Stock BMW M2 Vs. Tuned BMW M2 Shows Performance Modding Can Be a Waste of Money

It has an official 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.3 seconds which is absolutely decent, but not much more than that. In a day and age where performance vehicles are consistently going under the 3 seconds mark - and others threaten to break the two-seconds barrier as well - the 4.3 seconds are not enough to impress. And if you decide to go for the manual transmission option, you can add 0.2 more seconds - or more, if you haven't mastered the shifts yet.

But it's the track where the M2 really shines, particularly on the more twisty, technical ones where its short wheelbase and handling make sure it'll bounce from one corner to another with natural grace and lightning speed. In this scenario, power is important, but it's not crucial - you need just the right amount.

However, boosting the output of the engine has become so accessible these days, that you almost feel compelled to do it. And with just 370 hp, the BMW M2 feels like a prime candidate for a bit of tinkering with its mechanics, as well as its ECU to squeeze some more grunt out of the inline-six turbo.

These things don't come particularly cheap, but what matters is that you get a quicker car when it's all over. Or do you? This PP Performance modified BMW M2 got an 80 hp boost for a very decent 450 hp total. That's a +20% increase, which is massive, and also a lot more than the output of the upcoming M2 CS super model.

It also bumped its top speed up from the 270 km/h (168 mph) to over 300 km/h (186 mph), but apart from the Autobahn, this figure is never really relevant as there aren't any tracks that allow the Bimmer to reach this speed.

It's the acceleration that matters, and this clip shows that up to the 130 km/h (about 80 mph) mark, the stock M2 is ahead. That's because, would you believe it, everything about the M2 is designed with the 370 hp maximum power in mind. In other words, the car isn't able to put the extra hp to good use, and it's all wasted through wheel spin.

In the second half of the speedometer, the modified M2 is sensibly quicker, but in day to day driving, how often would that make a difference? If your answer is "close to never," then you're absolutely right. Still, the new exhaust does sound better, so at least there's that.