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The 453 BHP BMW M2 Comes Out With 177 MPH RWD Fun and 7,200 RPM Games

BMW announced the newest member of the M family, the M2, with a 453 bhp - 460 ps - three-liter six-cylinder in-line engine. That’s 88 bhp (90 ps) extra compared to the previous generation, and the optional six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive should make it a very, very fun car to drive.
The 2023 BMW M2 65 photos
Photo: BMW
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The compact two-door Bimmer with the high-performance M badge and muscle is in its second generation – so that’s one more reason to celebrate the jubilee of BMW M GmbH. To keep up with the rest of the M pack, the small M2 burrowed some high-tech from his older and more famous (read “athletic”) brothers, the M3 and M4. The powertrain and chassis got the same fine-tuned attention that sits at the heart of the latest BMW M3/M4 models.

Since this is an M-bearing BMW, let’s begin with the fundamentals: twin-turbo three-liter straight-six, 453 bhp (460 ps), 405 lb-ft (550 Nm) of piston force, standard eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox, all to the rear wheels. For added fun, a six-speed manual is ready to play along for old time’s sake – a subtle reminder of the BMW 2002 turbo from 1972.

You have to be very passionate about minute details to find the difference between this M2’s power plant and its counterparts in the M3 and M4. The mill revs highest at 7,200 RPM – a loud and proud statement for the past half-century of M power that echoes through the electrically controlled flaps of the M exhaust.

However, it’s not the noise that makes this BMW M2; it’s the M2 that makes its name heard (play the first video to hear it). The performance coupe stops the timer in 4.1 seconds in the 0-62 mph sprint (0-100 kph). That’s the quick-shifting automatic, with the manual being two-tenths slower (4.3 seconds for the same 0-62 mph run).

The 2023 BMW M2
Photo: BMW
The top speed is, as usual, limited to 155 mph (250 kph), but there is the option to push that boundary to 177 mph (285 kph) by adding the extra M Driver’s Package (which is optional). Shift paddles encompass the steering wheel for the Steptronic setup, but the traditional selector lever is still there. Through the Drivelogic function, three different shift settings are available to optimize the fun factor of the M2.

A standard M Drive Professional provides track telemetry with an M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer. The M Mode button on the center console modifies the driver assistance level and the data displayed on the screens. The content varies depending on the selected Road, Sport, or Track setting.

And fun it is, with the lively rear axle handling all that brute force from the engine. M Traction Control function comes factory installed on all trim levels and allows a precise ten-step wheel slip limitation setup. Add the Active M Differential at the rear axle, which “is able to seamlessly generate a locking effect of up to 100 percent whenever required,” and the recipe for M-fun is done. Different amounts of grip for the left or right wheel is the M Differential specialty, providing precise traction at the exact needed moment.

50:50 weight distribution and sophisticated suspension keep the M2 on track for thrilling performance. Double-joint spring strut in the front and five-link at the rear come with M-specific kinematics: adaptive M suspension (electronically controlled dampers included), variable ratio M Servotronic steering, and Dynamic Stability Control - including M Dynamic Mode.

The 2023 BMW M2
Photo: BMW
Light-alloys 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear – each one inch larger than the standard wheels on the BMW M3 and BMW M4 – can (optionally) get track tires. The stopping power is unleashed from the M Compound brakes with six-piston, fixed-caliper for the direction-giving front wheels and single-piston, floating-caliper brakes for the load-carrying rear ones. The brake pedal is also adjustable – the driver can opt between two levels of how the pedal “feels” when pressure is applied.

M-specific instruments surround the driver, and the BMW Curved Display puts car info in plain sight. The choice of a Head-Up Display - featuring M-specific readouts – if the two 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch control displays are insufficient (the second video show all the details).

The M2 is one smart car, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard and a 5G antenna, but the new BMW iDrive system accepts an eSIM to make the BMW ID and My BMW App more personal than ever. The BMW Operating System 8 powers the iDrive to make the driver-car interaction (touch and language) as natural as possible.

Three seat trim levels are available, with the top offer of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the cushion and backrest and cut-outs in the side bolster and under the head restraints for lightweight performance.

The 2023 BMW M2
Photo: BMW

Sporty as it may be
, the M2 is packed with standard safety features: Front Collision Warning, Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator, Lane Departure Warning, and Park Distance Control. Driving Assistant, Active Cruise Control (with Stop & Go), and Parking Assistant (includes Reversing Assistant) make the traffic-going chores a child’s play. And three-zone automatic climate control, the BMW Live Cockpit Plus (with BMW Maps navigation system, ambient lighting, and Hi-Fi audio) makes the ride even more pleasant.

Among the five available paint colors, the Zandvoort Blue solid and Toronto Red metallic are exclusive to the BMW M2, with an optional carbon fiber roof to slim down some fifteen pounds (six kilograms). Built alongside the new BMW 2 Series Coupé in Mexico, the new BMW M2 - which doesn't yet have price tags - will hit the road beginning April 2023.

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About the author: Razvan Calin
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After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads.
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