A contemporary-day E46 M3 in disguise?

Once you take a look at the modern-day G80 BMW M3 and G82 BMW M4, they’re efficiency powerhouses with out a shred of doubt even when that daring front-end design (sure, the “beaver face” grille) has sparked infinite debate. Over the generations, each vehicles have grown greater, heavier, are filled with extra tech than ever, and within the course of they may have misplaced a little bit of that old-school compact sports-car soul.

It is a path that the majority long-lineage efficiency fashions have adopted, be it the Porsche 911 or the Chevrolet Corvette. The one outlier with out a dimension improve is the Mazda MX-5. If you happen to’re an fanatic who needs one thing from Bavaria, however with extra compact dimensions and purist character, that’s precisely the place the BMW M2 G87 is available in.

As not too long ago famous by Harry Metcalfe of Harry’s Storage, the M2’s dimensions are strikingly near these of the legendary E46 BMW M3. Trying on the numbers, the M2 is 180.3 inches lengthy and 74.3 inches vast, whereas the E46 M3 measures 176.9 inches by 70.1 inches. It’s nonetheless not as compact because the E30 BMW M3 however far smaller than the G82 M4.

The present M2 rides on BMW’s CLAR platform (a shortened model shared with the M3 and M4), giving it the identical observe width as its greater siblings but a tighter wheelbase, which ought to assist it really feel extra alive on twisty roads.

Underneath the hood, the M2 packs BMW’s S58 twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six, the identical fundamental unit used within the M3 and M4 however down-tuned to 453 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque with the six-speed handbook, or 443 pound-feet with the automated. Energy nonetheless goes completely to the rear wheels, precisely how an M automobile ought to be. It will possibly dash from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds with the automated, 4.1 seconds with the handbook, and hit 177 miles per hour if you happen to tick the M Driver’s Bundle.

With Adaptive M suspension, an energetic differential, and large 15-inch entrance brakes, the automobile ought to be razor-sharp on highway or observe. At a curb weight of three,814 kilos, the G87’s 8.07 kilos per horsepower power-to-weight ratio simply outguns the E46’s 10.0 kilos per horsepower.

The E46 is a front-engine, rear-drive masterpiece that purists proceed to carry in excessive regard twenty years on. The usual E46 M3’s S54 3.2-liter unit put out 343 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. It stays a front-engine, rear-drive masterpiece that purists proceed to carry in excessive regard twenty years on. The M3 GTR of the third-gen M3 was the hero automobile of Want for Velocity Most Wished, the poster baby for an entire technology. 

Twenty years on, and the G87 M2 continues to retain that magical formulation, front-engine, rear-drive, and three pedal engagement. However lengthy earlier than the G87 M2 arrived in 2022, one other BMW compact bridged the hole: the BMW 1 Collection M Coupe (the “1M”). Constructed for only a single mannequin yr in 2011, the 1M was BMW’s first actual try and rekindle the analog BMW thrill in a contemporary age. It featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six producing 335 horsepower, a six-speed handbook, and rear-wheel drive solely. 

At 3,296 kilos, its 9.8 kilos per horsepower ratio and quick wheelbase gave it a fame for being wild and twitchy. Solely 6,309 items had been constructed worldwide, with fewer than 800 making it stateside. At this time, clear examples command anyplace between $70,000 and $100,000, typically greater than they price new.

The 1M was a troublesome act to observe, and the previous-generation F87 M2 (2016–2021) carried that torch. It featured a 3.0-litre straight-six producing 370 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque. The stronger model, the M2 CS (F87), packed 444 horsepower from the M4’s S55 engine and weighed simply over 3,400 kilos. Restricted to about 2,200 examples, it’s already buying and selling near $100,000 on the used market.

Each the E46 M3 and G87 M2 additionally spawn extra hardcore variations that push the boundaries of efficiency; nevertheless, neither the E46 M3 CSL nor the G87 M2 CS provide a handbook. The legendary E46 M3 CSL was lighter, sharper, and constructed for the observe, with 355 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, its carbon-fibre building making it an icon. The upcoming 2026 G87 M2 CS follows that very same formulation. Energy will increase to 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque due to refinements within the S58 engine. 

With its mixture of exclusivity, lighter bodywork, and sharper response, the M2 CS will possible stand as probably the most track-focused compact M automobile BMW has ever provided to this point. It additionally reinforces the M2’s position as the ultimate chapter of a purely rear-drive, combustion-powered M automobile that fans can nonetheless get pleasure from earlier than the model transitions to hybrid and electrical drivetrains.Lastly, in contrast to the present M3 and M4, the M2 fortunately continues to retain a extra timeless, regular-sized grille that fans respect. It’s the religious successor to each the E46 M3 and the 1M. So if you happen to’re chasing that basic BMW magic with a splash of nostalgia, the modern-day M2 delivers and it’s all the pieces you liked concerning the E46, reborn for as we speak’s world.

Photos: BMW