BMW M cars are extremely common in Canada. In fact, our tiny little new car market is one of the largest per-capita consumer of all things “M”. When the M2 was announced a few years ago, immediate comparisons with the 1M were inevitable. The 1 Series “M” took our collective breath away as we’d been waiting a long time for BMW to show us what they were truly made of.
Since then, BMW’s transformed and expanded their M Division to almost everyone’s great pleasure. Doing so created a renewed love for performance-oriented Bimmers but it also diluted what was once sacred. As part of the M expansion, regular BMWs became entitled to M goodies. In other words, the gap between true M cars and the others has narrowed considerably. The question then is, should you buy an M2 or get the M240i?
Read on.
2018 BMW M2 Coupé Black Shadow Edition | Photo: Olivier Delorme
Why you should buy a 2018 BMW M2:
- With 365-horsepower at your disposal, the M2 is exceptionally fast, capable of matching the M4 in the 0-100 km/h sprint thanks to the excellent 7-speed M DCT transmission
- The M2 is the true successor to some of the greatest BMW M cars ever built, namely the E30, E36 and E46
- Dynamically-speaking, the M2’s smaller footprint and lower weight (200 lbs. less than the M4) make it a phenomenal handling road and track car
- At $65,000 base price, it’s roughly $17,000 less expensive than the M4. It’s also much faster and $10,000 cheaper than a Porsche 718 Cayman S
- In my mind and true BMW driving aficionados, the M2 is purchased for the right reasons, unlike the M3 and M4…
2018 BMW M2 Coupé Black Shadow Edition | Photo: Olivier Delorme
Why you should not buy a 2018 BMW M2:
- The M2 is hyper and punishes needlessly. The dampers have little give making regular driving bouncy and generally uncomfortable
- To put it nicely, the BMW M240i is a better car in nearly every conceivable way
- About the M240i: It’s nearly $20k less expensive, less than a ½ second slower to 100 km/h and can be outfitted with AWD
- Unless you intend to seriously track your M2, or store it in the hopes it will appreciate in value like the 1M did, get an M240i
- The M240i
2018 BMW M2 Coupé Black Shadow Edition | Photo: Olivier Delorme
Conclusion:
I can’t possibly rain on the BMW M2. Truth be told, it is an amazing driving machine. As you can plainly see, the BMW M240i is the M2’s greatest foe. This is what I was alluding too when I said that the gap between sanctioned M cars and badged M cars has shrunk.
The single greatest difference between the M2 and the M240i is that the M2 sports the look. The tested M2 was a $74,000 Black Shadow Edition with M DCT which was, as you’ve guessed, completely blacked out. Its stance, gaping mouth and air intakes are terrifying but incredibly well-suited to the M2’s flared hips.
The BMW M2’s other problem is the astoundingly satisfying Audi RS 3. The Audi may not be as sharp at the limit and not offer a manual transmission option but the extra doors, AWD and $8,000 lower price tag (when the M2 is equipped with the M DCT) are convincing arguments against the M2.
