Sometimes when you put your neck on the line you'll find out once and a while you'll have to eat crow. Though I am not sure if I've written it here, when anyone has asked me about BMW building an M2 I emphatically said "no."
I had two logical reasons for this. First, BMW's M235i is a really competitive offering in the marketplace and I didn't see how it could wedge in an M2 between the M3/M4. Second, when we tested the 1M, a BMW executive said to me that a 1M type of car would likely be a once every 10 year kind of thing. Keyword: "likely."
Turns out BMW's building an M2. I was wrong.
It does make sense though because if you've driven an M235i, you'll quickly realize it's definitely NOT better than the 1M and it doesn't have the same gnarlyness to it. This is where the M2 comes in.
Though we're light on details at the moment, it's clear from the video below that the M2 will follow in the 1M's footsteps. Things to note off the top:
- Wider front/rear track — see the fender bulges?
- Venting behind front wheel well
- Big brake kit front/rear
- Larger wheels/tires
- More aggressive stance
- Limited slip differential — notice it hanging?
This vehicle is in its very early stages of development. Either this particular tester has been buttoned up so it's quiet or this test driver is keen to ensure we don't hear how the M2 will sound. If I am not mistaken, I do hear a turbo in one of the takes.