BMW’s M2 Continues to Steal Hearts and Licenses

More power and more tech mean there’s somehow even more to love about the BMW M2.Scott EvansWriterWilliam WalkerPhotographer

Oct 14, 2025

Pros

• That engine
• Manual transmission option
• Better user interface

Cons

• Gas guzzler
• Polarizing styling
• Missing features for the price

At this point, there’s no denying it. We just can’t get enough of the BMW 2 Series Coupe, especially the spicy M2. The regular 2 Coupe was a Car of the Year Finalist in 2022, the M2 a Finalist in 2023, and in 2024 we named the M2 our Performance Vehicle of the Year. Why is it back again, a record fourth time? Because BMW just keeps making it better.

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The headline is an additional 20 hp on all models, which finally puts it on par with the larger, heavier M3 and M4 at 473 hp. Automatic models also get an extra 37 lb-ft of torque, making 443 total, but given the rarity of a manual transmission in America in 2025, the stick shift is representing the line here with just 406 lb-ft.

Inside, the M2 is updated for 2025 with a curved display in place of the old flat unit; the change improves ergonomics for the driver ever so slightly. Its two screens now run BMW’s latest iDrive 8.5 software. It’s complemented by a new, sharper head-up display (HUD).

Closer to the driver, you’ll find a new flat-bottom steering wheel. Down below, BMW reprogrammed the throttle pedal to respond even quicker to driver inputs.

Back outside, BMW has gone wild in the paint shop and added a ton of vibrant, visually interesting colors to the options list. Why have a grayscale car when you can have one finished in this delicious Twisted Purple Pearl Metallic?

Light Work, Heavy Impact

OK, so those aren’t all night-and-day changes from the previous M2 that competed for this award, but they matter. More horsepower is more and almost never unwelcome, certainly not here. The new throttle mapping does what it’s supposed to, making it easier to dial in the exact power you want at any moment without turning the pedal into a light switch. Every judge found themselves almost involuntarily flooring it every chance they got just because both the power and its delivery induce so much joy.

The new steering wheel doesn’t affect how quickly the car changes direction (extremely quick) but certainly looks better doing it. The M2 is so quick, so sharp, and so stiff it can at times feel like riding a cheetah, but like a toxic relationship, we always come crawling back for more. We could do with less tire noise, though, because it’s really bad on broken pavement.

Up top, the updated software and graphics on the curved screens and in the HUD are both nicer to look at and easier to use. We’re generally not fans of moving every function to a screen, but the digital climate controls work well enough here for us to overlook the transgression. The curved screens themselves look a bit like someone stole one of the coveted curved monitors out of our office and stuck it on the dash, but they get the job done.

Driving better than ever while offering friendlier technology and salacious paint is an excellent recipe for making it to the finalist round yet again. Whether that’s enough to cover for a lack of updates elsewhere, particularly when it comes to missing equipment like adaptive cruise control on manual models—all while its price keeps climbing—is another matter.