Want to get behind the wheel of BMW’s most compact ‘M’ car?
Well, you’re in luck, because the utterly head-turning BMW M2 is available to lease - and there are 460 reasons why you’d want one.
Yep, the BMW M2 - first glimpsed last year - has begun accelerating onto UK roads with power of 460 hp, which is a good 90 hp more than the original M2 launched back in 2016.
BMW has this week revealed that prices for the M2 to buy outright begin at £64,890, and you can lease a BMW M2 with Select Car Leasing from £834 per month*.
There are actually a couple of different cars that could be considered as the ‘M2’. There’s a softer version, the BMW M240i xDrive Coupé, which has power of 374 hp and retains the stereotypical modern front grille.
The full fat M2, however, gets more power - the 460 hp mentioned above - as well as an in-your-face, squared-off front end with snarling nostrils and more pronounced side skirts.
The styling might be ‘Marmite’, but from where we’re standing, it instantly marks the M2 out from the rest of the M range, and that’s no bad thing at all.
Acceleration from 0-62 mph goes by in 4.1 seconds, thanks to a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
You can, however, add the optional ‘M Race Track’ package which includes carbon seats and raises the top speed to 177 mph.
You’ll also pay a slight premium for a car with a manual gearbox, rather than the standard eight-speed auto box.
A lightweight carbon fibre roof comes as standard, as does a rigid crankcase, forged crankshaft, friction-optimised cylinder bores, and a 3D printed cylinder head core.
There’s also an M exhaust to keep things LOUD, as well as standard-fit M Traction Control and M suspension to make sure you stay rubber-side down on the track.
The cabin comes complete with a curved infotainment touchscreen, ambient lighting, three-zone climate control, a premium sound system from Harman Kardon, a rear view camera, and a full battery of driver assistance and safety aids including ‘Front Collision Warning with brake intervention’.
A BMW spokesperson tells us: “The two-door machine embodies an unadulterated racing passion that owners can enjoy day in, day out, along with a comprehensive specification ensuring it is as comfortable tackling the city as it is the most demanding race circuits. The advances over the first-generation BMW M2, which became the largest-selling model in the BMW M line-up with almost 60,000 examples sold worldwide, are evident not just from the car’s sharper performance but also its far more extensive standard specification.”
When it comes to rivals, you're looking at the Audi RS3, Mercedes-AMG C-Class Coupe, Porsche 718 Cayman S, and the more affordable Toyota GR Supra.
*Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 22/06/23.
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