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It Doesn't Matter if Its 2003 or 2023, the BMW Coupe Formula Is Undefeated

This is a reflection on what BMW does best. It’s a particular recipe, and testing some BMWs from across the decades has made me realize that everyone’s favorite recipe from Munich is the best one. I’m talking, of course, about the front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 2+2 coupe.
BMW M2 6 photos
Photo: Chase Bierenkoven/autoevolution
BMW 135i2002BMW M2BMW 325iBMW E46 M3
BMW has been doing this for ages but pinpointing a zeitgeist for the popularity of the recipe, and its ascension into legend is a tough one. Personally, I believe the first car to do this formula and enter the annals of “cool to car people forever and ever” is the BMW 2002. Frankly, almost everything before that was just too darn small to fit people in the back – a key part of the formula. The car was a hit, and it’s a much-loved classic now for all the reasons people like BMWs like this. They’re small (duh), practical, engaging to drive, and relatively affordable. The 2002 was also relatively quick-ish for its day, with the Turbo model an obvious highlight.

Over the following decades, this rezept aus München was slowly honed. That’s “recipe from Munich,” for those who don’t speak German. You could argue things really started to solidify around ten years after the 2002’s height with the debut of the new E30 generation 3 Series. Note how the recipe isn’t constrained to one specific BMW model either. The brand makes these where it sees a need – the modern 4 Series coupe comes to mind.

Either way, the 3 Series spawned the first real cultural icon to use this recipe while wearing a BMW badge. The E30 M3 is and will always be a magical little car. It’s the epitome of what makes this recipe so great. The car is light, revvy, and most importantly, usable. It is emblematic of everything that BMW knows how to do right, no matter how lost the brand may be (we’ll get to that later). I have never personally driven the E30 M3, and perhaps never will with the way values are headed, but the car’s reputation alone lends credence to the theory here.

BMW 325i
Photo: BMW
Of course, there’s a great run of M cars that follow the formula. The E36 M3, for example, is yet another one. But let’s detour away from M cars real quick. The thing about the BMW coupe secret sauce is that you don’t need to get the M car for the recipe to be appealing to an enthusiast. The 135i is a fantastic, small, RWD 2+2 san M badging that can be had for under $30,000. Any M car under that is probably a basket case. The M240i, while also slightly more expensive (and technically an M product) is another great stick shift take on the recipe. Go further back in history to cars like the 2002 or E30 325i, and that thinking still holds true. Again, affordability is an important part of the formula.

Back on the subject of M cars, BMW has had its great modern hits as well. The 1M, M2, M4, and E90/92 M3 are all perfect examples of drivable, fun, rear-driven, stick cars with an engaging powerplant you can drive every day. I personally owned an E46 M3, and from the driver’s seat, the benefits are obvious.

First and foremost, this was my only car. Yes, this and all BMWs have their maintenance issues. This isn’t the place for that conversation. The driving experience is what matters, as well as how it handles the mundane. The sizing means you can park it downtown without worrying about losing a mirror – or struggling to get into the spot. It also means friends fit in back for short journeys.

I’ve had a 6-foot friend in the back seat for an hour without a complaint. The trunk space adds to the usability, especially with the folding seats. I took this car mountain biking without a rack, drove it through the winter, and more. Obviously, the S54 is a mechanical masterpiece, and despite its failings, it’s one of the best-sounding engines ever made. Pair that with rear-wheel drive, a good diff, and a manual transmission, and you’ve got a winner.

BMW E46 M3
Photo: BMW
The previous M2 did this well too. Essentially, I look at the 2015-2021 F87 M2 as a spiritual successor to my beloved E46 M3. The dimensions are nearly identical, as are the power figures. It’s a modern take on what’s now a classic done right (yes, I feel old too). That brings me to the M2 and very briefly, how it does and does not adhere to this recipe.

Frankly, the new M2 is still a great example of this unnamed recipe. It has an engaging powertrain, a manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and a usable trunk. But the roof is now lower in the new M2, and in the two years since BMW last produced an M2, it's put on a whopping 400 pounds. At 3,814 lbs., it weighs nearly as much as an M4.

The new M2 is no longer a light-er (let's face it, not many M cars are very light), tossable car. It's too heavy for that. The display of mastery over physics is daunting, staggering, and mighty impressive, but that isn't part of the recipe. Despite that- and the brand's recent confusion of identity- the best and most emblematic BMW on sale is and will always be its 2-door, manual coupe, and like it or not, the new M2 proves that as well.
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About the author: Chase Bierenkoven
Chase Bierenkoven profile photo

Chase's first word was "truck," so it's no wonder he's been getting paid to write about cars for several years now. In his free time, Chase enjoys Colorado's great outdoors in a broken German sports car of some variety.
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