2022 BMW M2

BMW M2 2022 Review

The existence of the BMW M2 is a peculiarity among BMW’s high performance products, because it follows on from something that nobody ever expected to really work. We’re talking about the hallowed BMW 1M – which to this day doesn’t transact for less than its original selling price, even after so many years. The BMW 1M was something that the Bavarian brand decided to take a chance on; it was the definition of a parts-bin special, with a variety of components from different BMW products in the past.

It proved to be a massive success, regarded as a return to form for BMW M as their products had become so much larger and more complex with every generation that the simplicity of the original M car had been somewhat lost. You see it today: the BMW M3 and M4 are now all-wheel drive, turbocharged high performance cars that weigh north of 1,600 kilograms. The 1M was the antidote to all of this, and the problems came when BMW wanted to produce a successor.

The reason the M2 isn’t named the 1M is because between the two generations, BMW decided to rename their 1 Series Coupe as the 2 Series – hence the M2. When it was first launched, the BMW M2 proved to be a very lacklustre product – more like a high performance 2 Series than anything really as special as the 1M was. It lacked the outright wow factor and as a result it was disregarded in many ways.

Over the year BMW decided to revise and update the M2 with a number of special variants – the most potent of which being the BMW M2 Competition. There is an important reason that this product may have been the saving grace for the BMW M2, and we’ll go into this in more detail later on. As it stands now, the Competition variant is the only version of the BMW M2 available in Malaysia.

BMW M2 2022 Specifications

When the BMW M2 was first introduced to the world, there was a very small disappointment with its engineering and construction: it didn’t come with a full-fat BMW M engine. This is slightly ironic as the success of the BMW 1M was in vein of it having a slightly fettled turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol engine found in cars like the BMW 335i and 535i – and it too wasn’t designated as a specific M engine.

In the case of the BMW M2, this also meant that it just wasn’t as interesting from a powertrain standpoint – especially as the M3 and M4 had gone to a turbocharged 3.0-litre engine that WAS developed by BMW M. We talk about this particular point because the Competition variant of the BMW M2 addressed this mistake, and it is powered by the M variant of the engine that everyone hoped it would be packaged with. Outputs stand at 405 hp and 550 Nm of torque, a significant bump over the regular M2.

In Malaysia, you can thankfully get your BMW M2 Competition with either a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission, or a six-speed manual if you ask them really nicely. The performance metrics between the two are 4.2 seconds to 100 km/h with the dual-clutch box, and 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h with the manual. Both variants have an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

As is the case with all BMW M cars, there’s a clever electronically actuated limited slip differential at the rear that shuffles power between the rear wheels cleverly in order to maximize traction when you need it. It also happens to allow you to maintain or increase speed when you’re in a drift, which can be a bit of a surreal feeling.

BMW M2 2022 Exterior

For the most part, the BMW M2 Competition has blacked out accents as part of the Shadow Line package that car is equipped with here – even down to the exhaust tips. This is a sportier look for the car and makes more sense than decking it out in chrome. At each corner sits a 19-inch double-spoke light alloy wheel, with the fronts wearing 245 mm wide tyres and the rear wearing 265 mm wide tires. It’s also distinguished from the regular 2 Series (now phased out) by more aggressive body styling, with pumped out fenders that provide a sense of muscularity reserved for BMW M products.

BMW M2 2022 Interior

The inside of the BMW M2 is fairly regular performance BMW fare, with figure-hugging bucket seats and Alcantara on everything. It also happens to be the last of the BMW M products to still have a standard dual-dial setup for the instrument cluster rather than a complete LCD screen. The infotainment head unit isn’t the largest piece, though it is large enough to show you all the information you need to see and control the entertainment element.

BMW M2 2022 Safety Features

There is no word on whether the BMW M2 Competition gets the updated safety package that other BMW products received in 2021, especially as it hails from a product line and core chassis that has ended production. Even so, it’s got your usual assortment of driver aids like a well calibrated stability control system for good precision when sending it sideways.

BMW M2 2022 Strengths & Weakness

There are lot of things to love about the BMW M2, especially in its competition guise. It’s the smallest, most compact BMW M product with a hefty amount of power, and a very nimble and agile chassis despite weighing over 1,600 kilograms (a surprising figure). It manages to do what a BMW M car should, and there’s a simplicity to the fact that it’s only available in a rear-wheel drive configuration rather than other BMW M products that are all-wheel drive (save for the odd exception and switchable all-wheel drive).

Unfortunately, being the smallest BMW product also means that there just isn’t a lot of space available. The 2 Series platform on which it is based was not known for having a lot of room, barely being able to let front occupants stretch their legs comfortably, let alone really having a pair of rear occupants. Small exterior dimensions mean even narrower interior dimensions – so this turns the BMW M2 into something that may not intentionally be purpose built, but certainly feels that way.

BMW M2 2022 Price

Getting into BMW M2 ownership is definitely not cheap, especially as your only choice is the Competition variant. Here you will be looking to spend RM 587,256.69 with the current sales tax exemptions, but if you want to opt for the extended warranty and service package that figure bumps up to RM 608,866.69. That being said, there aren’t exactly very many options or rivals for the BMW M2 Competition, which means that it can function and flourish in a class of its own for the most part.

BMW M2 2022 Features

Besides cool items like a valved exhaust system, there isn’t a whole lot in the way of outright features for the BMW M2 Competition – but that’s also understandable as additional features would bump up the already hefty kerb weight and add complexity that just isn’t necessary for this particular application and the variety of uses cases. Smartphone connectivity is all you really need to have.

BMW M2 2022 Fuel Consumption

The manufacturer quoted fuel consumption figure for the BMW M2 Competition comes in at a combined 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres, which works out to 10.2 kilometres per litre – this in particular being for the dual-clutch transmission option as standard. This isn’t a very good figure by any modern standard, and it gets particularly worse if you drive the BMW M2 Competition aggressively.