BMW M2 Rendered Useless on Track by Much Cheaper Bavarian Model

The M models from BMW are the ones everyone dreams of, but only a few have such understanding wives that they can actually go out and buy them. Which is both a shame and a blessing, since halo cars aren't meant to be that common.

BMW says it builds the ultimate driving machines, and even though the company tries to cast this description over all of its products, it's the M cars that embody the slogan the best. Or so you would think. The guys at The Fast Lane Car decided to find out if the lesser models have any chance of keeping their head high in a head-to-head track face off.

They chose the entry-level M, but also one of the most praised ones. After the model that BMW insisted we didn't call M1, but everyone did, was discontinued, the M2 became the most accessible way of enjoying the spirit of M - and if you went for the six-speed manual gearbox, it would actually come pretty close to the old-school 1 Series M.

The thing with the BMW M2 is that, even though small and unpractical, it's still very expensive. With an MSRP of $ 53,500, gaining access to the 370 hp 3.0-liter inline-six sitting under its hood contradicted the idea that the best things in life are free.

However, even though not exactly free, they might come significantly cheaper. The team also brought to the testing track a $34,800 BMW 230i. This one swaps the iconic six-cylinder engine for a more conventional four-cylinder one and loses nearly 120 hp in the process. The question is: does it lose as much of the performance and fun factor compared to the M2?

The thing with the 230i is that you can have it equipped with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Sure, that's going to boost your price a little, but it will also help with the 0-60 mph acceleration. So much so, in fact, that the two cars only yielded a 0.6 seconds difference in the Test, which we're sure is something most of us can live with.

On to the lap test and the two are again as closely matched as you would now expect. It needs to be said that the 230i they had was specced to the brim, but if you don't go crazy and only opt for the xDrive and the track package, you can come up with a vehicle that will definitely handle itself at speeds and in bends, while still costing significantly less than the M2.

The lap times the two got on a fairly short test track were 1:03.69 for the M2 and 1:05.75 for the 230i, which is a mere two seconds. And yet this is by no means a clip that's meant to tell people "don't buy the M2." The message here is that if you can't afford the M2, don't make a drama out of it. Just go for the cheaper 230i and enjoy a very potent car, although not nearly as glamorous.