The M2 maybe the best M-series BMW ever

Sell the house. Risk everything in Vegas or ask your great auntie for an advance in your inheritance. Do whatever it takes because you don’t want to go to your grave without ever have driven or owned a BMW M2.

The M2 goes back to the days when BMW cared more about driving dynamics than electronic gizmos. The only thing lacking here is the naturally aspirated engine, instead you’ll be greeted by a smooth 3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder pumping out 365hp. Acceleration is wicked fast and it never feels like it’s going to get out of hand thanks to the electronic stability control and the high amount of torque at low revs. This helps the M2 feel very pleasant to drive around town and when you want to put your foot down there’s plenty of oomph to satisfy all.

The steering feedback is the way it should be, communicative which gives plenty of confidence when driving through narrow switchbacks and tight bends. The chassis is what sparks the most confidence because it sticks to each corner as if it is riding on rails. We love the way the M2 feels, it strikes a nice balance between comfort and sporty handling. The ride comfort isn’t overly firm unless you select sport mode, but even in sport mode the ride isn’t overly firm. Road and wind noise is nothing to complain of.

The interior layout feels logical with everything within reach of the driver’s hand. BMW is known for their minimalistic looking dashboard design with an easy to use iDrive interface. We do wish that BMW did spice the interior up a bit more compared to some of its keen rivals. We do love the supportive front seats while those in the rear shouldn’t have too much to complain about, it isn’t the most spacious but it isn’t all that bad either. People who will buy this car won’t really have anyone in the back anyway so there’s no real point in mentioning this. Boot space is decent too considering the small size of the M2.

Our tester car came equipped with power-folding mirrors, Xenon-headlamps, Executive Package which adds rear view parking camera, heated steering wheel, auto high beams and wireless charging for your mobile device with WiFi hotspot. The auto gearbox is optional while the six-speed manual is standard. We weren’t able to find one with the manual gearbox and had the more costly automatic.

We are going to go out on a limb here. The M2 is literally the best M car we’ve driven from BMW. It takes us back to the days of lightweight fun to drive BMWs that could tackle the track with sheer confidence and doesn’t feel like a heavy robot car. You don’t want to go to your grave without ever have driven one.

Likes: Comfortable and easy to live with and is track ready. The turbo engine is smooth and quick. Hands down the best M-series you can buy.

Dislikes: Typical of BMW to be stingy on standard kit and expensive with options.

Devon test drives a BMW M4 Convertible (used)

Looking for that open air driving experience but prefer the badge to be BMW? Fret not because the M4 convertible is finally here.

BMW has ditched the screaming 4-liter eight-cylinder engine in the M3 for a 3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder which produces 425hp. Put your foot down and the M4 really does live up the M badge. It’s furiously fast yet easy to live with as a daily commuter car. The automatic transmission may have faster shift ratios but we’d still choose the manual any day.

On the road the M4 feels well composed and is eager to tackle any corner bend you toss at it. The front seats really do help keep you in place and the overall feel of the steering is pretty good, it does however lack the feedback we loved from the previous M3, but this really isn’t much of a deal breaker. Our M4 came equipped with the adaptive M suspension which is a very expensive option helps make the M4 drive the way it should but at this price point why is it optional and not standard?

The minimalistic approach to the cabin makes everything easy to navigate through without any complicated controls or dials. The iDrive interface is much easier to use. The front seats are superbly comfortable and have a neck warmer so you can drive with the top down on brisk spring and fall weather. There is plenty of room for two in the rear seat but as long as the passengers aren’t over six feet tall. The boot space shrinks with the top down and increases with the top up. This is due to the folding metal roof which does eat into precious cargo space.

Wanting to walk away with a decently kitted M4 is going to be a bit of a struggle. Even our tester car came ticked with nearly every option that was offered on its list. Pushing the price sky high, but these M vehicles aren’t just any ordinary vehicle. They are special vehicles and really do put a special kind of feeling inside when you drive them. Plus resale value will hold very well as with all BMW vehicles. The badge is what attracts people to them.

The M4 convertible is more of a cruiser type car. It’s wicked fast and can tackle corners perfectly, but you’ll have to pay for that option. Plus with the options added on this car can get crazily expensive very fast. But for those who crave the BMW badge and won’t settle for anything else this is the perfect car.

Likes: Wicked fast acceleration yet very easy to live with as a daily commuter car. Seats up to four and offers decent boot space with top up.

Dislikes: Add the options and watch the price jump sky high. We miss the hydraulic steering. Turbo six-cylinder doesn’t have the soundtrack of the previous eight-cylinder when revved hard.