Bits & bobs & brilliance

Liberal use of the parts bin for the BMW M240i has resulted in a classically appealing performance coupe

We all know BMW’s 1-Series and 2-Series Gran Coupe models went from rear-drive to a frontdrive platform back in 2019; now based on the Mini, actually.

Nothing wrong with that; it makes sense for a small car in terms of price, packaging and platform sharing.

But still a worry for fans of the previous 2-Series coupe, which was a real gem. The M2 was epic, but even the milder flavours were a driver’s delight.

The good news is that the

2-Series coupe is back and it’s still an enthusiast machine. It’s also very much not based on a frontdrive Mini platform, but rather “classic rear-drive

architecture”, according to BMW. It’s part choppeddown 3/4-Series with a splash of Z4/Toyota Supra, which is nice in a way because the first prototypes for the Z4/Supra project were actually built on previous-gen 2-Series architecture.

The recipe changes depending on who you ask, but the dimensions of the M240i make it a standalone thing. For example, the 2741mm wheelbase is quite a bit longer than the Z4, but still shorter than a 4-Series.

There’s a 3.0-litre turbo-six under the bonnet, same as a Z4 or M440i. This model is actually AWD, not RWD, but that helps it to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. And it still feels very much like a reardriven car because, well, fundamentally it is.

So there are some big numbers in play, but the brilliant thing about the M240i is the dynamic nuance at low speed. It’s one of those sporting machines that still gives you lots of feedback in urban driving and there’s a surplus of torque from the engine even when you’re crawling along, making this a true do-it-all coupe.

That’s not to say it’s lithe and nimble. It’s not even an especially small car, despite the “2” badge on the bootlid. Front and rear tracks have grown compared with the old 2-Series coupe and it’s actually knocking on 1.7 tonnes.

So it’s substantial-feeling and responsive, but still pretty exciting. There’s weight/feel to the fat steering wheel and the back end squats down in a satisfying way as you power out of corners. Very BMW.

In an age of wacky electric BMWs like the iX, the M240i’s interior is also quite brand-trad: driver-centric, conventional instrument binnacle and a big centre console with plenty of buttons. Still right up to date on tech of course, with an embedded SIM card, the full “Hey BMW” voice assistant suite of cleverness and wireless phone projection. Some of the infotainment remains a bit murky, though; for example, when you switch off and exit the car everything inside stays on until it locks. So if you’re using the fully hands-free feature (the vehicle locks when you get a certain distance away) you tend to miss about 30 seconds of whatever you were listening to. Weird.

To answer the obvious question, the M240i is $10k more expensive than the Toyota Supra, but it’s really only the shared hardware that put them together in a conversation. The Toyota is lowslung two-seater, the BMW a more practical 2+2 that represents a whole different motoring lifestyle. You’re arguably getting more for money with the M240i, although the Supra is about to go one-up by offering a manual-transmission option.

You may have noticed by now the M240i is not a full BMW Motorsport machine, but rather an M Sport effort; it’s not an M2 in other words, although this car is actually faster to 100km/h than the previous M2, which is really saying something. Anyway, there is still a new M2 on the way (of course, otherwise why go to the trouble of making this?) and judging by the M240i, it will be epic.

As it stands, the sounds from the M240i’s turbo-six and sensations of that RWD-centric chassis make for a brutally brilliant, yet still comfy performance coupe.

Kind of like BMW used to make

. . . and apparently still does.