The BMW M2 Is MotorTrend’s 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year

Car enthusiasts can be a passionate, fickle bunch. Some demand manual transmissions and then don’t buy them, preferring the convenience of an automatic for daily use. Some ask for rear-drive coupes, only to moan about a lack of space for passengers. Some want more power, but not if it means bigger gas bills. Some want affordable, stylish sports cars only to debate design cues on Instagram or TikTok. Yes, we enthusiasts are nitpickers. Complainers. Difficult. Passionate. Informed. Excitable. We know what we want out of a performance car, and we’re sure to let everyone know it.

Our 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year should satisfy them all. It has a powerful yet efficient twin-turbo engine, a standard manual transmission or no-cost automatic, room for four (and their things), and world-beating performance at a bargain price for the segment. No vehicle is more deserving of being named our latest Performance Vehicle of the Year than the BMW M2—it’s quite literally everything enthusiasts say they want out of a sports car.

However, you might be a little confused. You’re no doubt aware the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, like the M2, was a PVOTY finalist this year. Yet just a few months ago the Dark Horse beat the M2 in a comparison test. What gives? Well, this isn’t a comparison test. Each contender is instead competing against our criteria: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Performance of Intended Function, Value, Efficiency, and Driver Confidence and Engagement. And each vehicle is assessed against those criteria by a full team of judges. As you’ll soon see, the BMW M2 not only exceeded the standards in its base form better than the fully loaded top-spec Mustang did, but it also better surpassed its benchmarks than a field containing everything from the Mazda Miata to the half-million-dollar Ferrari 296 GTB.

2024 PVOTY: Finalists | Contenders | Behind the Scenes

See All 41 Photos41

Design and Engineering

Looking at our past two winners—the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3, the former with its exotic mid-mounted flat-plane-crank V-8 and the latter its graceful swan-neck spoiler and aero galore—the BMW M2 might look, well, pedestrian. Its classic-leaning design, penned in the company’s Mexico City studio, successfully pays homage to the legendary 2002 in a somewhat blockier contemporary format laid atop some seriously smart engineering underneath the skin.

It all starts with its platform. Moving to BMW’s modular CLAR architecture for the car’s G87 iteration, the M2 team leaned heavily on the work already done for the larger M3 and M4. Taking advantage of the added structural enhancements in the existing M4, BMW’s engineers then cleaved 4.3 inches from its wheelbase while leaving track width intact, resulting in a car slightly larger than its predecessor but nearly a foot stubbier than its bigger sibling. This gives the car better straight-line stability, ride comfort, and interior space while still retaining the point-and-squirt feel so beloved in the previous M2 and the 1M before it.

Chassis tuning was carried out through liberal use of off-the-shelf parts. The M2 borrowed the M3 and M4’s variable ratio electric power steering system and a version of their electronically adapting suspension, consisting of slightly firmer front springs and a softer rear suspension tune, thanks to dampers borrowed from the 3 Series Touring station wagon.

The hardware also includes an engine from the M3/M4. Powered by an almost certainly underrated 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6, the M2 has 453 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, up 9 horsepower from the rip-snorting top-of-the-line previous-generation M2 CS and down 20 ponies to the M4 for no other reason than model hierarchy. That engine drives an active rear differential through an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. Those willing to wait a few months will find the lightly refreshed 2025 M2 boosts output to an M4-matching 473, while torque on automatics rises to 443 lb-ft.

No matter the transmission, the new M2 is quicker than both the old M2 CS and the current M4, with the automatic M2 ripping from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and through the quarter mile in 11.8 at 120.2 mph, while the manual trails slightly behind at an impressive 3.8 seconds and 12.2 at 118.7. Figure-eight times are equally remarkable, the auto lapping the course in just 23.2 seconds while averaging 0.89 g.

As is the case with most modern vehicles, software engineering was of utmost importance, too. Like the other M cars, the M2 feels infinitely customizable. It features 10 traction control settings, three stability control modes, and three transmission firmness options for the automatic (or on/off for the auto rev-matching feature with the manual), plus adjustable steering, suspension, powertrain response, and more.

Aside from the standard array of drive modes, two custom modes can be programed to the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel. Option paralysis is a real concern with so much adjustability, but the system is surprisingly intuitive—so much so we quickly programed the two modes to our liking (with one dedicated for twisty roads and the other track driving) and forgot about it. “The differences between all the settings, while perceptible, isn’t massive,” executive editor Mac Morrison said. “That tells me the M2 is tuned appropriately.”

The M2’s brakes are also a product of software engineering. The by-wire system, which actuates six-piston 15-inch front and single-piston 14.6-inch floating calipers in back, is an easy item to screw up in a performance car (as evidenced by some of this year’s contending field), but BMW managed to nail feel in both the default Comfort and Sport settings.

