When the BMW M2 was first revealed, one of the key specs that concerned fans was its weight. Despite the carbon fiber roof and manual transmission, the new M2 still checks in at just over 3,800 lbs, which is shockingly heavy for such a small car. When asked about its weight, BMW M engineers said that its weight is a product of all of its advanced M3/M4 suspension gear and chassis strengthening. So what sort of gear are we talking?
For starters, the front and rear subframes are almost carryover from the M3 and M4, so the BMW M2 has highly sophisticated front and rear suspension. Then there’s all of the chassis bracing. Structural rigidity is hugely important for handling precision and BMW M wanted the M2 to be as tight and as rigid as possible.
Under the hood, there’s a reinforcement plate under the circled area in the photo below, on both sides of the engine bay. There’s also a the same V-shaped strut tower brace, which meets at the front end, just as there is on the BMW M3 and M4. Both of those structural braces increase stiffness and sharpness in the front end, making the M2 turn in better by removing chassis slop. At the rear, there’s some C-pillar reinforcement as well, which makes its rear end stiffer.
One of the reasons for the increased rigidity is to allow the suspension to do its job. If the chassis is stiff and there’s no slop, then the dampers can handle the weight of the car on their own, which allows for more driver control. It also means you don’t need super stiff suspension to make the car handle well, so the car can ride better.
So it all starts with the chassis. If the chassis is good and stiff, the car will have a much better chance of handling well, as everything else starts to fall in line after that. However, despite the extensive number of BMW M4 parts that were used in the M2, BMW never wanted to make the M2 feel like its older sibling. Instead, the BMW M2 is supposed to feel like its own car, with its own unique flavor, and it’s said to be just that—it’s own car. The previous-gen M2’s chassis was incredibly stiff but this one is said to be stiffer, so it has the opportunity to be even better.
[Featured image by: instagram.com/msmedia.social | instagram.com/ivantarantsovphoto]
