BMW M2 $99,900 19 POINTS V AUDI RS3 $80,600 22 POINTS
Aggressive styling and growling exhausts separate the German hot-rods from the pack. What differentiates them? Price and tractability
VALUE
This is the cheapest ticket into a genuine M car but the price still nudges $100,000. Standard fare includes leather sports seats, “active” rear differential, LED headlights, premium audio with navigation and digital radio. Apple CarPlay is a $623 option, Android Auto not available. Service intervals are condition-based; prepaid service packages not available on M cars. Warranty is three years/unlimited kilometres.
DESIGN
The M2 gains bulging fenders front and rear, a more aggressive front bumper for better airflow to the engine and, presumably, to intimidate. The interior has a textured faux carbon-fibre weave garnish across the dash and doors. It’s a two-door four-seater with a smallish boot, which might limit its appeal for some.
ENGINE
This is the 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo (272kW/465Nm), not the twin turbo version borrowed from the M3 and M4 that will be used in the M2 “Competition” due in October. It still has plenty of oomph when paired with the seven-speed twin-clutch auto. However, getting all that power to the ground is not easy.
SAFETY
The M2 doesn’t go quite as far as other cars in preventive safety. Its mild form of autonomous emergency braking will slow the car but not bring it to a complete stop. It has lane wander warning rather than lane-keeping assistance. Basic safety items include six airbags, rear camera and front and rear sensors. There’s an inflator kit in lieu of a spare tyre.
DRIVING
The M2 suspension is taut even in the most comfortable setting but it’s not bone jarring. The steering feels more precise than the Audi’s. The exhaust and engine are touch quieter than the RS3 but still emit a deep, intoxicating growl. BMW claims a 0-100kmh time of 4.3 seconds but the best we could get was 4.5. It struggles to get the power to the rear tyres, even in launch mode. A handful in the wrong hands, sheer brilliance in the right conditions.
VALUE
The RS3 hatch is about $20,000 cheaper than the M2 and, we suspect, the fastest accelerating car for the money. Standard are digital widescreen dash, premium audio with built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and radar cruise control with stopand-go traffic function. Service intervals are 12 months/ 15,000km; prepaid service packages are not available on RS models. Warranty is three years/unlimited kilometres.
DESIGN
Overt front and rear bumpers are the main visual cues that this is no ordinary A3. The test car’s $5990 option pack added 19-inch wheels with wider front tyres, carbon-fibre inserts in the dash, Bang & Olufsen audio and magnetically controlled suspension. The five-seat, five-door hatchback layout plus two Isofix mounts and three top tether points broaden its appeal.
ENGINE
The new 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo (294kW/480Nm), now with an alloy block, exceeds the outputs of the original cast iron design (270kW/465Nm) but the claimed performance is the same. Once again it turns a seven-speed twin-clutch auto and all-wheel drive. It sounds like a Lamborghini V10. Epic.
SAFETY
Seven airbags and autonomous emergency braking (to a complete stop) are joined by blind zone warning, rear cross traffic alert and lane keeping assistance. Front and rear parking sensors and rear camera complete the package. There’s an inflator kit instead of a spare tyre. As with the BMW, this is not ideal.
DRIVING
The new, lighter engine might have prompted a rework of the suspension but there’s room for improvement. The RS3 still bounces gently and takes a while to recover after speed bumps. On the plus side, it’s plush in comfort mode, although sports mode is both firm and bouncy. All-wheel drive aids cornering grip and acceleration. The RS3 is half a second quicker than the M2 to 100km/h (we did 4.0 seconds, 0.1 faster than Audi’s claim), thanks to its smarter response up to 60km/h. GCBE01Z01MA - V1