2019 BMW M2 Competition Flies Around Roebling Road Raceway

BMW’s M division keeps its foot down with the more powerful and focused M-powered coupe in Bloomingdale, Georgia.

The are multiple tiers to the BMW 2 Series model hierarchy. It’s available as a coupe or a convertible. Both body styles come in 230i or M240i form, with or without BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system. BMW’s M performance division isn’t doing things that way for 2019. There’s no regular M2 now. This year, M has gone straight to the top. Now it only offers the M2 Competition model.

MotorWeek recently got a chance to test it in an appropriate setting: the Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, Georgia.

According to host John Davis, M decided against using a juiced-up version of the regular M2’s inline-six engine. Instead, they went with “a slightly detuned version of the M4‘s twin-turbo unit.” Output is a stout 405 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed M DCT gearbox and rear-wheel drive puts that power to the road.

Airflow is essential to feeding and cooling a track-focused car so M gave the M2 Competition larger front air intakes and a kidney grille that allows more air through. Black trim adds a sporty touch to the exterior, including the quad exhausts under the back bumper. Nineteen-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber (245/35 in the front and 265/35 in the rear) keep it connected to the tarmac. Those conceal larger brakes. Davis adds, “Suspension tweaks include more parts from the M4 and the steering system, rear differential, and electronics have all been upgraded.”

The biggest changes to the cabin are a pair of M buttons on the steering wheel for saving settings for various systems such as the steering and suspension, new seats, M2 Competition logos, and colored stitching.

Out on the drag strip, the cold weather hurts the M2 Competition’s 0-60 mph time, which ends up being 4.3 seconds – 0.1 seconds slower than the time MotorWeek clocked in a regular M2. Davis says, “But we made up for it once we got rolling as our 12.6-second quarter mile time was two tenths quicker than before, finishing at 115 miles per hour.”

The M2 Competition continues to impress once the going gets twisty. It provides so much feel and feedback that it’s easy to quickly figure out. Both grip and stopping power are abundant. Davis says it’s capable of “exiting with just the perfect amount of wheel slip to rotate the car without losing momentum.” He even goes as far as saying that it’s only in competition with itself. Once enough M2 Competitions hit public roads, that will change in a hurry…and there will be video to prove it.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.