The new BMW M2 shared the circuit with an eclectic array of cars during a track day organized in Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park located some 62 miles (100 kilometers) from Adelaide. This right-hand-drive G87 fitted with the eight-speed automatic transmission was put through its paces and even managed to pose a real challenge to a fully fledged supercar. An onboard video shows the driver successfully keeping up the pace with a McLaren 570S.
Of course, that’s not to say a front-engined sports car like the baby M is anywhere near as fast as a mid-engine supercar from Woking. For starters, this wasn’t a race per se between the two but the man behind the wheel of the M2 did do a remarkable job to stay in the 570S’ rearview mirror. Someone who drives an ultra-expensive performance machine on a race track will always be more careful than the others since a small mistake can prove to be extremely costly. Consequently, we’re fairly certain the McLaren wasn’t pushed to its full potential.
Inaugurated in 2018, The Bend Motorsport Park was rebranded earlier this year as the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park. It hosts a challenging circuit with multiple configurations available, up to 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers) long. It has received the stamp of approval from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for car racing and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) for motorcycle racing.
The BMW M2 driver was left impressed by the level of grip available, and while the extra weight of the G87 was noticeable, it still felt nimble through the corners. Although the McLaren 570S plays in a superior league, the M2 managed to hold its own and remained on the supercar’s tail throughout the lap. On the straight, it hit a respectable 226 km/h (140 mph).
The rumored xDrive version arriving in 2026 should be even faster around a track, especially taking into consideration it’ll have well over 500 horsepower.
Source: Lamanna Garage / YouTube