BMW’s software-controlled rear diff is also a revelation. Incorporated into a signal path with the engine management system, it responds faster, more transparently, and less often than it would if it used a more conventional closed-loop system. The result in the real world is more fun. “I love the little drift the rear diff lets you get coming out of a corner,” features editor Scott Evans said. “It holds it so neatly you don’t need to correct it, so ride it out and enjoy it.”

These parts-sharing windfalls not only resulted in a car that performs like a scaled-down M3 but also led to some direct consumer benefits.

See All 41 Photos41

Performance of Intended Function, Driver Confidence and Engagement

Of course, BMW’s clever engineering and faux throwback design would be for naught if the M2 didn’t drive well. Thankfully, it more than succeeds in that area.

“If one vehicle proves BMW can turn the page on its techno-overload, heavy-control-weight dark years, the M2 is it,” deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa said. “There is a lightness to the M2’s moves, with the steering, throttle, suspension, and brakes responding to inputs with the same supple eagerness. It reminds me of the old BMW, when there were no drive modes at all, just a single, well-thought-out setup.”

No matter whether we were on track or on the road, judges found the M2 singularly enjoyable. Its torque-rich, quick-revving twin-turbo inline-six is buttery smooth, performing like a much more powerful naturally aspirated mill. The M2 is “a wild experience,” Morrison said. “When you step on the gas, the M2 strains against itself. It wants to spin its tires. It wants to drift. It wants to go sideways if you want to go sideways. It’s a German turbocharged high-powered front-engine, rear-wheel-drive hot rod that pulls more aggressively than a lot of cars.”

In an era of disappearing manual transmissions, the M2’s didn’t go unappreciated. The 3.0-liter’s rich torque and strong power allows for a wide gear ratio spread, allowing drivers to worry less about gear selection for corners on track while also providing gobs of passing power out in the real world. When shifted, it offers BMW’s typical direct yet rubbery feel, as well as higher clutch engagement than other brands’ performance cars; that said, we always found it easy to slot the shifter home into the correct gear and execute a heel-and-toe downshift. The automatic is similarly great, with dual-clutch-quick shifts and a penchant for always being in the right gear.

The Bimmer’s sublime steering and chassis control also play a large part in how much fun the M2 is to drive. Its helm is quick, talkative, and well-weighted no matter the drive mode, and the suspension is firm while still allowing for a hint of body roll, ensuring the driver always knows where they stand in the friction circle. Like all great driver’s cars, there’s a remarkable approachability to this BMW; you can hop in, push to your limits, and keep unwrapping layers as person and machine become one.

The magic doesn’t fade on public roads, either. “The M2 is just as playfully unhinged on the street as it is on the track,” Evans said. “You can drive the absolute piss out of it and have a wonderful time but then dial it back and drive like a grandma to the grocery store.” For a true coupe, the M2 is surprisingly practical. Although most judges would skip the optional carbon bucket seats up front, the cabin is otherwise richly appointed, comfortable, quiet, and modern.

The two-place back seat is also human-friendly, with USB ports, air conditioning vents, cupholders, and enough head- and legroom we wouldn’t hesitate to put all but the tallest adults back there for short trips. The trunk is large for the class, too, and unlike many competitors, features a pass-through for longer items. “The lack of compromises from this car is just staggering,” Stoklosa said. “Given its rip-roaring performance, how fun it is on a track, the way it eats up commuting miles, its practicality for a two-door coupe, and its sheer value, it’s mind-blowing.”

Efficiency, Value, and Verdict

You might find its $64,195 starting price a bit rich to be considered a good value, but if you zoom out, it becomes obvious. This bare-bones base M2 not only comes standard with all the performance goodies but also has a modern infotainment suite and premium audio system, heated leather seats, and a sunroof. You genuinely needn’t raid the options sheet unless you simply must have a carbon-fiber roof, bucket seats, or a head-up display. That’s wildly cheaper than any direct competition. An equivalent Chevrolet Corvette Z51 or Mustang Dark Horse would sticker for at least $10,000 more than the M2’s starting price, while a comparable Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 costs tens of thousands more. As great as those cars are, none comes close to the BMW’s blend of performance and practicality. And don’t forget—this is all with the base M2. A more powerful M2 Competition isn’t far down the line.

It’s similarly tough to match the M2’s relatively wallet-friendly fuel economy. The manual scores an EPA-rated 16/24/19 mpg city/highway/combined, with the auto dropping a single mpg on the highway.

Ultimately, the 2024 BMW M2 is everything enthusiasts say they want. Small, well-balanced, engaging, and just plain fun whether you’re at Road America or on America’s roads. It’s a serious performance car yet one that requires little to no compromises. It’s quite possibly the best BMW M car developed in the 21st century. All of which makes it our 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year.