BMW M2 – engine, gearbox and technical highlights

The M2 is built on a shortened variation of the current 4-series platform, with the same track width and suspension architecture as the M3 and M4 and S58 3-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine. In the M3 and M4 Competition it produces 503bhp (at 6250rpm) and 479lb ft (between 2750 and 5500rpm), in the M2 a not-exactly-paltry 454bhp (at 6250rpm) and 406lb ft (between 2650 until 5870rpm). 

An eight-speed ZF torque-convertor auto is fitted as standard, with the six-speed manual an option in the UK (albeit for a cheeky £1235). With a wheelbase shortened by 110mm, it’s a sawn-off shottie version of an M4. 

The wheelbase is still a touch longer than that of the previous F87 M2 (it’s a smidge larger in every dimension than before), but it’s still a compact car by modern standards – and a tricky one for rear passengers to clamber into and out of if they are on the tall side. UK cars get a carbonfibre roof (an option in other markets), which lops 6kg off the kerb weight although it’s still relatively porky for a small, two-wheel-drive car, however, quoted at 1700kg with the manual gearbox and 1725kg if you stick with the auto.

Adaptive dampers are standard and evolved from the units fitted to the M3 Touring. These work with stiffer front and softer rear spring rates than the M3/4 to account for the M2’s shorter wheelbase, difference in kerb weight and weight distribution, along with bigger 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels than the last M2. Optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres improve on the M2’s track credentials, and torque is transferred to the rear wheels alone via an electronically-controlled limited-slip diff. Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4 S tyres are the standard fit.