Could we have yet another repeat winner? The BMW M2 returns to the Motor Authority Best Car To Buy finalists’ circle seeking the win, again.
The BMW M2 won the Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2017 award when it debuted. The unanimous vote cited its near-flawless dynamics. The coupe just begged to be pushed hard, the turbo-6 sang a sweet song, and it felt pretty pure for a modern M car.
Seven years later, the second-generation M2 is simply not the same car. Faster, larger, more powerful, and far less pure, the latest BMW M2 borders on M3 territory. If the M3 still was a coupe, that is.
The basic M2 formula hasn’t changed. A high-performance turbo-6 pairs with a manual transmission or an automatic within a two-door, rear-wheel-drive layout.
2024 BMW M2
The 3.0-liter turbo-6 develops plentiful power. It’s rated at 453 hp–up 48 hp from the outgoing M2 and 88 hp more than the M2 when it won in 2017–and 406 lb-ft of torque. The slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission can take the car from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds while the 8-speed automatic goes even quicker at 3.9 seconds. The standard 6-speed would earn our nod because we #GiveAShift, though the ZF 8-speed ranks among the best in the business.
Quicker than ever, the M2 has gotten bigger than ever, too. Overall length grew by 4.7 inches, the track got 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches in the rear, and the wheelbase has been stretched by 2.1 inches. All this translates to an M2 that’s more livable and comfortable than before, but less tossable and fun.
Though it posts faster lap times and dials in corners with surgical precision, this M2 feels more numb.
Stout brakes never faded during our test drives on the track or street. That’s because huge 6-piston front calipers grab 15.0-inch rotors with single-piston calipers that clamp down on 14.6-inch rotors in the back.
The evolutionary design might seem unfinished. The box flares read like old-school cues, and blunt front and rear ends bookend the coupe. The squared-off kidney grilles, specific to the M2, don’t look too obnoxious.
2024 BMW M2
Inside the M2 adds more tech, which was something we wanted less of in the last M2, with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster paired with a 10.3-inch touchscreen under a single panel of glass. The standard front chairs get a lot right, but the optional carbon-fiber buckets have maybe too much padding, especially around the very pronounced side bolsters.
At $63,195 the BMW M2 reassures drivers no matter whether they’re on a daily route or a spectacular weekend run. But does bigger and faster equal better? Is it the Best Car To Buy 2024? Check back on Jan. 3 when we reveal the winner, along with the champs from our sister sites, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports.
