Car enthusiasts have had a long wait for BMW’s next generation model. But that patience is finally rewarded with the 2016 M2 Coupé, the M version (denoting the brand’s coveted high-performance vehicles) of the German automaker’s 2 Series. The M2 is compact, sleek, sporty, and built for tight maneuvering around turns. Yet unlike the M3 and M4, which offer high velocity, BMW’s M2 appears to be a hybrid for speed seekers as well as casual drivers.
The new car comes with two gear options: a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The standard elements of a great motorsport car are there: a 365-horsepower inline-six turbo engine; twin tailpipe exhaust; BMW’s classic kidney-shaped grille with double slats, which fans will recognize from other M vehicles; and a sharp rear spoiler. What’s more, the M2’s powerful engine can zip from zero to sixty in 4.1 seconds. Of course, the M2 is fast—very fast—but as BMW notes, “The maximum speed is electronically limited to 155 miles per hour.”
Several key moves were made by BMW in designing the M2. To accommodate the car’s 19-inch, aluminum-forged rims, for instance, bodywork extensions were made to the front and rear of the car. The car’s interior was smartly redesigned, from the leather steering wheel to the polar blue stitching on the black leather sport seats, which feature the trademark “M” embossed logo. Speculation about the price of this new car has flitted online forums since the fall, with most sources stating the 2016 BMW M2 will start at just under $52,000.
