and 523 horsepower within the CS variant. Evidently, the bottom M2 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, whereas the M2 CS completes the dash in simply 3.7 seconds. The M2 CS can also be the quickest compact automobile across the Nürburgring race monitor, with a lap time of seven minutes and 25 seconds.
Past the numbers, what separates the M2 from nearly all different vehicles within the BMW vary is its dealing with and fun-to-drive quotient, harking back to classics just like the 1M, the 2002, and the E46 M3. Because the editors at MotorTrend stated, “It’s fairly probably the most effective BMW M automobile developed within the twenty first century.”
After all, different BMW coupes just like the M4 and M8 are additionally extraordinarily succesful autos. They’ve even spawned limited-edition collector’s fashions equivalent to the three.0 CSL and Skytop. Nonetheless, each of these vehicles—and particularly their special-edition variants—value considerably greater than the M2. Living proof: the M4 begins at $81,300, the M8 Gran Coupe at $140,000, and the three.0 CSL, for its half, can value over $1 million in the secondary market.
In truth, even the Z4 M40i—with the Handschalter Package deal—continues to be pricier than the M2 ($71,900).
BMW M2 vs Porsche Cayman, Audi RS3, and AMG CLA45 S
The Audi RS3 ($63,400) and the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S ($67,550) might undercut the M2, however most critics would argue that the G87 has a greater general bundle. Then there’s the Porsche 718 Cayman, which in all probability has higher dealing with. But, the bottom Cayman—with 300 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds—has an MSRP of $75,400. In the meantime, the Cayman GTS 4.0, with 394 horsepower and a 3.8-second 0-60 mph time, begins at $103,300.
For these costs, you will get the M2 CS ($98,600) or a base M2 with the $9,900 Carbon Package deal, which provides carbon bucket seats and a carbon roof.
Furthermore, the M2’s constantly excessive demand means a five-year resale worth of 59.4 p.c—the best of all BMWs. For comparability, the Z4’s resale worth is 51.5 p.c, and the M4’s is 55.9 p.c.
The Candy Spot in BMW’s Lineup
Positive, the 330i or M240i would possibly get you within the BMW door for much less, and the M4 or M8 ship extra horsepower for those who’re prepared to spend. However the M2 sits in that candy spot the place value, efficiency, and pure driving enjoyable all collide. It’s why critics evaluate it to icons just like the E46 M3 and even the legendary 2002, and why resale values maintain so sturdy years after buy. In a lineup stuffed with luxurious heavy-hitters, the M2 stands out because the uncommon BMW that’s each a thrill to drive and a sensible purchase.
