What is it?
On the evidence of the launch event in Spain, the BMW M2 Competition is the BMW M2 we’ve been waiting for. The original model, which you can no longer buy, was always a charming and entertaining sports coupé, but anybody who drove one with any degree of enthusiasm across a cresting or undulating road will know that it wasn't blessed with brilliant body control. There were times when the M2 would frighten the life out of you by apparently trying to unstick its rear tyres from the road surface entirely whenever you popped up over the top of a sharp brow.
It was a handling trait the lBMW arger M3 and BMW M4 that arrived before it were similarly afflicted by, and the reason why the M2 was never quite as rewarding to drive as a Porsche 718 Cayman S. Just as Competition and subsequently CS versions of the M3 and M4 were far better to drive than earlier models, the M2 Competition is a huge step on from the M2.
For this most recent version, the M Division has fitted a front strut brace, retuned the steering map and dropped a handful of rose joints into the rear suspension in a bid to make the car altogether more cohesive and responsive. The spring rates and damper settings (now passive only) have been adjusted too.
Up front, meanwhile, the twin-turbocharged straight six from the M3 and M4 replaces the old single-turbo unit, although it has been detuned to 404bhp and 405lb ft for this installation. The new motor contributes to a 55kg weight increase, which means at 1625kg the M2 Competition is a good deal heavier than its compact dimensions would have you believe.
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The curse of the S55: power but no glory.
Mark my words. It always happens. The hype, the gushing press....then the reality. That S55 is the most unengaging, 'non-BMW' BMW engine for ages, despite the power. Even the N55 sounds better, a lot better. In 10 years, it'll be the N55 M2, not the lardy Competition (1625kg is hilariously heavy for a 'sports' car) where the smart money will be.
This is now just a tweaked M4 with more weight and still a poorly located rear axle.... that'll be shown up by any 718 Cayman, especially when the 'T' arrives.
Probably quite ok this ride...
...but when I see who drives these M cars, typical 20-30yo eastern-european-turkish-slick-hair-and-beard type of dudes with not much intelligence on their faces, often in pairs (probably latent homosexuals), with loud disgustingly crackling exhausts (really shitty sound), revving the engines from red lights...I just do not want to associate myself with this type of crowd. My gf is from Eastern Europe and she refuses to buy, or have me buy, or drive the M cars, for the same reason. I rather associate myself with old boring rich professional crowd and drive a 911.
Case in point: The famous gold-covered M5, where from? Russia. The owner, a typical low level criminal is being prosecuted for money laundering as we speak.
NoPasaran wrote:
What a load of dribble
Eh?
This has to be a parody ? Surely ?
Dear Editor
Dear editor, what place has racist, homophobic dribble on these pages?
Note to commentators - the more replies like the above, the more chance Autocar will kill offour ability to comment.
For future Troll removal
At the bottom of the page there is a get in touch to click on, there you’ll find the person to mention about People like the him, give whatever handle he is using and which Topic he is commenting on, usually works.
Peter Cavellini wrote:
and you are just extremely annoying, as it has been pointed out numerous times by numerous forumites
boo!
You don't know first thing about real racism.
You don't have any sense of humour either, obviously, but you are very touchy and politically correct, proponent of 1984 approach most likely. And scared.
I have noticed that in exactly the self-proclaimed "democratic" countries with "freedom of speech" the comments are heavily cleaned or comment sections are completely closed. One has to read forums of sites from "undemocratic" boogey-man countries to experience the actual un adulterated freedom of speech.
The same rating as the old version?
An yet it is awarded 4.5 stars by Autocar, exactly the same as the old version!