2023 BMW M2 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Let’s get this right out of the way: the M2's styling is—at best—polarizing. But it does follow in the current BMW design language, which is… well, there doesn’t seem to be much cohesion, except for “different.” Whether it’s the 7 Series, X7, or the M3 and M4, the new trend for BMW is big grilles and chunky, in-your-face styling.

BMW tried this once back in the 2000s with designs by the now-famous (or infamous) Chris Bangle. These designs were like an automotive palate cleanser, forcing BMW and industry rivals to change and evolve. That era in BMW design sent reverberations through the industry that are still being felt today.

A Forbes article had the BMW CEO saying the intent of the new brand-wide styling direction was actually to be controversial. To get people talking about its products. BMW wants its styling to go viral. This is pretty cynical and is a reflection of our modern media landscape and subsequently fleeting attention spans. At least the M2 doesn’t have the giant grille from the M3 or M4. In fact, the refreshingly restrained twin-kidney grille does not have a frame around it, which is one of the first such applications of this detail.

The large front openings and scoops are very motorsport-inspired, and the large fenders are designed to accommodate wider wheels and tires. It all looks both menacing and purposeful in the Brooklyn Grey extra-charge exterior colour ($895). The basic colours are Alpine White and the very-fetching Zandvoort Blue. The other extra-charge colours are Black Sapphire Metallic and Toronto Red Metallic.

The M2 comes with 19-inch front wheels and 20-inch rear wheels. Buyers can get them in either jet black or black-and-silver, which is how our test model came equipped. You can peer through the spokes to see the massive ventilated brake discs and big red M Sport brakes.

From the side profile, it becomes apparent how the M2 coupe has evolved from a plucky, upright two-door daily driver to a low-slung, emotive coupe with a longer nose than the previous model. That evolution has also changed the interior, which is surprisingly comfortable and spacious. There’s a bit of negotiating to get in and out, but more on that later.

Once behind the wheel, you’ll notice BMW Motorsport colours are everywhere, from the inside of the door, to leather seat inserts, to even the seatbelt. Sliding into the driving portion, the hands rise to a perfectly sized steering wheel. BMW has a propensity for big, chunky steering wheels, but this is more of a performance-focused, yet daily-drivable wheel.

Standard features on the M2 include dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, heated front seats, Vernasca leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and a power sunroof. Our test model came with the optional Carbon Package ($13,000) that included plenty of carbon-fibre interior trim, carbon-fibre paddle shifters, and an M Carbon roof, which results in the sunroof being deleted. The final component of the package is the pair of M Carbon bucket seats. Each includes the BMW M colours in the seat inserts and an illuminated “M2” logo beneath the headrest. You’ll want to slide the seats forward just so you can appreciate the single carbon fibre piece (as you likely contemplate a career in motorsport).

The BMW M2 is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine. It produces 453 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. It’s frankly more power than a coupe this size has any right to possess, and it makes for an absolutely, laughably brilliant driving experience. You can’t help but love the whip-crack acceleration that makes the M2 a little turbocharged rocket ship. Power is routed to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching or eight-speed automatic and there’s no cost to choose between one or the other. Independent of how many pedals you choose, an Active M limited-slip differential is standard.

We drove the automatic-equipped model which allows the M2 to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds. While BMW was one of the early brands to adopt propriety shifter designs, the BMW M automatic shifter controls are even different from non-M BMW products. Like the rest of the BMW lineup, you press a “P” button to put it in Park, but to put it in Reverse there’s a dog leg motion up and to the left, like in a manual-equipped car. Once you pull it out of that dog leg it’s in Neutral, and then you click the shifter to the right to put it in Drive. Clicking it to the right again puts it into Manual mode, which can be operated by pushing forward and back on the shift knob or using the terrific steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. All the while, the quad exhaust tips emit a fantastic engine note.

The manual in the previous M2 was brilliant and we would have loved to experience the manual in the latest M2 to compare, but the paddle-shifter setup in this powertrain allowed us to focus on the cornering abilities which this vehicle has in spades. You look in the direction you want to direct the M2, your hands follow, and it’s there. The steering is very well-weighted in Road drive mode and the feedback is light enough. There are also M Sport and Track drive modes, as well as the two M Mode buttons on the steering wheel. These buttons toggle features such as the steering feel, throttle response, shift mapping, braking, and the Adaptive M Suspension.

The M2's precision in cornering and the high speed it can carry through turns is also aided by the M Compound brakes with large calipers, as well as the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, which are great year-round performance tires.

