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BMW's first generation F87 M2 proved that the Munich marque could still make accessible, thrilling performance models that prioritised rapid response and a uniquely involving driving experience. If you yearn for super sportscars like they used to be, you'll absolutely love it.
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Detailed ratings
Performance Sporting Cars
History
It look BMW's M division a long time to realise that there was a market for smaller models. Those didn't appear until the mid-Nineties, Z3-based M Roadster and Coupe designs launched over twenty years after BMW Motorsport was founded in 1973. And it wasn't until 2011 that the M engineers dropped a straight six engine into a 1 Series Coupe to create the now much-revered 1M Coupe. The spirit of that car was commercialised by the very first F87 M2 in 2015, which went on to become the best-selling M car of all time.
The Munich maker's M division needed this car. Since its turn to turbocharging back in 2011 with the fifth generation M5, its products had become more sophisticated but arguably at the same time, slightly less involving. The company's new generation turbo engines were certainly achieving the target of extra speed with greater efficiency, but they were developing that power so low in the rev range that whole layers of electronics were needed to keep things in check. As a result, in a modern M3, M4 or M5, it was often hard for real enthusiasts to feel quite the sense of satisfaction they'd enjoyed in earlier models.
What was needed was something simpler and more straightforward. Not a stripped-out racer with an inflated collectors-item price but an affordable, everyday-usable entry-level M car able to deliver a dramatic cocktail of speed, drama and driveability. A car, we were told back in 2015, exactly like this F87 M2. Originally, its basic fundamentals weren't actually very different to those of an ordinary M240i of this period, prior to this M2's arrival the flagship model in BMW's ordinary 2 Series Coupe range and a car costing substantially less. Don't worry though. In developing this F87 design, almost every aspect of this M2 was taken apart and lovingly re-fettled for motorsport-minded owners. As a result, it's a bespoke performance road racer, exactly as every M car should be.
Under the bonnet, the straight six got a single turbo, rather than the pair featured by larger M models but the Active M Differential, M Servotronic steering, M Compound braking system and, for those wanting it, the M DCT paddeshift auto transmission all came straight from the pricier, more powerful M3 and M4 twins. Add in to this lighter, more agile package the lightweight M suspension, an M Quad sports exhaust system and grippy, made-to-measure Michelin Sport rubber that BMW included in this F87 and you've a potentially addictive recipe.
In August 2018, BMW upgraded this F87 design to 'Competition' status, which meant a significant change in the engine bay. The original model single turbo 2,975cc N55 straight six was replaced by a 2,963cc S55 straight six with twin turbos, borrowed from the M3 and M4. Power was increased from 365hp two 404hp. An additional top CS version of this model went on sale in the summer of 2020, with extra carbon trimming, aerodynamic additions and an S55 engine upgraded to 444hp. The F87 M2 sold until mid-2023, when it was replaced by the second generation G87 model.
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What you get
An M2 buyer might want to drive a street racer but he or she won't necessarily appreciate extreme degrees of aesthetic excess. Refreshingly, everything you see is there to make the car go faster. Take the flared bodywork at the front, 55mm wider than it would be on a standard 2 Series Coupe of this period in order to accommodate the wider front track needed for the more serious forged aluminium suspension set-up shared with M3 and M4 models of this time. The profile is no less arresting, with sweeping creases, aerodynamic sill extensions and these lovely side grilles, plus the wider track also allows the fitment of big 19-inch M Double-spoke wheels.
At first glance inside, there's little to differentiate the cabin from that of any mainstream M Sport-trimmed 2 Series Coupe, but look a little closer and the changes made become more obvious. The sports seats, the steering wheel and the instrument dials are all unique - and not only because they feature M branding. The low-set Dakota leather-trimmed blue-stitched seats have adjustable side bolsters for greater support through quick corners. The M multi-function nappa leather steering wheel has a thinner rim than is customary on an M car and though it you glimpse a bespoke set of dials with a speedo reaching round to 186mph and a rev counter reading up to 8,000rpm.
Courtesy of the boxy shape, they rear seats are properly usable by a couple of adults, provided that the journey isn't too long. The limiting factor here lies with legroom, though you get 21mm more of that in this M2 than was on offer from the 1 Series M Coupe model it effectively replaced. Out back, there's a 390-litre boot, extendable via a backrest that folds either 60:40 or 40:20:40, depending on spec.
