I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the guys from XCAR are on a vertiginous rise to the top, their tests and videos being more than interesting to watch, informative and objective. This time they reviewed the brand new M235i.
The thing about their test car is that is was a manual and we heard some great things about this particular combination. Sure, the 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox is brilliant in its own but there’s nothing like a stick shift that takes you back to the good old days, especially in a BMW.
Before we get to what they had to say, we’ll go over the specs of the car once again. The N55 3-liter 6-cylinder inline turbocharged engine under the bonnet was tuned to 326 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque, a bit more than the M135i hatch which explains the better acceleration times.
Fitted with the 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox with Launch Control, the Coupe will do 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds while the manual is 0.2 seconds slower. You might give in some performance in drag races when going with the second option but you’ll gain so much more in driving experience.
The best thing about the Coupe is that it’s so well balanced. Not only from a performance point of view, to help you out when cornering aggressively and keeping you in check but also on a daily basis.
Being an M Performance Automobile, it’s meant to be a connection between the ‘usual’ BMWs and the hardcore M models. That means it should be both a driver’s car but also a cruiser when you need it, providing as much space as possible, while also keeping in touch with the sporty design and feel it should exude. And it sure does so.
Rumors claim that BMW is testing a new engine for a proper M car based on the 2 Series chassis. The new M2 should, therefore, be a reincarnation of the brilliant and yet limited 1M Coupe, a sort of baby M4 if you’d like.
There’s no question that such a car would be more than welcome in the BMW ranks. If it has the proper weight, gearbox and engine combo, it should break the rules and cannibalize some of the sales of the M4 and yet, do we really need such a car?
BMW kept quiet about the subject up until now, giving off a couple of contradictory vibes here and there but no official statement. Since the M235i is such a good car, a chameleon if you’d like, would the M2 be that popular?
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