New BMW M2 and 2 Series revealed: do you really need an M4?
June 13, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
The BMW M2 has been given a mid-life facelift with new technology and more power.
- New BMW 2 Series and M2 on sale now
- Starts from £36,865 for the 2 Series and £63,360 for the M2
- Very few exterior design changes
- More power for the M2
- Updated interior features
- Infotainment system also upgraded
The BMW M2 has been updated for 2024, with the Audi RS3 alternative getting a bit more power and tweaked styling.
The standard 2 Series has also been updated, and both cars are available to order now.
New BMW M2 and 2 Series price and release date
The new BMW M2 is available to order now, with first deliveries starting in the autumn. Surprisingly for an updated model, it’s actually a few thousand pounds cheaper than the car it replaces. Prices start from £63,360, over £2,500 less than before.
If you don’t want something quite as hardcore as the M2, the standard 2 Series is also available to order now. That car starts from £36,865 for the 220i, rising to £46,045 for the M-light M240i model.
New BMW M2 and 2 Series design
You need to be a pretty big BMW fan to spot the differences between the outgoing BMW M2 and this new one, because the two cars look pretty much identical.
The main visual change comes in the form of some new colour options. You can now have your M2 in bright yellow, as well as green and purple. Beyond this, it looks just as aggressive as before.
The standard 2 Series has also been given some very subtle design changes, including a wider surround on the grille and body-coloured side skirts as opposed to the black ones fitted before. You also get a slightly different rear bumper on the M240i with a marginally bigger diffuser.
New BMW M2 and 2 Series engines and performance
There are more significant changes to be found under the BMW M2’s bonnet. It still has a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, however it now puts out 480hp. That’s 20hp more than before.
Just as before, the M2 is only available with rear-wheel drive – and it’s now the only BMW you can buy with a manual gearbox. When fitted with a third pedal it’ll do 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds, however this comes down to 4.0 seconds with the eight-speed automatic.
That makes it around half a second slower than the new BMW M4, not bad when you consider it’s almost £21,000 cheaper than that car. It’s also 0.4 of a second slower than the all-wheel drive Audi RS3.
As for the standard 2 Series, the engine lineup is exactly the same as before. There are two 2.0-litre petrol to choose from: the 184hp 220i or the 245hp 230i. There are no diesel engines here, nor are there any manual gearbox options.
You can also still get the M240i, an all-wheel drive M-lite version with a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine. It’s over 100hp down on the M2 with 374hp, but that all-wheel drive system means it’ll still do 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds – so it’s only 0.3 of a second slower than the M2 which is over £17,000 more expensive.
New BMW M2 and 2 Series interior and infotainment
Step inside the new BMW M2 and you’ll be hard-pushed to spot the differences compared to the outgoing car. There’s a sporty-looking new steering wheel, and you can get electrically-adjustable M-Sport seats as an option.
You also get new infotainment software with a suite of new features. It has a more intuitive layout which should make it easier to use than before, and it’s more customisable with widgets that you can tailor to your needs.
Optionally you can get a head-up display with augmented reality navigation. This will project your sat nav instructions onto the road ahead so you don’t miss a turn. A self-parking feature also now comes as standard across the range.
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