The brand new, first ever 2016 BMW M2 is the smallest offering in the legendary “M” line from folks at the Bavarian Motor Works. Don't be fooled by its small footprint as it's a mighty and marvelous machine. Here are our six takeaways from a wonderful week in the M2.

1. It’s incredibly powerful and precise

Beneath the hood sits an M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine churning out 365 horsepower and 343 lb-ft. of torque through a rear wheel drive system. With a curb weight of close to only 1,600 kg, there’s a ton of power in comparison to the weight.
Over the last few years, the weight on the M series has crept up, and while they’re luxurious vehicles, the power slides when the weight rises. The M2 fixes that problem easily and does the 0-60 mph sprint in only 4.2 seconds in the Double Clutch Automatic Transmission (4.4 via the six speed manual).
Plainly put, this car is incredibly fast. There’s a spec of turbo lag that’s noticeable but that’s just the nature of turbo technology. Straightaways, curves, twists, turns are all pure driving bliss and the 19” wheels keep you secured to the pavement beautifully.
I’ve always felt that BMW’s handling was top notch and through the M2, it’s solidified it for me, hands down.
The $3,900 automatic option gives the driver precise shifts, rev matching, and has a lower point of peak torque, making for a stronger sense of power when coming out of turns and a needed boost for passing situations.
Its near 50-50 weight distribution only adds to an exciting drive quality. And yes, the “fun factor” is off the charts.
However, even if I lose time on the straightaway, I’ll always chose the manual option. There’s an unmatched feeling of truly connecting with a powerful vehicle.

2. It’s absolutely beautiful

While BMW didn’t break the mold when designing the M2, they did sculpt a beautiful “Ultimate Driving Machine” with a combination of sleekness, athletic curves, sexy rims and that gorgeous dual exhaust. The aggressive look suits this small-yet-mighty German offering.
The specially designed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires are low-profile and frame the car elegantly.

3. The interior is tried and true BMW

No big changes to report here. There are some nice accent pieces (blue stitching, a traditional hand brake) and the iDrive system is still easy to navigate and operate. Seating up front is strong, secure, stable and soft while the rear seats are good for a few guitar cases or groceries. 

4. This is the return to the M’s glory days

I touched on it a bit before…the M2 is BMW’s return to glory for their well-storied M performance line.
The brand became slightly diluted with the appearance of “M” badging on most offerings lately. There were “M” packages that were nice add ons via the option sheet but wasn’t anything as explosively powerful as this car. The engineers have really sharpened their pencils in the design throughout the M2 and at $61,000 as a starting price, it’s worth every penny. 

Colleagues in the industry have echoed similar comments about the M2 being the total package as far as a performance vehicle that can be a comfortable daily driver.  The enthusiasts will likely be the biggest customer base, seeing as there’s very little (if anything) to be done to this car and there should be wide showings of these at track days.

5. Fuel Economy

Loading up the M2 with 52 litres of at least 91 octane will get you the following mileage, according to BMW: 11.8 city, 8.8 highway, 10.4 combined for the manual transmission via L/100km.
Manual figures chime in at 12.7 city, 9.2 highway, 11.1 combined for the autobox under the same metric.

6. Safety Features

There are plenty of them included, such as a rear view camera, lane departure warning, approach control warning, and an 8.8” LCD colour screen which eliminates all reasons to squint at the console.

The M Compound Brakes on this car are massive. BMW says “The perforated, ventilated brake discs (front 380 mm, rear 370 mm) with four-piston fixed callipers at the front and two-piston fixed callipers at the rear ensure optimal responsiveness in wet conditions and improve heat dissipation. The Blue metallic brake callipers with the characteristic M logo strongly emphasize the brake discs' sporty appearance and distinct, authentic M design.”

Enjoy the full gallery below: