This is the 2016 BMW M2 in all its manic 365-hp glory

Remember the BMW M1 Coupe? Of course you do – it was one of the most revered and loved BMWs to have ever rolled out of BMW’s ‘M’ skunkworks, despite its short lifespan of just a year. This here, the 2016 BMW M2 is the M1’s spiritual successor, and if specs are anything to go by, it is set to continue that tradition of being the enthusiast’s ultimate wet dream. It even has the potential to restore faith among ‘M’ fans, who have lately been vocal about the puritanical badge being spoilt a bit by BMW’s deluge of Gran Coupes and crossovers. The smallest M car in BMW’s line-up, the M2 is powered by the M235i’s turbo 3.0-litre inline six belting out 370 horsepower and 465 Nm of torque. As if that wasn’t enough, an additional 34 Nm of torque comes from an overboost function. Prepare for some very distressed rear tyres. 

That sort of power now enables the new BMW M2 Coupe to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.3 seconds, with the optional seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) and Launch Control. Top speed, as you’d expect, is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). The stick-shift M2 weighs 1,590 kg, while the dual-clutch version scales at a more modest 1,560 kg.

On the cosmetics front, the M2 is differentiated from other 2 Series Coupé models by a number of exterior design changes. It gets a new front bumper, a modified grille, wider front and rear wings, chrome highlights, a boot lip spoiler and four exhaust pipes. Inside, there’s a leather-bound M Sport steering wheel, sports seats in black leather with adjustable side bolsters, an aluminium footrest and a centre console­-mounted kneepad for the driver. Standard features include a fuel-saving engine stop-start function and navigation, while options include parking sensors, a backup camera, lane-departure and forward collision warnings. As with the larger M4, a GoPro camera app is also available, pairing the camera with the car’s dash display and iDrive controller.

The BMW M2 will be available as a coupé only. When it goes on sale in spring next year, it will play ball with Mercedes-AMG’s A45 and the Audi RS3 Sportback, with a European price tag of £44,070 (roughly Rs 44 lakh, UK). We can’t wait!