BMW M2 review

Interior

Dashboard & tech

Inside, the M2 feels every bit the premium sports car. The cabin is driver-focused, with a chunky M-branded steering wheel, clear dials, and a layout that puts all the important controls right where you need them. The quality is excellent, with plenty of soft-touch materials, flashes of carbon fibre, and smart blue stitching.

All models come with BMW's excellent iDrive infotainment system, which includes satellite navigation and a host of connected services. It’s a very user-friendly system that’s easy to navigate while on the move. While the overall design might look a little dated compared to the very latest BMWs, it’s a functional, high-quality, and sporty environment to sit in.

Comfort

For a high-performance car, the M2 is surprisingly comfortable. The standard leather sports seats are fantastic, offering huge amounts of support and holding you securely in place during fast cornering. Finding your ideal driving position is easy thanks to the wide range of adjustment.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the M2 is its ride quality. While it’s certainly firm, as you’d expect from a sports car, it manages to soak up bumps and imperfections in the road without ever feeling harsh or crashy. It’s a car you could happily drive for hundreds of miles without feeling tired or achy.

Quality

The M2’s cabin feels incredibly solid and well-built. It’s based on the regular 2 Series Coupe, which is already a premium product, but the M division adds a host of high-quality touches like Alcantara trim and bespoke M logos to make it feel more special. Everything you touch feels substantial and durable, giving you the confidence that it’s been built to last.

Practicality & boot space

Interior space

As far as two-door sports cars go, the M2 is remarkably practical. Unlike rivals such as the Porsche Cayman, the M2 is a proper four-seater. There’s a good amount of space up front, and the rear seats are genuinely usable for adults on shorter journeys, although headroom for taller passengers is a bit tight due to the sloping roofline. For children, the back seats are perfectly fine.

Boot space

The M2 has a boot that’s big enough for more than just a weekend away. At 390 litres, it’s the same size as you’d find in a Volkswagen Golf. It’s a really useful space that can easily swallow a couple of suitcases or the weekly shop. The only slight drawback is that the boot opening is quite narrow, which is typical for a coupe. Some models were available with optional folding rear seats, which is a feature worth looking out for if you need extra load-lugging flexibility.

Versatility

The M2 is a car that brilliantly balances high performance with everyday usability. It’s small enough to feel nimble around town, comfortable enough for the daily commute, and has enough space for passengers and luggage to make it a viable option for more than just weekend fun. It’s one of the few true sports cars that you really could live with every day.

Driving

Driving experience

This is where the M2 becomes truly special. It is, simply put, one of the most fun and engaging cars you can drive. The steering is direct and full of feedback, letting you know exactly what the front wheels are doing. The chassis is perfectly balanced, which gives you huge confidence to enjoy the car’s performance.

It’s an incredibly agile and playful car that feels like it’s egging you on to have fun. The engine is a masterpiece, delivering a wave of power from low revs and a thrilling soundtrack as you accelerate. Whether you’re on a track or your favourite B-road, the M2 is guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face.

Performance

All versions of the M2 use a fantastic 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, but the power output varies depending on the model. The original M2 produced 365bhp, which was enough for a 0-60mph time of just 4.1 seconds.

In 2018, BMW introduced the M2 Competition, which upped the power to 404bhp and sharpened the handling even further, dropping the 0-60mph time to just four seconds flat. At the top of the tree is the limited-edition M2 CS, a track-focused model with 444bhp and a host of lightweight carbon-fibre parts. All versions are rear-wheel drive and were available with a six-speed manual or a lightning-fast seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Running costs

Fuel economy & CO2 emissions

Nobody buys a high-performance car like the M2 for its fuel economy, but it’s actually not as thirsty as you might think. BMW claims it can achieve around 29mpg, which is respectable for a car with this much performance. Of course, if you use the performance to its full potential, expect that figure to drop significantly.

It’s also worth noting that because the M2’s list price was over £40,000 when new, it is subject to a higher rate of road tax for cars between two and six years old.

Value for money

The M2 was not a cheap car when new, but it represented great value compared to other sports cars with similar performance. On the used market, early models are now becoming surprisingly affordable. Better yet, the M2 has a huge following and is seen as a future classic, so it holds its value incredibly well. This means that while it might be expensive to buy, you’re unlikely to lose much money in depreciation.

Reliability & Warranty

The M2 has a strong reputation for being a reliable car. The engine is considered one of the most robust units used in a modern BMW M car. As with any high-performance vehicle, it’s crucial to ensure it has a full and complete service history from a specialist. From new, BMWs come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

Safety

Safety features

The M2 is based on the regular 2 Series Coupe, which is a very safe car. While it hasn’t been specifically tested by Euro NCAP, you can be confident that it’s a structurally sound and secure vehicle, packed with all the usual safety features like multiple airbags and advanced stability control systems. It also comes with powerful M-specific brakes to help you stop quickly and safely.

Trims & Engines

Trim levels

The M2 lineup is pretty straightforward, essentially based on the engine's power output.

• M2: The original model launched in 2016. It’s comprehensively equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, leather sports seats, and a full media system with sat-nav.
• M2 Competition: This became the standard model from 2018. It features a more powerful engine, revised suspension and brakes, a more aggressive body kit with a black grille, and upgraded bucket-style sports seats.
• M2 CS: A rare, limited-edition, track-focused version launched in 2020. It has even more power, plus adaptive suspension and a range of lightweight carbon-fibre parts, including the roof and bonnet.

Engines

The engine choice is beautifully simple: they’re all variations of the same brilliant 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder petrol engine.

• The M2 has 365bhp.
• The M2 Competition has 404bhp.
• The M2 CS has a mighty 444bhp.

All models send their power to the rear wheels and were available with a choice of a six-speed manual gearbox for ultimate driver involvement, or a seven-speed M-DCT automatic for lightning-fast gear changes.

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