BMW M2 vs BMW 2002

To automotive enthusiasts, a sports car like the 2023 BMW M2 is special. The modern car market is marching away in multiple directions from the purist driving experience. Be it autonomy or electrification, that driver-meets-car connection you get from a rear-wheel-drive drivetrain, straight-six internal-combustion performance machine is feeling more and more like an endangered species.

Safety and creature comforts mean bigger, heavier cars. For a brand like BMW, the M2 is one of the last cars in its lineup that is even remotely close to the cars that put it on the map, like the legendary E30 M3. The 2023 BMW M2 has been completely redesigned, and it’s a more focused performance machine with bolder styling. It’s not the semi-sleeper that it once was. Is this more athletic, boisterous personality for the better?