Beauty And The Beast

What we like:

The power

the performance and the sheer pleasure of the drive… Oh and that sweet M exhaust.

What we dislike:

It is a two-door coupé that only sits four.

When you drive an M, you expect the drive to be nothing short of amazing and the new M2 Competition doesn’t disappoint.

The high-revving turbocharged engine provides outstanding power that’s delivered to 19-inch forged wheels shod with high performance Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres that offer great traction and stability. And typical of that BMW signature aggressive wide stance, they come staggered with the rear wheels just a tad wider than the front.

I found steering on the M2 to be sharp, and the improved chassis felt agile and well-balanced.

The ultra lightweight carbon fibre strut from the BMW M3 and M4 weighs just 1.5kgs, and it is designed to significantly improve the rigidity of the car and its handling.

In the wet, the M2’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) performed well. I took a U-turn in the pouring rain, and I could feel the car momentarily start to lose traction in the slippery conditions, but the DSC kicked in immediately to return stability to the car.

Stopping power is also outstanding with its new and improved M Sport brakes that are now larger (brake pads are 400 mm front and 380 mm in the rear). Matched with 6-piston brake calipers in the front and 4-piston ones in the rear, the M2 sheds speed with confidence.

The M2 Competition has a seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) gearbox that some may find tricky and confusing. While it may look like an auto, the M DCT is not an automatic gearbox. Rather, it is an automated manual transmission. And that’s also why there’s no P position on the gear stick. Turn off the engine in any gear and the car will automatically go into Park.

It does not have a torque converter, and so it doesn’t roll forward when you put the car in D, like what happens in a car with a standard automatic transmission. For those used to a conventional auto gearbox, you may need a little time to acclimatise yourself with the M DCT. To start moving forward, you can’t just take your foot off the brake. You’ll need to step on the gas pedal.

One way to think of the M DCT transmission is that it is like two manual gearboxes rolled into one. And so gear changes happen swiftly as it uses two separate clutches, one for odd gears and the other for even gears. When you are driving with an odd number gear engaged, it gets the next even numbered gear ready for you to quickly and smoothly make the switch with no interruption to the power flow, when the time is right.

Gear changes can be done either in automated mode or manually using the gear stick on the centre console or the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Even in automatic mode, you can adjust the timing of the gearshift with its Drivelogic functionality. So if you're on a track and you want the car to hold its gears longer to keep RPMs high, you can easily adjust the gear change profile.

The BMW M2 Competition is simply outstanding. It may have its drawbacks as a two-door coupé, but therein also lies its appeal. Two-door coupés aren’t practical, but they are certainly more sexy and more sporty. In short, the M2 Competition is a street legal, track-ready car that offers bags of fun.

At S$329,888* (inclusive of GST, COE and 12 months road tax), the M2 Competition is an excellent entry car for those longing to have a full purebred M car.

*All information accurate as at 3 April 2019

Credits: Words by Khim Yap. Photos by Khim Yap and Hanshen Tay