There's a moment, somewhere between second and third gear in the BMW M2, when everything else fades away. The twin-turbo inline-six is pulling hard through 473 horsepower, the short-throw manual shifter snicks into place with mechanical precision, and the rear axle communicates every nuance of the road surface through the seat of your pants. In that moment, you understand exactly what BMW used to mean — and what it's about to lose.
The Numbers Tell a Story
MotorTrend named the M2 their Performance Vehicle of the Year, placing it above cars costing three times as much — including the Ferrari 296 GTB and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Around 40% of M2 buyers in the US still choose the six-speed manual, down from 50% in 2024, but still a staggering take rate in a world where most automakers have abandoned the third pedal entirely.
Consider what the M2 represents: rear-wheel drive only (no xDrive option), a proper manual gearbox, compact dimensions that prioritise agility over presence, and a naturally aspirated character to its power delivery despite the turbochargers. It's the spiritual successor to the E30 M3, the 1M Coupe, and every small BMW that prioritised driving purity over technology demonstrations.
Meanwhile, at the Other End of the Lineup...
The new M5 weighs 5,390 pounds. Its plug-in hybrid system alone accounts for 882 pounds — that's the weight of an entire Ariel Atom strapped to the chassis. Despite 717 horsepower, its power-to-weight ratio is actually worse than the outgoing model. Top Gear called it "the least exciting" M5, noting that it "feels like a very fast i5" and that its character is "restrained" with none of the soul enthusiasts expect from the M badge.
BMW's defence — that European emissions taxes left them no choice — may be economically sound, but it raises a deeper question: at what point does an M car stop being an M car? When it weighs more than a Range Rover? When the hybrid system prioritises tax efficiency over driving dynamics? When the exhaust note is synthesised through speakers?
The Electric Future Looms
BMW has confirmed that the first fully electric M car — a quad-motor, 1,000+ horsepower "iM3" — arrives in 2027 on the Neue Klasse platform. It will feature simulated gear shifts, a manufactured M soundscape, and natural fibre materials replacing carbon fibre. The combustion M3 will reportedly continue alongside it, at least for a while.
Make no mistake: the electric M cars will be faster. The quad-motor setup with individual wheel torque vectoring will make the current M xDrive system look primitive. The technology will be genuinely impressive. But faster has never been the point of a great BMW. The E30 M3 wasn't the fastest car of its era. The original M5 wasn't either. They were the most communicative, the most rewarding, the most honest about what was happening between car and road.
