BMW M2 New vs. Old Comparo: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

We haven’t been fortunate enough (yet) to jump behind the wheel of the 2023 BMW M2 and tell you how it feels, so this is only a visual comparison between the two, with the obvious power and performance references. And before moving on, we have to tell you that we chose the CS version of its predecessor for the elevated coolness factor.

In the design department, it’s clear that the new one isn’t as good looking, but who knows, maybe it will eventually grow on us. The internet has jokingly said that it’s been styled in Minecraft, and you can see why. There are extremely sharp lines all around, almost squared air intakes in the front bumper, rectangular lower grille, and kidneys that haven’t grown in size, but they’re not pretty either. The LED headlamps, with the iconic DRL signature, were replaced by bigger clusters, with a different design, and the hood is a bit more muscular.

Things are the same more or less when it comes to the back end design, save for the taillights, which are now on the smaller side. The bumper is almost as angular as the front one, and the diffuser is more aggressive. The quad tailpipes have a larger diameter, and the trunk lid’s upper section, which is still home to the ‘M2’ logo and ‘BMW’ roundel, and still sports a ducktail spoiler, is a bit bigger. So, which one do you like best from a design perspective? Actually, don’t answer that, as we still have to talk about the interior of both cars.

There is nothing minimalistic about the dashboard panels of either. The old one has a tablet-like display mounted on top of it, rectangular air vents below, and the controls for the multimedia, and HVAC system further down. The new M2 has adopted a more modern dual-screen layout, which looks cheaper to be honest, and has different-styled vents. Those who are not familiar with BMWs probably won’t notice anything different about the steering wheels, save for the fact that the new one’s center section is now thicker.

Want to know about the fire power? Well, you are looking at a twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six in both of them. The 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque is identical, and the new M2 is 10 hp (10 ps / 7 kW) more powerful, at 454 hp (460 ps / 338 kW). Get it with the eight-speed automatic transmission, and the 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) sprint time will drop to 3.9 seconds, from the 4.1 seconds when had with the six-speed manual gearbox.

The M2 CS is one tenth of a second quicker with the seven-speed DCT, and with the stick shift, the acceleration takes 4 seconds dead. Top speed is rated at 174 mph (280 kph), whereas the new M2 will run out of breath at 177 mph (285 kph) when ordered with the optional M Driver’s Pack, or 155 mph (250 kph) without it.

Production of the 2023 BMW M2 will kick off next year, and it will be built exclusively at the San Luis Potosi facility in Mexico for worldwide markets, including the United States, where it will launch from $62,200, before destination. Thus, interested parties will have to wait a bit until they will be able to experience it first-hand. But would you get it over its predecessor? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments section down below.