Don’t think for a second this another superficial upgrade consisting almost entirely of black badges, new rims and bucket seats. BMW claims the M2 competition is a complete reworking of the standard car hence their insistence to drop the ‘pack’ from the name.
If ever a car didn’t need fiddling with it was the M2. It received impeccable reviews from anyone who laid their hands on it when it was released, the last thing this tail happy chappy needed was more poke. However, unlike when the M3/M4 received the competition upgrade, the hardcore version of the M2 gets a new engine. Specifically, the same unit found in the M4; the S55 turbocharged straight six – albeit slightly reined in for obvious diplomatic reasons.
The S55 in the M2 produces marginally less than in the M4/M3, but 404bhp is still a healthy bump up from 364bhp and certainly enough to counteract the 50kg weight deficit. Coupled to a manual box you’ll nail 62mph is 4.4 seconds. With the DCT, that figure falls by a further 0.2 of a second. Stopping power is upgraded to cope with the power increase and the steering and stability control have been reworked as well.
There are of course visual changes too. Most notably is a redesigned front bumper which ironically manages to make the Competition look less serious than its counterpart. The almost cliche scattering of black badges is a must with any ‘hardcore’ version and the M2 Competition is no exception. Other visual enhancements include new mirrors that BMW claim are more aerodynamic as well as a new wheel design that while clearly inspired by the M3/M4 competition rims, do look much better.
