2024 BMW M2 Manual

In 2024, BMW still builds a small, rear-drive, manual M car, and it might be the best of them all

The long-awaited second-generation M2 drew criticism before anyone had driven it. Then you drive it, ideally with three pedals, and it wins you over. Here is why, and why the manual gearbox is the one to have.

Origins: born from the parts bin, again

To understand the M2, go back to where it started. The current car shares the ethos of its grandfather, the 1M. In 2010, just after the financial crisis, BMW M realised the M3 had grown large and expensive, and wanted a car closer to the smaller, cheaper M models of old, one that could reach a broader, younger audience.

The 1M was built from the parts bin of the E92 M3, and it worked so well that the car is still celebrated today. That success is why BMW rolled the M2 out to a wider public in the previous generation. Today's car sits on a shortened 3 Series chassis and borrows its drivetrain, wheels and more from the current G82 M4, once again raiding its big brother's parts bin to create something special.

Design: wide, square and unmistakably M

Design is the M2's biggest talking point, and where the arguments about whether it is a real BMW begin. The rear is broad and square, and the three-quarter rear view is beautifully resolved: the Hofmeister kink, the centred quad exhausts and the swollen hips every M car needs. In profile you see where the 3 Series chassis was not shortened, with a long, almost muscle-car bonnet, though we miss a model badge on the front wings behind the wheel.

The front is the most divisive part. The consensus among us is that either the front bumper juts out too far or the other elements were not pushed forward enough, and the parking sensors deserved neater integration. Could it be more refined? Yes. But it still has that unmistakable M look.

Interior: a proper step up

The cabin is a big improvement. The M2 gets sportier seats that hold you far better than before without hurting long-distance comfort, with optional carbon buckets like the M4's if you can stomach the price. It also gets the same thick M3/M4 wheel, about as chunky as we would allow, a touch slimmer would not hurt. The M buttons are not as configurable as Mercedes-AMG's, but give you two memory settings (M1 and M2) for your favourite configurations, so you set it once and concentrate on driving. Which brings us to the important bit.

Driving: the manual changes everything

This is the heart of it. The M2 sticks to page one of the enthusiast's rulebook: engine at the front, drive to the rear. The engine is the familiar 3.0-litre S58 straight-six from the M4, with 460 hp and 550 Nm, and like every BMW straight-six it is silky and more than potent enough for the road.

But our car had the manual gearbox, and that changes everything. Where the automatic dumps its torque low down and holds a flat curve, the manual car's engine is calibrated to build torque as you climb the rev range. It feels far more natural, and gives a greater sense of speed than the auto, which hurries you towards losing your licence without ever telling you how fast you are going. There is more control, more involvement. The pedals sit a little far apart for heel-and-toe downshifts, but the rev-matching assistant is happy to help if you cannot bridge them.

Steering feel has faded across the industry, and the M2 is not immune, but the steering is still quick and precise, and the chassis potential is stunning. There is huge grip, the front bites hard and the rear follows willingly. Give it some encouragement and it wags like a happy puppy. It is astonishingly capable, held back only by the slight numbness of being a modern car, and even then it is miles ahead of its rivals.

One real annoyance: the fake engine sound

If one thing genuinely irritated us, it is the M Active Sound piped into the cabin. It tries far too hard, quickly becomes grating, and from the back seat it sounds extremely fake. The engine itself has a lovely growl. It may not be as loud as the previous generation, but it sounds great and needs none of those artificial, repetitive noises through the speakers.

Price and rivals: the last of its kind

The M2 sits in a genuine niche. Its rivals offer more space and all-wheel drive, which complicates the decision, but starting at €76,100 it undercuts alternatives that have fewer cylinders and only artificial tricks to mimic the rear-driven character that makes the M2 so fun. It is also the only one that still offers a manual gearbox. We still think it is wrong to charge extra for the manual over the automatic, but it is an option that fundamentally improves the car.

AutoNext Verdict

The manual BMW M2 is, quite simply, very good. It is a small, front-engined, rear-driven sports car with a silky straight-six and a gearbox that lets you feel every part of the experience, exactly the recipe enthusiasts have loved for decades, kept alive in 2024.

It is not flawless. The styling could be more refined, the steering could talk to you more, and that fake engine sound needs to go. But none of it undoes the fundamentals. This is the best small sports car you can buy right now, and the manual is worth every extra euro over the automatic.