We drove the 2023 BMW M2 in April this year and found it to be a smaller and more agile version of the M4 – for better or worse. While the spirit of its predecessor is almost gone – the new M2 is more powerful and significantly heavier – the hot hatch is mighty fast. There’s no better way to prove that statement than a video showing the car at an unrestricted section on the German highway.
The folks over at AutoTopNL recently had the chance to test the M2 with internal code G87. The team is focused on pushing all kinds of production and modified cars to their limits on the Autobahn and see what their actual top speed is. In the case of the 2023 M2, it is in a completely stock form, which means the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine under the hood has 456 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. To put these numbers into perspective, that’s 48 hp more than the previous M2 Competition and 8 hp more than the most powerful M2 CS.
However, we know from a recent video that the actual output of the new M2 is above those advertised numbers. The straight-six motor generated 465 hp and 412 lb-ft of torque on the dyno and it seems that BMW is playing it safe with the top speed numbers as well. As standard, the car is electronically limited to 155 miles per hour, and optionally, you can unlock it to 177 mph. However, the Zandvoort Blue M2 featured in the video attached at the top of this page hits 180 mph, which is obviously a bit more than what BMW claims.
Impressed by what you see in the video? The 2023 M2 is surely one of the most capable sports cars on the market today. But that comes with a price to match its capabilities – the entry point is at $63,195 and our test car from April this year was just over $72,000. At that price, you can even buy a decently equipped Porsche 718 Boxster.
If you want even more power in the M2, fear not. BMW is currently working on a CS version of the sports coupe, which is believed to have around 520 hp. Alternatively, AC Schnitzer’s modified variant will have a more aggressive aero package and around 500 hp. An M2 Competition doesn’t seem to be in the cards, though.
