Bigger Than The Last Gen: All You Need To Know About The BMW M2 India Review

BMW begs to differ and continues to offer its sports cars in 2023 with a manual and we are talking about the new BMW M2.

bmw m2

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

Most sports cars today offer only an automatic gearbox as standard with no manual which is a shame because ultimately it is about the enjoyment of driving a car which a manual only increases. That said, due to demand or emissions or costs, most are just automatics. BMW begs to differ and continues to offer its sports cars in 2023 with a manual and we are talking about the new BMW M2. While you can get an 8-speed automatic as standard, a 6-speed manual gearbox is also available and believe us, it is something else altogether.

You are more involved in the driving process and that only makes driving the M2 more enjoyable. In short, the M2 is a compact rear-wheel drive sportscar with a simple ethos. The engine is a 3.0 litre straight six which develops 460bhp and 550Nm which mixed with a manual gearbox enables one to rev it to your heart's content while putting a big smile on your face.

The M2 is small but bigger than the last-gen model while still coming at a length of roughly a compact SUV while the short wheelbase also helps in it being an agile sportscar. The engine has loads of torque which means it is easy to drive in the city and you can cruise around in 3rd gear all day. Plus with a lot of adjustability on offer, you can tune the engine or the steering or brakes according to your tastes. 

Put it in Sport and the engine is loud plus begging you to explore the rev limit. There is a serious amount of power and the manual only increases the sense of speed since you are involved more. While being slower than the automatic, you will still cross 100 km/h in just about 4.3 seconds. That said, the driving experience is the real deal. The new M2 shares a lot with the bigger and more expensive M3/M4 while providing loads of grip but also enough fun.

It is pretty easy to drive fast and its smaller size compared to other sports cars makes it more approachable. It is strictly rear-wheel drive and you can play around with the setting to match your mood.

On a set of empty roads, you can properly have some fun and the steering is close to perfect too with a typical BMW M heavy yet feel some steering. It is alive, and direct and the engine matches the raw personality of the car very well. It is small and you can also use it every day - we did and it never touched its underside even on some big speed breakers.

Yes, the ride quality is very firm but it is not uncomfortable plus in default mode, it is pretty quiet with less tyre noise. The manual is also easy to use every day due to the torque on offer while it does have a slightly heavy shift quality.

The interior is typical high-quality BMW but with an obvious sporty look thanks to sports seats and a thick M special steering wheel. A carbon fibre is also there or you can choose a sunroof too.

There are luxury features like three-zone climate control, a large driver focussed curved display with beautiful graphics, drive assistant features like lane change warning etc plus a Hi-Fi speaker system, electric seat adjustment and more.

This is not some basic sportscar with no features as it is as well equipped as any luxury BMW while also being decently spacious along with ample luggage space (for a sports car).

The M2 looks bigger and surely has a more aggressive face than the last M2 while the classic sports car stance is of course a head turner too. The short rear and the quad exhaust further put emphasis on that point.

What We Like — Looks, quality, features, performance, manual gearbox, practicality, compact size, handling

What We Do Not — Firm ride quality