BMWs are undoubtedly flawed in many ways, expensive, ugly and sometimes unreliable. But owning some of them is like eating dinner with the president: you're not going to forget it in a hurry, even if it's Trump.
We've tested the M235i several years ago and found the balance between the power and traction was perfect. Yet BMW has given its successor, the M240i, a slight bump to 340 PS while also introducing the magnificent M2.
The baby M is by no means a flawless car. For example, Chris Harris hinted that it's not as enjoyable as the 1M Coupe, while Evo's 2016 Car of the Year test found it disappointing. But for most die-hard BMW fans, this is a cult car in the making.
What's new about them? First things first, the M240i, which oddly is the car most don't know about. The 2 Series hasn't received a facelift yet, so all the changes are under the skin, starting with the engine.
The 3-liter TwinPower Turbo engine has been upgraded to 340 PS and 500 Nm of torque (previously 326 PS and 450 Nm). As standard, the coupe can reach 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, which is slashed to 4.6 seconds when the xDrive system is optioned. Standard specifications include M Sport suspension lowered by 10 mm, 18-inch wheels, M Sport brakes and the M aero pack.
But if the M240i is wild, the M2 is berserk. Big arches, massive air dams, and sculpted air intakes make it look as angry as somebody who's just dropped his new iPhone. You can only have it with these 19-inch wheels and a choice of four colors.
The 3-liter engine has been ticked up to 370 PS, but the top speed is the same 250 km/h unless you tick the right box on the options list. The 8-speed auto is replaced by the DCT like the one you see in this video. But the cool thing is that unlike in the Audi RS3 or Mercedes-AMG A45, a six-speed manual can be optioned.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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