Motor Trend and I Agree On The BMW M2

In my last post, I almost said don’t read MotorTrend. Like Jalopnik, it too has fallen off the deep end in terms of quality reading, with a greater corporate control to blame. I mean, standards has fallen and my gig calls them out on it. They have a misconstrued attitude to EVs and go on the offensive anytime one of the editors buy something gas-powered. It’s a lame exercise in lack of feedback since they turned off the comments on the site.

We’re sticking with gas because it’s that time in the year when MotorTrend announces its Performance Car Of The Year accolades. It was an impressive field that saw two Porsches and a Ferrari make the final cut before it could determine one winner. The vehicle that came out on top surprised me and I’m inclined to agree.

I’ve been lucky enough to drive a BMW M2. It happened to look just like the one in the picture and was equipped with the six-speed manual transmission. It’s also a porker, weighing in at about 3,800 pounds. That’s 200 more than the last one from a few years prior.

That doesn’t seem to matter though because the engine is a gem, the transmission makes it quicker than bigger BMW M car, and it has just enough refinement in terms of brakes and tires for the M2 to manage its weight well without sacrificing joy.

That joy was exploited when I tried an M2 earlier this year. It was a short drive but enough to get a positive impression that I may want one someday. It’s assuring when you drive something you like and someone else agrees from a critical standpoint.

Go drive something you like today.