5 things to know about the new M2 Competition

Forget about the lardy BMW M3 and brutish M4 – the new M2 Competition is the M car you really want inside your garage. Here are five things you need to know about it:

1: It has received a sizable increase in both power and torque. That familiar 3.0-litre straight-six TwinPower motor (the same unit used in the M3 and M4) now delivers 302kW (up from 272kW) and 550Nm (up from 500Nm). Incidentally that torque figure now matches what the M3 and M4 put out.

2: Enhanced muscle means higher under bonnet temperatures. Consequently the M2 Competition features an all-new front apron and kidney grille design to help direct more air toward its upgraded cooling system.

3: To keep things fresh BMW have made available two exclusive new paint colours – Sunset Orange and Hockenheim Silver metallic. Other features include model-specific 19-inch forged lightweight alloy wheels plus double-arm 'M' wing mirrors. Around back you'll find a new dual exhaust system with two electrically-controlled flaps. Adaptive LED headlamps and park distance control (PDC)  now both come as standard equipment.

4: Its quick. Very quick. BMW claims that the new M2 Competition will hurtle to 100km/h in 4.2-seconds (4.4-seconds if you're in the manual) and reach a limited maximum speed of 250km/h. Specify the optional M Driver's Package and this will be increased to 280km/h.

5: Although local pricing of the M2 Competition is still yet to be confirmed it will be available in South Africa from September 2018. – Thomas Falkiner