By Chris Tropea
Jun 24, 2024
|
BMW,
Track Test,
M2,
BMW M2,
Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park
Sure, the styling of the new M2 is divisive at best, but is it fast enough to help you forget about what it looks like?
[Is the BMW M2 actually faster than it looks?]
We take one to our official test track, the Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park, to find out.
Presented by CRC Industries.
7/18/23 10:11 a.m.
I'm just hoping the LCI refresh eventually fixes the cosmetic issues. Great car, but not one I lust after. I'd rather have the supra just based on looks. However if you're in the same class, the choice seems clear if you want to win.
7/18/23 11:14 a.m.
Ok, so it kind of looks like a Scion TC with flares. What is the problem again?
7/18/23 12:10 p.m.
Looks like a great car. I don't really like the direction BMW is going but they've been going towards that for years. Would consider an LCI eventually if I don't find other cool cars to play with.
7/18/23 12:12 p.m.
The looks of the M2 really grew on me as I spent some time with it at the track filming this and driving it around town. Regardless of looks the performance on track was impressive.
7/18/23 2:18 p.m.
I just looked at the base price. *gasp*
7/18/23 2:21 p.m.
It's... not great. But it is a lot better than most of their other current offerings.
12/13/23 2:04 p.m.
Fat. Not phat.
3/20/24 3:22 p.m.
I don't understand BMW.
You kind of said it yourself:
The M2 has a disadvantage on paper pretty much everywhere...
It's not good to look at... (it looks a bit better with a lip and spoiler/wing, and it'll probably grow on us all over time.)
If you really want performance, you don't want a big heavy sedan with lackluster suspension geometry and a suboptimal weight balance, a high CG and bad aero.
If you want a practical daily, who really cares about performance more than comfort, economy and usability?
BMW continues to thrive in this weird space where the car is a good, but compromised all-rounder.
Any 20 year old purpose built sports car with a few bolt ons will run circles around it on track.
I don't know who buys these things. You have to have money to burn, but you don't want a second car?
And I don't want to defend the Supra either, but the B58 vs S58 HP difference can easily be nullified (probably until the S58 gets turbo upgrades and lots of boost, where the lower CR and stronger? internals matter)
-and at least the Supra is lighter and more efficient aerodynamically.
3/21/24 8:43 a.m.
I'm starting see more BMW M2s being used for track use. Despite their drawbacks, they're fairly fast out of the box. A few mods make them even faster.
3/21/24 9:55 a.m.
Okay you kind of had me until you got here, because the M2 on track and seriously more than the sum of its parts. The only OEMs we've tested that best it on our track are Corvettes, and the Z51 was only by a half second. Very little about the car makes sense when you look at the performance, because it doesn't seem like it should be capable of doing what it does, but it performs far better than the numbers and layout would suggest.
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