In the blue corner, we have the BMW M2, a compact-sized coupe that happens to be the best M car money can buy right now. In the red corner, the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS doesn’t care about the Bavarian’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” stamp of approval.
The M2 and Camaro SS haven’t got anything in common. Not only are their fans wildly different, but these two make a discordant note on paper as well. Like bringing a blunt knife to a gun fight, a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 shared with the C7 Corvette overshadows the M2’s turbo inline-6 engine.
Be that as it may, Top Speed Brazil decided to let the cars talk in a series of drag races. Spoiler alert: off the line, a DCT-equipped M2 hits 100 km/h (62 mph) four-tenths quicker than a Camaro SS with the 8L90 transmission. At higher speeds and in rolling starts, though, the Camaro SS is more capable.
Sure, the M2 driver doesn’t know how to launch the car in the first drag race. In a similar fashion, using the paddles to change gear in the Camaro SS is slower than leaving the tranny in auto to do its thing. But regardless of the human variables, both the BMW and the Chevrolet deserve a thumbs up.
Bottom line is, the Camaro SS walked away but, as it happens, it was a slow walk. The M2, despite a tremendous deficit in hp and torque against the American brute, held its own like David versus Goliath. On that note, the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS is better value for money. In the U.S., the net price for a 1SS automatic is $38,000 or thereabout, whereas the 2017 BMW M2 with the double-clutch automatic transmission will set you back round about $55,000.
If you had to choose between the two, which one you take home?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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