Poised to launch in the first half of 2023 is BMW’s next-gen iteration of its famed, segment-leading M2. The final M series production car to be outfitted with an internal combustion engine, the 2023 M2 has already managed to tick a lot of enthusiasts’ boxes, despite criticism surrounding its new horizontal grille-heavy design.
Credit where credit’s due, BMW has clearly listened to some of the feedback from the wider automotive community, especially pertaining to anxieties about the future of traditional performance car oomph. To that end, the 2023 M2 is set to be BMW’s most powerful iteration yet: putting out a mammoth 454bhp and 406lb-ft of torque, courtesy of a truncated, custom-tuned version of the turbocharged in-line six equipped in the larger M3 and M4 series.
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For performance car fanboys, all the other specs will read like pure catnip: the new M2’s engine sends power exclusively via the rear wheels, while transmission can be taken either with the classic six-speed manual gearbox (the only sensible option, if you ask us) or BMW’s “Steptronic” automatic eight-speed.
With everything optioned just right – splurging for the carbon fibre roof and/or carbon bucket seats will bring your kerb weight down an additional 6kg and 10.8kg respectively – BMW claims its entry-level street racer will sprint from 0-100km in 4.3 seconds. An impressive figure considering that this new iteration is still approximately 150kg chunkier than the previous-gen M2 Competition.
That bigger, more muscular stature comes down to BMW’s use of the M4 architecture, bestowing this latest M car with a variety of the former’s signature technologies. Non-exhaustively, these include an electronically locking rear differential; 10-stage traction control; and variable-ratio steering.
Inside the cabin, the 2023 M2 now runs a set of fully digital displays for both the dashboard and instrument cluster. The infotainment system is also suitably M car-y: giving rev heads a number of performance-centric programs that enable customisation of driving dynamic and precise analysis of drift quality (also present in the bigger M3/M4 models).
Local pricing for the 2023 BMW M2 remain unconfirmed at this time, but expect to pay north of $103,000 (plus on-roads) considering the new spec sheet and larger chassis.
