Testing the 2024 BMW M2: perhaps the last M car with a manual transmission | Top Vip News

We are at an interesting crossroads in the high-performance enthusiast car market. From east to west runs the adoption of electric vehicles and a slow reduction in the production of cars with internal combustion engines. From north to south is the progression of ICE horsepower from the factory over the years, and it’s unclear how far it continues from here. Diagonally comes the weakened demand for manual transmissions; Unfortunately this is where they end up.

In the middle of this intersection is the 2024 BMW M2 six-speed manual, hanging its tail outward in a massive controlled slide around the edges, expressing one last hurray as BMW’s latest object of affection for the internal combustion M car.

I recently had the opportunity to pilot BMW’s newest and smallest M car through some of the most fun mountain roads in Southern California, as well as Willow Springs International Raceway’s Streets of Willow circuit. When it comes to quickly figuring out the powertrain and chassis of this type of car, I can’t think of a better pavement combination. This is what makes the latest (and final) generation of the M2 with the six-speed manual transmission a great enthusiast coupe.

Centered inside out

Looks are subjective, especially BMW’s, but I think BMW did a good job on the exterior of the M2. Its kidney grilles, headlights, flared fenders, exhaust tips and wide fenders, especially on the rear quarter panels, are attractive. It’s a muscular little coupe and it definitely lets you know its intentions with its huge air intakes cut into its front end. Behind them is a heat exchanger for your engine’s air-to-water intercooler (more on that in a moment), plus various other forms of water and oil cooling to ensure long-lasting peak performance, on winding roads and tracks. . -during the session. It’s hard to confuse it with a basic Series 2.

Inside, it’s quite spacious for a coupe and has great visibility in all directions. My test car included the $9,900 Carbon package, which gives you comfortable, almost racing-like carbon fiber seats and a stylish carbon roof. I’m 6 feet 3 inches tall, so the lack of sliding glass on top was a blessing and even allowed me to wear a helmet on the track without needing to lean back, a rarity in modern cars. It’s a bit fiddly to slide the seats in and out, and the left leg bolster was pushed in too far, preventing efficient and comfortable clutch action for my lanky frame. However, I suspect that many people wouldn’t have the same problem.

Tech-wise, a crisp 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch touchscreen take up a lot of space. BMW’s iDrive 8 software is easy to use, runs smoothly and has good haptic feedback. The quality of the materials is generally quite good; All the buttons and dials felt substantial, and the Carbon package includes stylish slabs of carbon fiber trim instead of the old, boring piano black plastic that’s all too common on modern performance cars.