America has never loved the BMW 2 Series Coupe as much as its home-grown V8 rivals. But BMW M2 always enjoyed a top spot among the RWD German car hierarchy. It is, after all, one of the best sports cars of the modern era. But how does a brand new 2022 BMW M240i compare against the kind of M2 you can buy for the same money?
This kind of comparison is bad when it’s done by the numbers. After all, the BMW M2 is slower than most quattro cars, but it’s way more fun. Thankfully, emotions factor into this review by Throttle House, as the older M2 was just bought by one of the presenters. It’s the original version of the car, used and costing $54,000 or about $50,000 American.
That’s important because the first versions of the M2 were a little down on power. Even though the inline-6 was borrowed from the bigger M models, it only made 364 hp and 343 lb-ft of torque. By 2022 M240i features only one turbo, but it’s an advanced one that allows for 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. And although it taints the purity of the setup, AWD and an auto gearbox potentially make this a faster drag racing machine.
However, the M240i xDrive is apparently 400 lbs heavier which, in case you’re wondering, is what a smaller female moose would weigh. But that’s apparently not enough to win drag races, as the older, arguably cooler M2 is miles behind its supposed successor. And it’s not like the xDrive stops you from sliding the car either. No, BMW made sure the setup could be used for all kinds of safe fun.
The subsequent roll race takes traction out of the equation, but the M240i wins that as well, supposedly because of the extra power. While disappointing, the outcome probably won’t disappoint the majority of M2 owners who know better than to drag race on a cold, damp surface and value the engagement of a true sports car over drag racing performance.
So what about the money question: which of these is better to buy for $50,000? Well, with only about 20,000 miles on the clock, that M2 is so desirable. Every big car collection should have one of those. But there’s no denying that the 2022 model year technology in the M240i is excellent. We’re not sure we can get past those looks, though.
