BMW 2 SERIES COUPE

Updated two-door still offers six cylinders and RWD – but not together

- MURRAY SCULLION

Six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive compact coupés from BMW are things of joy. 3.0 CSL? Wunderbar. E46 M3? Fantastisch. 1 Series M? Ja! But today, BMW makes you spring for a full-fat M2 if you want a new one. The 230i is rear-wheel drive but has only four cylinders, while the six-cylinder M240i is available only with four-wheel drive. You can have a rear-wheel-drive, six-cylinder 8 Series Coupé, but that is enormous.

Does this matter in the wider scheme of things? I suspect to us, reader, it does. Straight sixes are inherently smoother, torquier and more balanced than four-bangers, and they sound good too - and all of this should matter in a BMW.

Yet... The 230i’s engine is smooth, torquey, powerful and sounds pretty good, if a bit muffled. Boot it coming out of a T-junction and there’s enough power to raise the traction control from its slumber and the 0-62mph scamper is over and done in less than six seconds, which is plenty, really, if you're not after a serious sports car.