There are two trim levels for the BMW 2-Series: 230i and M240i. Both are available as convertibles or 2-door coupes. Although xDrive all-wheel drive is an option on both trims, both vehicles have rear-wheel drive. A 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 248 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque powers the 230i. The 3.0L straight-six turbocharged engine in the M240i generates 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission is a free option on both models, while an 8-speed automatic transmission is standard on both vehicles.
The 2-Series’ goal is in large part to be enjoyable to drive. This has been accomplished by BMW using an entirely independent suspension system with a 5-link rear suspension system, which is a somewhat uncommon feature in this class. Thus, in addition to being quite swift in a straight line, the 2-Series is able to out-handle most of its rivals. Body roll, dive, and squat are all effectively managed without degrading the ride comfort of the vehicle.
The BMW 230i is the less impressive of the two models, but it still comes with a respectable amount of equipment. 6.5-inch full-color display, a USB port, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40 folding rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for the stereo and Bluetooth setup, automatic climate control, and a memory system that remembers the driver’s preferred settings for everything are all included as standard features. Larger wheels, a rear spoiler, better suspension tuning, and other features are available as Sport Line or M Sport upgrades for the 230i.
Starting with the more powerful engine, of course, the M240i comes with superior equipment. The M240i also has larger brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, front seats that can be adjusted in 10 different ways with power, a sports instrument cluster, and dynamic cruise control.
Leather seating surfaces, satellite radio, heated seats, a sunroof, a Harman/Kardon luxury sound system, and concierge services are all available extras for the 2-Series. A navigation system with real-time traffic updates and access to BMW apps are included in the technology package, which also includes a driver assistance package with parking sensors and a rear-facing camera. Adaptive M Suspension, variable sport steering, M Sport brakes, and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires are included in the Track Handling Package.
Similar to their coupe predecessors, the 2-Series convertibles in both 230i and M240i form have a power-operated top that raises or lowers in less than 20 seconds.
Anti-lock brakes, stability/traction control, and numerous airbags are among the safety features. An emergency request system that will trigger in the case of a collision is also standard on the BMW 2-Series. The system has a 10-year subscription included.
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Overview
The 2023 BMW M2, which has rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission that is an option, is anticipated to maintain the enjoyable driving characteristics of its predecessor. While the latest M2 is built on the same platform as the standard BMW 2-series, it is once again designed to deliver optimum performance. It will not only feature a more unique design and a chassis that has been particularly calibrated, but its twin-turbocharged inline-six engine should produce more horsepower than the outgoing M2 Competition’s 405 horsepower. The 2023 M2 will come with both a manual and an eight-speed automatic transmission. What other information is there regarding the two-door coupe? We’ll just have to wait till BMW makes them public.
More force is applied to the rear
We were aware that a new M2 was being developed. At first, 450 horsepower was anticipated from its engine. However, according to recent claims from BMW BLOG, it will actually produce 490 horsepower. That is more than the 473 horsepower produced by the contemporary BMW M3 and M4. It is said to have 550 Nm of torque, which is equivalent to the typical M3/M4 torque of 406 pound-feet.
Yes, only the rear wheels will receive power. Even though this is fantastic news for us car aficionados, it seems strange given that the 369-horsepower M240i will only be available with all-wheel drive. The M2 will weigh less because it only has rear-wheel drive. There will also be a six-speed manual transmission option, and the popular ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is anticipated for the automatic option.
All-wheel drive, however, is not totally ruled out because more potent variants of the M2 are being considered. At some point, we might have an M2 CSL that could surpass 500 horsepower.
Beginning around the end of 2022, production of the updated M2 will run through 2029. However, because to pollution laws, the performance coupe may phase out sooner in some areas. On the plus side, some people believe that the M2 is the purest M-car that BMW produces. The M2 is touted to as the genuine replacement for the historic E30 M3, given that the M3 is growing bigger, heavier, and more technologically advanced.
Pros
Performance/Grip: Unfortunately, cars can only go at the speed that their tires will allow. Because the latter has more traction, an automobile with only two driven wheels will nearly always be slower than one with four, notwithstanding how entertaining rear-wheel drive is. With well over 400 horsepower on a small, rear-wheel drive chassis, the BMW M2 will be a handful. Giving it xDrive would significantly enhance its straight-line performance.
All-Weather Stability: All-weather stability is the primary advantage of all-wheel drive. In severe weather, a car is less prone to slide with more driven wheels. Compared to a rear-wheel drive vehicle, this makes an automobile safer in more circumstances. Naturally, having all-wheel drive doesn’t make a car impervious to rain or snow, but it surely makes a big difference. Few consumers purchase M2s for year-round usability, but if it had all-wheel drive, they could use it in most climates for the most of the year.
The M2 is a throwback to Munich’s heyday of compact, rear-wheel-drive performance cars.
The first vehicle to carry the designation was the F87 BMW M2, but it won’t be the last. It was simply the next development in BMW’s historic tradition of producing two-door saloons with six-cylinder engines driving the back wheels. With the exception of the BMW M2, the present period is very different from the past, when such mix of components was the norm for aficionados of performance cars.
The compact two-door saloon, which many people would prefer to characterize to as a coupe, has been on the market since 2014. Prior to the Competition, its lackluster response was blamed on its uninspired non-M Motorsport engine and slightly clumsy handling.
