BMW M2 2022 Review – International

Without official specifications, we can go only on what we already knew about the 2022 BMW M2 Coupe before we ever sat in this camouflaged prototype.

So we know the new BMW M2 is heavily based on the new M240i, which is based heavily on the M440i. We can then make some educated assumptions that the new BMW G87 M2 is a BMW M4, but shorter and with only rear-wheel drive.

Before M even starting Emming up the new M2, it had a 240i that was 12 per cent stiffer in the body than its predecessor, giving it a more rigid mounting point for the new five-link independent rear suspension and the two-joint strut front-end.

The best trick is the removal of the outgoing car’s N55/S55 3.0-litre inline turbo-petrol six-cylinder engine in favour of the S58 from the M3 and M4.

There’s no confirmation on outputs yet, but M has suggested it will be detuned from M3/M4 work, but that will still mean more than 300kW, even in the base M2 form, and as much as 321kW in M2 Competition.

Besides cleaner emissions, the new S58 motor also delivers more grunt at low revs, with insiders hinting at as much as 580Nm even in its base form.

The great news is that there is still a six-speed manual gearbox for those who like to feel their car’s internals while they play, though the eight-speed automatic is likely to be the biggest seller.

You won’t confuse the second-generation 2022 BMW M2 with its predecessor, even if you try.

The track widths have been shoved out without mercy in a search for added mid-corner grip and stability, and the weight distribution is claimed to remain at 50/50 per cent front/rear.

Strut braces live beneath the body and again for both the front and rear sub-frames, adding to the stiffness in a way the more volume-oriented M240i can’t replicate.

And BMW has added a drift mode to the M2, even if it won’t quite call it that, and it’s adjustable, too. It’s done this to help keep things under control even for drivers of limited skill, particularly with M3 levels of power in a rear-drive package.

BMW M suggests the new car’s body-in-white is 40 per cent stiffer than the outgoing model’s, so that’s how much reinforcement it’s given it, so the suspension has everything it can to help it work accurately.

It also takes on board a new electronically-controlled mechanical limited-slip differential to help keep the 20-inch rubber pointed in the right direction.

Besides skid-control and traction control, a raft of driver-assistance systems are swung in to keep things under control and pretty much all of them can be completely switched off in the name of entertainment.

The 2022 BMW M2 prototype feels a lot like the outgoing BMW M2 Competition, but more grown up.

It never, ever loses the twinkle in its eye, but it’s trustworthier in high-speed corners without losing any of its agility in low-speed or medium-speed corners.

The new M2 also remains immensely chuckable, at any speed, in any corner. It continues to feel as though there’s no conceivable cackhanded way you could rotate it into a corner and expect it to bite you.

It remains a gem in its handling and the accessibility of that handling. So let’s just assume you’re familiar with the outgoing M2 and then you can assume that it retains all the qualities you already know.

What has it lost? Well, that slightly uncomfortable, high rear roll centre, which made high-speed direction changes less pleasant than they might have been, has been totally fixed.

Now the M2 turns in and changes direction at high speeds with the same assured, confidence-inspiring, infectious glee it has in second- and third-gear bends.

The Salzburgring, a backside-puckering, high-speed green tunnel with no run-off, contains a bent back straight that saw the M2 touching 260km/h, before braking in a corner down to 180-190km/h for a right-hander. Yet the M2 just flitted through, ignoring the significant bumps, every single time.

And it’s quick. With less weight than the M3/M4, it feels like a sub-4.0sec 0-100km/h car and we already established it bursts beyond 260km/h, without feeling restrained or like its acceleration was petering out.

It’s also even more flexible in the mid-range and the extra step-off torque from idle should be a useful real-world help, too, especially in urban situations.

The brakes, too, are stronger than they were and stopped strongly and consistently, never changing pedal height even after six laps of the notoriously high-speed track.

It improves its steering accuracy as well, and it’s a more delicate, accurate operator in those few degrees just off-centre, when you’re beginning to turn, and it only ever needs fingertip control.

Here’s the thing: I loved the outgoing BMW M2, especially in Competition form. It’s a very clear future classic, like a 2020s version of the 2002. It’s the kind of car you buy, not lease, and never, ever sell.

And I’d feared BMW would lose the recipe that created that mix of potent speed, bubbling joy and progressive, easy handling that made it a star.

But it hasn’t.

The new BMW M2 looks to be another cult classic smashed out of the park by M.

The six-speed manual is there to appease the handful of manual lovers and, frankly, the shift quality isn’t brilliant, but the majority of people will buy the auto-speed auto and that transmission is glorious.

It takes everything the outgoing M2 did so well and builds on it, eradicating the weak points and strengthening to highlights even more.

In a world going EV faster than you can blink, this thing looks like a last-hurrah for unaided combustion power, and you should absolutely grab it while you can.

How much does the 2022 BMW M2 cost?
Price: About $100,000 (estimated)
Available: Late 2022
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: TBC
Transmission: Six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic
Fuel: TBC
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: TBC