Want a performance BMW 2 Series? Still think you really need an M2? Think again.
BMW's M240i is more than quick enough. Under its hood is a silky smooth turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six (termed B58) that puts out 250kw and 500nm - a bit down on the M2's older N55 with 272kw/465nm (500nm on overboost). But when it was recently tested by Truespeed, at Gerotek Testing Facility, its performance was actually very very close to its M2 sibling.
It ran 0-100kph in 4.75 seconds, and the 1.4 mile in 13.09 seconds at 178kph. By comparison the M2 did 0-100kph in 4.44 seconds, and the 1/4mile in 12.79 seconds at 175kph (although not on the same day). It's a different story at the 1km marker, with the M240i getting there quicker than the M2, and at a marginally higher speed of 228kph versus 224kph. The M240i eventually maxes out at its limiter at 250.49kph.
But the biggest difference comes in the pricing - with BMW South Africa pricing the M240i from R714 200, while the M2 M-DCT is over R970 000. The M240i is blisteringly quick and is a true driver’s car with its rear wheel drive layout. It's not quite an M2, but BMW's M240i is still a sports car we'd gladly live with as a daily.
