The new generation of BMW’s baby sports car, the M2, has been launched in India and there’s something special about it. It is the first offering from the brand in our market with a manual gearbox and it is also the last time that we’re seeing a car from the M brand with an engine. From now on, all M cars will come as electric models. This compact two-door, four-seater high-performance sports car will be imported in the country.
Design
The new M2 comes with a retro look which merges well with its performance character. The M Frameless kidney grill showcasing horizontal bars stands out while the elements of M-typical three-section lower air intake have almost rectangular contours which help optimise cooling of powertrain components and brakes. The Adaptive headlight units are positioned to the outer edges of the front end while you also get optional M Shadow Line lights which offer a dark tint around the headlamps. Flared side skirts and muscular wheel arches are inspired by racing cars while two pairs of exhaust tailpipes are another M speciality. M Carbon Roof and Red brake Calipers are optional and you get 19-inch wheels on the front and 20-inch ones on the rear.
Interiors
The cockpit has a driver-centric design and the now familiar BMW Curved Display featuring a 12.3” Digital Instrument Cluster and 14.9” Central Information Display finds a place here too. The standard M Sport seats come with electrical adjustment and get pronounced bolsters and contour lines around the backrest and head restraint in BMW M GmbH colours. You also get seat heating with lumbar support for the front occupants. Also available are M Seat belts with a woven stripe pattern in BMW M colours. Sliding into the rear row of this 2-door car is easy and the seat can also be folded down in 40:20:40 split. The car offers 390 litres of boot space.
Engine
The new BMW M2 runs on a twin-turbo six-cylinder in-line petrol engine which generates maximum output of 453 hp and peak torque of 550 Nm at 2,650 – 5,870. The car can achieve 0-100 kmph acceleration in just 4.1 seconds, when paired with automatic transmission and 4.3 seconds, when paired with the manual transmission. The M Driver’s Package, increases the car’s electronically limited top speed from 250 km/h to 285 km/h.
The M2 gets an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission while the six-speed manual gearbox can be chosen as an option. There’s also a Gear Shift Assistant which uses engagement speed control to ensure slip-free operation when downshifting under braking into corners.You can also choose between different drive modes which alter the character of the engine, steering and suspension. The car is equipped with Adaptive M-Specific Suspension, M Sport Differential and M high performance compound brakes. The exhaust system comes with an innovative flap concept while you also get a distinctive BMW M sound across the entire rev range.
Safety
The new M2 comes with head and side airbags for driver and front passenger as well as head airbags for rear seats as standard. Additional standard equipment includes Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Automatic Stability Control (ASC), M Dynamic Mode (MDM), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Dry Braking function and Active M Differential. The car also gets standard Driver Assistance Systems like Cruise Control, the Attentiveness Assistant and Reverse Assistant. Parking Assistant Professional with Surround View Camera, Drive Recorder and remote parking via smartphone are available as options.
Price
The all-new BMW M2 is available an ex-showroom price of Rs 98 lakh. For the manual gearbox you’ll need to shell out an additional Rs. 1 lakh. The car is available in Alpine White, M Zandvoort Blue, Brooklyn Grey, Black Sapphire and Toronto Red colour options. The range of upholstery combinations includes the standard Leather Vernasca Black and Leather Vernasca Cognac.
The author is a Senior Editor at carandbike.com.