Ultimately, the M2 is for the performance junkie that loves the thrill of the drive above all else. Even in Road mode, the ride is extremely stiff. We don’t recall the previous BMW M2 having such a stiff ride, save for perhaps the M2 Competition or M2 CS. But if you have a bit of the need for speed and still want a relatively compliant driving experience, the M240i is a strong “just-right” contender.

What separates the M2 from other performance cars is its livability. It has comfortable front seats with plenty of headroom and legroom. Even the rear seats can accommodate adults on shorter trips. The power-adjustable front seats have a quick-release handle that flips the seat forward and power-slides it forward. BMW has a helpful function for when the seat slides back—it senses when it reaches the rear-seat passenger’s knees and stops sliding. Your friends will thank you.

The M2 is spacious for a vehicle its size, but it takes a bit of work to get into the cabin. The front bucket seats are extremely bolstered, including a carbon fibre wedge in the centre of the seat to keep your legs in place. For a taller person, getting in can be a bit of a process. You simply can’t slide in; you have to negotiate the carbon fibre wedge.

Once you get settled in, the M2 has a functional cabin, including in-door bottle holders, a usable centre console, and a rear centre-console tray. The trunk provides 396 litres of trunk space. That’s on par with a Honda Civic sedan, which is commendable. The M2 has a 60/40 split-fold rear bench with quick-release handles located in the trunk.

BMW’s iDrive 8 interface is easy to use, especially compared to other luxury infotainment systems. The curved display includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen which blends seamlessly into the 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel. Operators can easily swipe through the touchscreen or use the rotary dial in the centre console. That dial is joined by several navigation buttons, allowing the user to easily jump to Home, Navigation, Radio, Phone, and other major controls. The voice control is also slick and quickly responds to complex commands. And in all of this modern technology, you still have a traditional volume dial in the middle of the dash.

The instrument panel and head-up display appearances change based on the drive mode selected. In more aggressive drive modes, the displays only show critical information so the driver can focus on their racing line.

The touchscreen includes wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, as well as SiriusXM satellite radio, HD radio, and toggles for the available Harman Kardon surround sound audio system. Operating all these functions as well as vehicle settings is easy via the touchscreen’s logical layout.

In short, BMW has added new technology but kept the same level of logic and simplicity found in previous models, making it very easy to step into as a previous owner.

Standard driver assistance features on the BMW M2 include automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. It also comes with traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

The available Premium Package adds adaptive LED headlights. Active cruise control that can stop and go with traffic is available, but only with the automatic transmission.

In addition to all of this safety tech, the M2 has a safety element that is inherent to its design. The tallish greenhouse and normal-sized pillars mean the driver has terrific sight lines at all times.

The manual- and automatic-transmission models get nearly identical fuel economy, but the manual ultimately has the edge. Fuel economy with the six-speed stick-shift is 14.3 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 10.0 on the highway, and 12.4 combined. With the eight-speed gearbox, fuel economy is 14.6 L/100 km city, 10.3 highway, and 12.7 combined. The BMW M2 requires premium fuel.

Base new car manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the 2023 BMW M2 in Canada is $76,500. The biggest single optional item on our U.S.-spec test model was the $13,000 Carbon Package, which adds the carbon fibre roof, interior trim, and bucket sport seats. Adding in the blacked-out exterior elements ($600), Premium Package ($3,100) and other odds and ends, our test model carries a Canadian MSRP of nearly $100,000 including $2,480 in freight and PDI plus other fees. For reference, the base price of a 2023 BMW M3 Competition is $89,500 and a Chevrolet Corvette starts at $78,929. The 2023 Nissan Z is more affordable, but lacks rear seats and about 52 horsepower. If anything, the M2 is a more expensive, more powerful, and more luxurious Toyota GR86. We draw these unique comparisons not only to give perspective, but also because this M car has so few true rivals. And the M240i mid-powered version of the 2 Series Coupe that we previously mentioned is an attractive alternative starting at a pre-fees price of $58,950.

Cars are like a piece of art, a piece of music, or a work of film. Some works are timeless classics that never seem to age. Other pieces are crafted with the intent of moving the medium forward. But whatever the artist’s intent, the second it is shown to the world, its legacy is left to the public to decide. BMW might be trying to set a narrative with its styling, but with the 2023 M2, BMW seemingly created a car that is so good at executing its mission, the automaker is daring you to love it in spite of its face.

Note: Images show a US model.