BMW M2 Review

The G87 is the M car that still does the old things. Rear-wheel drive only, a six-speed manual on the order form, and the same S58 twin-turbo straight-six as the M3 detuned to 453 horsepower, in a shell almost eight inches shorter. The result is playful in a way the larger M cars have stopped being, with enough adjustability on the throttle to make a damp roundabout an event. The engine is superb, strong everywhere and happy to rev. What holds it back is the styling, which took the slab-sided flat-arched approach and left the car looking heavier than it is, and the weight itself, because 1,730kg is a lot for something this size.

Fuel economy is unremarkable. Depreciation follows the usual BMW curve, which is to say steep for the first three years before flattening. Servicing is not cheap and the S58 is known for carbon buildup and a fussy cooling system as the miles accumulate. Great to drive, awkward to look at.