New M2 is 454bhp, RWD, pure petrol swansong

Second iteration of compact performance coupé gets M3 hardware and engine plus manual option

- FELIX PAGE

The second-generation BMW M2 Coupé is the final pure-combustion offering from Munich's storied M division, seeing out the era with drastic increases in power, performance and poise compared with its acclaimed predecessor.

Its unveiling rounds off a particularly busy year for BMW's M division, which has celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 with the debuts of the hardcore M4 CSL, the first-ever M3 Touring, the M Hybrid V8 endurance racer, the updated M8 and most recently - the XM SUV, its first plug-in hybrid and only its second-ever bespoke model.

The M2 is what division boss Frank van Meel calls "the entry drug" to the now sprawling line-up of M cars, slotting in below the M3 and M4 to provide BMW once again with a direct rival to Porsche's 718 Cayman and the pricier variants of the Alpine A110.

BMW has described the M2 as a spiritual successor to the legendary 2002 Turbo sports coupé (and more directly the short-lived 1 Series M Coupé).

It also noted that the original model, which bowed out in 2020, quickly became the best-selling car in the M line-up and ultimately racked up 60,000 global sales.

This Mk2 version will be built in Mexico alongside the standard 2 Series Coupé, but it's as far removed from that car as is the M3 from the 3 Series - and, in fact, most of its track-honed drivetrain chassis hardware is lifted from that larger, more powerful saloon.

For now sold exclusively with one engine option and the choice of an automatic or a manual gearbox, the M2 is due to arrive in the UK next May, priced from £61,495making it slightly cheaper than the comparably potent and similarly conceived 718 Cayman GTS.