Rear-wheel drive, a twin-turbo straight-six, and a manual option: why the BMW M2 holds down the purist's end of the M lineup.
The BMW M2 is the high-performance version of the 2 Series and the entry point to the M lineup — the smallest M car, and the successor to the 1 Series M Coupé.[1] Since 2016 its formula has stayed fixed: a compact rear-wheel-drive coupe with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, in a market that keeps drifting toward bigger and heavier.[1]
Two generations, one idea
The F87 (2016–2021) opened with the 365 hp N55, and its Competition and CS variants brought the twin-turbo S55 at 405 to 444 hp.[1] The current G87 (2023–present) adopts the S58 twin-turbo six, making 460 PS at launch and 480 PS after a 2025 refresh.[1] F87s were built in Leipzig, Germany; G87 production moved to San Luis Potosí, Mexico.[1]
By the numbers
The current car produces 454 to 473 hp with 550 N⋅m of torque — 599 N⋅m in 2025 automatic form — through a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic, rear wheels only.[1] At launch the automatic covered 0–100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, and top speed runs to 250 km/h (155 mph), or 285 km/h (177 mph) with the M Driver’s Package.[1] The track-focused M2 CS crowns the range at 523 hp.[1]
Its place in the lineup
The M2 matters because of what it refuses to be. No all-wheel drive, no extra doors — it is the M car closest in spirit to the compact BMWs that built the brand’s reputation. Variants run from the base Coupe through the uprated Competition to the CS with its carbon fiber components, but the core proposition never moves: the most driver-focused, least diluted point of entry into M ownership.[1]
The complete record is on the BMW M2 database page, and current cars for sale are in live M2 inventory.
Sources
- BMW Group PressClub, “The all-new BMW M2”, press.bmwgroup.com. Tier 1
- Car and Driver, BMW M2 model overview, reviews, and specifications, caranddriver.com/bmw/m2.