AND BREF
Last M 100% thermal
460 ch
From €81,100
We are in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. With more than 330 days of sunshine per year, it is “the” destination of choice for golfers from all over the world, the city boasting more than 200 places dedicated to this sport. Moreover, it is now a region of refuge for (wealthy) Californians, whom recent climatic episodes have convinced to move to more hospitable skies. Enough sightseeing, let’s get to the attraction of the day. It is no coincidence that we are in the United States. There, the BMW M abound. The USA also represents nearly 20% of global sales of the M2. It is as much as in Germany, once morest 11% in England, the same in China, and 6% in Japan. Additional reason for this localization: the small one is produced alongside the Series 2 Coupe at the factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, almost next to our playground of the day.
Rampant inflation
Within this galaxy M which celebrates its 50 years of existence, this M2 G87 is the Holy Grail, and not only for the unconditional fans of the brand with the propeller. Any enthusiast can be seduced by a compact with a large gasoline engine, and equipped with rear-wheel drive, of course. That said, over the years – like the rest of car production – the M2 mightn’t help but swell. Gone are the days of the 2002 or the 1 Series M Coupé.
With its 4.58 meters long, it is 3 cm longer than the previous generation, and even 6 cm in width. For the weight, it’s even more obvious: 150 kg extra. It should be noted in this regard that certain configurations weigh more than 1,800 kilos when weighed, which might further increase the already murderous ecological penalty! As a result, to further improve performance despite this overweight, it was necessary to beef up the cavalry.
And so, the 3-liter engine taken from the M3-M4 boasts 460 horsepower here, or 90 more than the original version unveiled in 2016! Even the M2 CS of 2019 is outclassed, it which then displayed “only” 450 nags… Anyway, it is urgent to appreciate this object as it should. Because even if it is “off”, the BMW officials present on site have confirmed it to us: this M2 is the last of the lasts. It will have no thermal succession. You will deduce the rest!
Square is the word
We don’t usually dwell on the design aspects. Tastes and colors… But that doesn’t prevent us from having an opinion on this new rather “square” bodywork. The sides, particularly at the rear, evoke those of the mythical M3 E30 of the 80s and 90s. As for the grille, however prominent, it seems very wise compared to the growths of the rear part, in particular the air extractors framing the four exhaust outlets.
And then there are the rims, specific to this model, imposing 19 inch rises at the front, 20 at the rear. Finally, those who find this dress not yet expressive enough can dig into the “M Performances” catalog and opt, for example, for a carbon boot deflector or a Honda Type R-style exhaust outlet… As we wrote above, to each his own!
Well-integrated digital
Inside, the previous generation was often criticized for being a little too wise and not reflecting the exterior dynamism. Here, even if the Germanic seriousness remains in place, it seems to us that the whole is both coherent and well of its time. This is the case with the excellent integration of the curved screen-slab. It is actually two separate parts, one devoted to the digital dashboard (12.3 inches), the second, central, touch-sensitive and nearly 15 inches wide, manages the info system. -entertainment. This is quite similar to recent BMW productions, but, M status obliges, the M2 benefits from additional functions and a more original presentation. Thus, the pilot who slumbers in you will be able – via the “set up” command – to modulate the response of the accelerator or the transmission. Ditto for the suspension, the ESP and even the brake pedal! Not to mention the “M Drift Analyser” and “M Laptimer”, for those who will take their racing car to the circuit. Finally, for the most geeks, know that the OS iDrive 8.0 operating system is equipped with a voice command for many functions such as, for example, navigation, air conditioning and even opening a window! The system offers extensive customization of all these functions with the “My BMW” application as well as the use of an “eSim” and a 5G antenna. Apple, Car Play and other Android Auto can obviously be integrated into this ecosystem.
