BMW’s M engineers have an entertaining job. They regularly get to take vehicles known for their sportiness and crank the fun factor to 11. Each vehicle that comes out of the division not only faster but also more focused and engaging than the production model it was derived from.
Their latest creation is the M2 Competition. Based on the M2 (already a juiced-up variant of the 2-Series), this coupe has received some significant alteration both under the hood and in the styling department.
So, how do you make a quick car even quicker? For the M2 Competition, the engineers used an age-old technique borrowed from the hot-rodders: they grabbed one of the most powerful engines they had in-house and stuffed it into the engine bay.
The coupe is now powered by BMW’s excellent S55 twin-turbo straight-six power plant, an engine that can also be found in the larger M3. It gives the power of 405 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque directly to the pilot’s right foot. With the DCT transmission, this equates to a 0-100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds. The standard six-speed manual transmission will get you to the same speed a little slower, but it will maximize involvement. Your choice.
To feed this new engine with enough cold air, the car’s front end had to be redesigned. BMW’s iconic kidney grilles are larger, and the lower bumper now features rectangular openings that channel fresh air to the multiple radiators.
To fit such a big engine into the smaller bay, much had to be changed: the M2 features unique bracings, a different intake tract and redesigned cooling ducts.
The suspension was also tweaked for the new engines, and the car’s ESP system now permits a little more angle from the car before intervening. If you’d like to pitch the car into a drift (in a controlled environment, obviously), the electronically controlled locking differential will assist.
The rest of the car is standard M2, including the coupe’s black leather interior and infotainment system. Reviews for the original M2 hailed it as one of the best performance cars of the decade; now with this new arrival, the iconic coupe from BMW has been one-upped… by another version of itself.
