2021 BMW M2

In the US, the 2021 BMW M2 Competition has a starting price of $58,900 for the base six-speed manual before any options are added. This price excludes tax, licensing, registration, and a destination/handling charge of $995. Opting for the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission adds a further $2,900 to the base price. With this option and all other extras added to the spec sheet, a fully loaded M2 Competition will carry an MSRP of $68,095, including destination. At the starting price of the BMW M2, you could also drive off in a base Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Coupe and, for just a little more, a base Porsche 718 Cayman. In other configurations, the Cayman is just as quick but far pricier.

The BMW M2 Competition shares similar steering characteristics to some other M products in the marque's range, which is both a good and bad thing. On the plus side, the electric steering is both fast and accurate, and with loads of lateral grip, the M2 can carry high speeds through the corners with confidence. The active M differential works together with the coupe's compact size to engender a sense of agility and a chuckable persona that reminds one of earlier (and smaller) M3s. However, unlike those M3s, the M2 doesn't communicate much through the steering wheel rim. It's about the only significant black mark against the M2 as a high-performance coupe.

The firm suspension transmits surface imperfections into the cabin more readily than some will be prepared to live with, but we can forgive the M2 for this considering what it is. Besides, there's always the M240i for customers who want nearly as much performance but with a more soft-natured approach. M Sport brakes (with six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers at the back) provide good feel and strong stopping power.

Any new car is only as good or as bad as the purpose for which it was designed. So, while the M2 falls short in terms of comfort, practicality, and even luxury, these aspects will matter less to the buyer seeking a fast, agile, and exciting driving tool. In that respect, the BMW M2 is magnificent. Over the years, the M2 has been improved and gained more power to the point that one has to question whether spending the extra money on the M4 is really necessary. Like many cars that evolve during the course of a single life cycle, the M2 is better than it has ever been, and its appeal has not been diminished despite it being up for replacement imminently. As rivals go, the Porsche Cayman is even more adept dynamically but lacks the firepower of the M2 at the same price, while the Audi TT RS is faster but not necessarily more fun. The smallest M car remains the purest modern-day interpretation of BMW Motorsport, and we can only hope that its spirit lives on in its successor.

The BMW M2 doesn't need any options to feel like a properly sorted sports coupe, so we're tempted to go for the base manual and perhaps tick the box for metallic paint, but that's about it. The M Driver's Package may raise the top speed, but how often will you be able to use that legally and safely? Depending on your preferred driving style, you may hanker after the excellent dual-clutch gearbox, which has its own appeal. For most, the base model M2 is all you'll need.

At the time of writing, not every detail about the all-new, second-generation M4 had yet been confirmed, but it should be a bruiser of note. In Competition spec, it'll crank out 510 horsepower from the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six engine that powers the X3 M and the X4 M, so it will likely be significantly quicker than the M2 Competition by comparison. The new M4 will come with all-wheel drive as well, setting it apart from the RWD-only M2. This may not be what purists want to hear, but it'll make the M4 more effective at covering ground in different conditions. Inside, the M4 should be a significant step up in quality and technology over the current M2 if the regular 4 Series is anything to go by. On a less flattering note, that giant M4 grille may never attain the universal appeal of the M2's taut and sporty look. Expected to cost at least $10,000 or so more than the M2, will the new M4 be worth the extra money? We'll let you know as soon as we get behind the wheel.

奥迪新更新的RS3将烹饪once more provide a more practical alternative to the M2, although we don't know exactly when it will arrive yet. However, the 2020 edition is equally up to the challenge of rivaling the M2 Competition. With an extra pair of doors, the RS3 sedan is the more versatile option, although it possibly doesn't have the same youthful appeal as the M2 coupe. There's nothing wrong with what's under the hood, though: a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo producing 394 hp. Considering that the 2020 RS3 already does 0-60 mph in under four seconds, it's the faster car here, no doubt benefitting from that quattro all-wheel-drive system. Our reviews of the RS3 reveal that it already has the BMW beaten for interior style and quality, so the upcoming new RS3 should be even better. That said, when it comes to pure theatre, the M2 Competition remains our pick between these two.