Car and Driver - USA (2019-10)

(Antfer) #1

  1. COMPARO. CAR AND DRIVER. OCT/2019


BMW M2 Competition Monster engine, easy to live with,
practical for everyday use. Unreliable brakes, are we really still
listing “soulless steering” here? The best car in BMW’s lineup
needs to be a better driving machine.


a part of Car and Driver’s past, too. Together they have earned 18
10Best awards.
Their names might have long histories, but the sports cars
here are the vanguard of modern performance. BMW’s M2 earned
aUR0\Z]RaVaV[b¦eRN_YVR_aUVfRN_dUR[:b[VPURcNZ]RQ
aURPN
N[QNQQRQN!"U]adV[abO\V[YV[R`VeaUNaObZ]RQ
output by 40 horses. The Bavarians also retuned the steering and
aURRYRPa
[VPNYYfP[a_\YYRQYVZVaRQYV]QVßR_R[aVNY<b_#!!" aRaPN_PNZRdVaUaURaN[QN_QVe]RRQZN[bNYN]_Nf\S@b[-
Ra<_N[TRZRaNYYVP]NV[a""aUR2eRPbaVcR]NPXNTR\S[VPR- aVRbPUNNURNaRQaRR_V[TdURRYN[QNDV3VU\a]\a
N[QaUR:1_VcR_μ]NPXNTR"dUVPUO\\aaURPYNVZRQa\] speed from 155 to 174 mph and includes a day of driving school. 3\_QμPUN[TRa\aUR&:baN[T@URYOf4A "ZNf\b[Q minor, but the impact is tangible from behind the wheel. If the [RdYfaN[QN_Q:VPURYV[=VY\a@]_a0b]aV_RdR_RN[faVPXVR
:P\bYQ`]V[aN]RS
\ZaURZ?RPNYVO_NaRQ`aRR_V[TN[QN


_Rab[RQ `b`]R[`V\[ _RQbPR aUR @aN[Tμ`
tendency to follow grooves in the road but
Q\[μaP\Z]_\ZV`RUN[QYV[TAUR½Na
]YN[RP_N[X"YVaR_C%V`b[PUN[TRQN[Q
ZNXR`"#_NbP\b`U\_`R]\dR_6aμ`RePYb-
`VcRYf]NV_RQa\N`Ve`]RRQZN[bNYdUVPU
V`Wb`a¼[ROfb`AUR@URYOfμ`#!%#
]_VPRV[PYbQRQ!$"S\_aURcV[fY`a_V]R`(
S\_OYV[Q`]\aZ\[Va\_V[T[NcVTN-
aV\[N[QN/N[T<YbS`R[`aR_R\`f`aRZ(
]Yb`aUR%"5N[QYV[T]NPXNTRdUVPU
NQQ`N4b_[Rf½N]\[aUR_RN_`]\VYR_S\_
more downforce and adjustable camber
plates on top of the front struts.
AUR =\_`PUR $% 0NfZN[μ` "# "
base was the second-lowest starting price
here, but add-ons made it the test’s most
Re]R[`VcR PN_ Na $# /VTaVPXRa
items included the seven-speed dual-
PYbaPUNba\ZNaVP aUNa_R]YNPR`
aUR RePRYYR[a ZN[bNY `Ve`]RRQ a_N[`-
ZV``V\[NQN]aVcRQNZ]R_`$&`]\_a
`RNa`$[NcVTNaV\[$%&V[PU
dURRY` "& N[Q aUR @]\_a 0U_\[\
]NPXNTR#DVaUNab_O\PUN_TRQ
YVaR_½NaS\b_aUR=\_`PUR]NPX`N`ZNYYR_
engine than the others, but the Cayman is lighter than they are
N[QXRR]`b]QR`]VaRVa`Y\dR`aV[aR`a U\_`R]\dR_
We wouldn’t blame you if you’re a bit confused about the styl-
V[T \_ aUR ZRPUN[VPNY OVa` \S aUR @b]_N AUV` [Rd \[R V` R[TV-
[RR_RQOf/:DN[QObVYaOf`b]]YVR_:NT[N@aRf_V[.b`a_VN
dUVYRA\f\aN\d[`_R`]\[`VOVYVafS\_Va`bUaU\bTUa]_\c\XV[T
`afYV[TN[QaUR¼[NYab[V[T.YY@b]_N`N_R]_\]RYYRQOfN "U]
ab_O\PUN_TRQV[YV[R`VeZNQROf/:DN[RVTUa`]RRQNba\ZNaVP
N[QNYVZVaRQ`YV]QVßR_R[aVNYAURf_VQR\[NQN]aVcRQNZ]R_`N[Q
`aN_aNa"&!"<b_9Nb[PU2QVaV\[Z\QRY±\[R\S"±UNQ
ZNaaROYNPX S\_TRQ dURRY` N[Q PN_O\[
¼OR_V[aR_V\_a_VZ]Yb`aUR&"1_VcR_
.``V`a]NPXNTRS\_Na\aNYOVYY\S"$!
To see what sort of performance
#Obf`N[QdUVPUPN_QR`R_cR`f\b_
Z\[RfdRPYVZORQV[a\aUR@VR__N;RcNQN
N[Q @R^b\VN ;NaV\[NY =N_X \[ _\NQ` `\

A few BMW traditions
remain present in the
M2, most notably
the big, legible gauges
and a slick manual
gearbox hooked up to
a rev-happy inline-six.
Free download pdf