All of that changed in 2018, however, when the Competition model debuted with the correct S55 engine, updated suspension, and a number of other minor details that were intended to finally make the M2 a true successor to not just the outstanding BMW 1 M Coupe but also its historically preceding E30 M3.
But the PS75,320 M2 CS, a final-of-the-line model that raised the M2 above and above its direct predecessors to become one of the M Division’s real greats, served as the M2’s ultimate swan song. The M Division’s CS is a furious declaration that, despite the X5 Ms and M8 Cabriolets, it still knows exactly what it is and how to construct an incredible performance vehicle. It wasn’t cheap, but it is truly something exceptional.
More evaluations
The end effect is a car that is incredibly satisfying to drive, with fast steering, strong brakes, and a handling balance that makes it simple to spin out the M2 on a closed track, but also rather simple to control.
It definitely sticks out from the rest of the 2 Series lineup since the M2 Competition features the same aggressive appearance as the original M2 Coupe. Wide wheel arches, 19-inch wheels, an updated front end with larger air intakes, and the customary quartet of tailpipes are all present. Leather sports seats, carbon-look dashboard trim, and M-badging are all included in the interior standard equipment. The only decisions you need to make are on the desired color and whether you prefer the seven-speed twin-clutch DCT automatic over the base six-speed manual.
There isn’t much direct competition for the M2 Competition because there aren’t many front-engine, rear-drive coupes available at its pricing bracket (it costs roughly PS50,000 with the DCT model costing an additional PS2,000). There are additional vehicles worth considering in the market for performance cars, though, if you expand your selections.
These include the closely related Audi TT RS and the Audi RS 3, both of which come in Sportback hatchback and saloon body styles. The Porsche Cayman is another coupe to think about, while the Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe is a slower version of the more powerful C 63 AMG variant. The performance of the Ford Mustang is inferior than that of the M2 for a radical choice, but it is still fun to drive.
The M2 Competition occupies a performance car sweet spot between the fastest hot hatchbacks and higher performance variants. BMW’s own M140i hatch and M240i coupe are more affordable options with rear-wheel drive and straight-six power, while the Volkswagen Golf R and Honda Civic Type R are cars with more practicality that are likely to be easier to control on the road (especially in the wet).
The BMW M2 Competition, the company’s smallest vehicle, comes the closest to being the original BMW M3’s spiritual descendant of all the contemporary M-badged vehicles. The M2 is a fun-to-drive tiny and agile rear-drive sports vehicle, whereas the M3 has developed beyond recognition.
The M2 prioritizes providing excellent handling, made possible by a strong engine and modified rear-wheel-drive chassis, all of which are housed in a compact coupe body. Even great is how much more focused the car is now thanks to the Competition improvements. It’s a cost-effective entry point into the world of BMW M vehicles, but there are other of talented hot hatchbacks available that are just as quick and enjoyable to drive as the BMW M2, but are much less expensive.
The BMW M2 is it RWD?
The BMW M2 is a four-seat, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a performance focus. It has a 3.0-liter inline-six engine with turbocharging that produces 405 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is available. The Porsche 718 Cayman, Audi RS 3, and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 are rivals.
BMW M2—is it a supercar?
Newer equipment from BMW’s storied Motorsport division has quickly evolved into supercars, but the best M car may still be the tiniest and weakest one: the M2 Competition.
The M2 has four wheel drive.
The M2 will be offered with something a little bit more powerful than the three-, four-, and six-cylinder petrol engines that are available for the standard BMW 2 Series coupe.
Future competition versions may use the M3 and M4’s engines instead of the 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine now found in the BMW M240i, M340i, and BMW Z4 M40i.
The BMW M2 will have more horsepower than the 374 in the M240i, however exact numbers won’t be known until closer to the vehicle’s launch.
The new M2 will probably be available with the same xDrive all-wheel-drive technology as the M240i, but it’s also plausible that rear-wheel drive will be an option.
If the last BMW M2 is any indication, a six-speed manual gearbox will come standard, with an automatic transmission also being an option.
This eight-speed transmission may be the same as that found in the BMW M4. If an all-wheel-drive model is provided, it’s likely to be the only one that comes with an automatic transmission.
Is the BMW M2 quick?
The BMW M2 Competition is a rather powerful vehicle, even in stock form. With a 3.0-liter inline-six engine under the hood producing 405 horsepower (302 kilowatts), it has a top speed of 155 mph and can accelerate from a stop to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in under 4.2 seconds (250 kph). However, the vehicle is already capable of doing that.
The S55 engine from BMW powers the M2 Competition and can manage astounding power levels when used properly. The model you can see in the video above is producing 850 horsepower (600 kW), which is almost twice as much power as it did at the factory thanks to multiple hardware upgrades and new software. The HC-Performance crew completed it, and this video demonstrates its full potential.
The driver of this customized M2 Competition unleashes the wrath of the hot hatch along an open stretch of the Autobahn, reaching speeds of up to 186 mph (300 kph). And it is absolutely amazing how quickly the car accelerates from 50 mph (80 kph).
But there’s something we should mention. Even though the car is traveling at an incredible rate of speed, it seems to be bouncing and sliding sideways. According to the video, it appears to be unstable at times and even dangerous to drive; possibly some additional suspension adjustments would be a big improvement over how it is now.
Nevertheless, this is unquestionably one of the fastest BMWs we’ve seen on the Autobahn in recent months. Assuming it makes it through the grueling Autobahn runs, it will be quite interesting to see how this M2 Competition performs on the drag strip.