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What to look for
Our owner survey revealed many satisfied users of this 'F87'-series M2 model, but inevitably, there were a few issues reported. We have heard of problems with the electric water pump. And with the older N55 engine, issues can include leaks from the valve cover gaskets, the oil filter housing and oil pan; plus broken charge pipes and coolant overflow hoses that are prone to split. In extreme cases, the fan belt can snap and wrap itself around the crank pulley, creating a terrible oil leak, but that's very rare. Some owners have reported statutory 1st gears with the auto transmission, especially when the car is cold. The oil ideally needs to be changed every 5000 miles, with spark plugs changed every 50,000 miles. We have heard of intermittent horn and indicator malfunctions and problems with the iDrive screen turning black or malfunctioning in colder weather. Sound system amplify failure is also not unknown and the outside temperature sensors have occasionally been known to fail. Otherwise, it's just the usual things with a car like this. Check that it hasn't been thrashed or been in an accident. Check the big alloy rims for scratches. And insist on a fully stamped up service history.
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Replacement parts
[based on a 2019 model M2 Competition ex-vat] Parts prices for an M2 model from this period can be reasonable if you shop around. We trawled around the internet and found these. Front brake discs cost in the £265-£354 bracket; rear discs are in the £218 bracket. A radiator is around £269. Wiper blades are around £8-£10. A tail lamp is in the £190-£227 bracket. A spark plug is around £12. Front brake pads are around £187; rear pads are around £110.
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On the road
On the move, the original model's N55 single turbo 3.0-litre straight six puts out a useful 370bhp and develops up to 500Nm of torque if you exercise the engine's overboost function. Send the revs soaring and 62mph from rest takes just 4.5s in the manual model - or 4.3s in the M DCT automatic variant, which gets Launch Control and a wild 'Smokey Burnout' feature that allows you to indulge in a degree of wheelspin while the car is travelling at low speeds.
You might feel that it's worth stretching your budget to the 404hp M2 Competition model that was introduced in 2018 with its twin turbo S55 version of the straight six. But you'll need a very big budget if you want to stretch to the ultimate F87 model, the CS, which arrived in 2020 with a 444hp version of the S55 engine. Here, the 0-62mph time was reduced fractionally to around 4 seconds. And BMW's M Driver package with standard, meaning a top speed of 174mph.
Whatever kind of F87 M2 you choose, it'll be great through the turns, thanks to a whole package of M Sport engineering. The 'Active M Differential' gets all the torque to the tarmac, minimising wheelspin. Plus, the wide track forged aluminium suspension set-up borrowed from the M4 gives a great combination of supple stability. Add in responsive M Compound brakes, grippy bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport rubber and a brilliantly feelsome M Servotronic steering system and you've all the ingredients for an involving drive. Plus you can adjust steering feel, throttle response, stability control thresholds and, on M DCT models, gearshift timings via 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Sport+' modes using this 'Driving Experience Control' rocker switch by the gearstick. As for efficiency, well the N55 auto model delivers 35.8mpg on the combined cycle and 185g/km of CO2.
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Overall
Driving enthusiasts will often tell you that sportscars aren't what they once were. With four wheel drive and electronic interference rife in modern performance machines, almost anyone can buy such a thing and drive it very fast indeed. So where are the cars you have to master? The ones you have to tame? Where yours are the risks - and yours the rewards? Most manufacturers no longer make them - but BMW does.
With compact dimensions, a reasonably light weight body, explosive power, rear wheel drive and almost-realistic pricing, this F87 M2 satisfies just about every wish on an old-school enthusiast's tick list. And does so in a way that truly re-captures the spirit of original M Power models. If you've tried an M3 or an M4 but came away impressed but just a little under-whelmed, don't give up on this Bavarian brand: just go and drive one of these.
As one writer pointed out, if the M3 is a hunting rifle in its approach to delivering powerful performance, then this car's attitude is more akin to that of a sawn-off shotgun. It might not be pretty but it's pretty darn effective - and something you mess with at your peril. A racecar for the road. Just as every true M car should be.
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