Recently people have been asking me about my driving impression on the new BMW M2. Last week I was able to put a little over 700 miles on the famed Laguna Seca Raceway in the 2 series rocket. As an adult I have memories of places I’ve been and experiences I’ve had as a child. I remember these places as giant and amazing but when I went back as an adult I would think to myself wow it seems smaller and way less cool then my memory serves. So how does this apply at all you ask? I have amazing memories of the famed BMW M3 E46. The precise handling, and great stopping not to mention the screaming sound of the inline 6 cylinder engine. The new M2 has been compared to the E46 M3 of years past so I was worried that my incredible memories would let me down. Not this time!! The moment I jumped in I could immediately feel I was in something special. The confidence the new M2 inspired was beyond fun. It makes you feel invincible with every yank of the steering wheel. It was incredibly sharp to turn to the apex which is usually followed by a loose rear on corner exit but that wasn’t to be. Throw it into the corner it guides itself in like a razor blade then slam the throttle down and it powers away from the corner perfectly. If you ever over do it on the power down side not to worry, all you get are perfectly controlled slides with some nice smelly blue smoke bellowing off the rear tires.
So did the ghost of BMW E46 M3 past show up? It absolutely did and it learned a few tricks. I did lead follows all day long day after day at full speed with journalists in hot pursuit. This is the first car that I could actually make a guarantee to the people driving it that it would blow your mind and force a giant smile on your face.
By Bill Auberlen, BMW Factory Driver
Explosive performance.
The newly developed, three-litre six-cylinder in-line engine in the new BMW M2 deploys cutting-edge M TwinPower Turbo technology to develop 272 kW/370 hp at 6,500 rpm (fuel consumption combined: 8.5 l/100 km [33.2 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 199 g/km)* and, in so doing, lays down a marker in the high-performance compact sports car segment. The same applies to power delivery. Peak torque of 465 Nm (343 lb-ft) can be increased to as much as 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) in short bursts under overboost. All of which enables the new BMW M2 Coupe with optional seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) and Launch Control to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Yet, with its M DCT transmission, fuel consumption of just 7.9 litres* per 100 km (35.8 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of just 185 g/km*, the car is also keen to emphasise its outstanding efficiency.