So far, we’ve seen the BMW M2 go up against its sort-of direct rivals on multiple occasions. Every time a large comparison is made, the BMW gets pitted against the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and the Audi RS3 as default. And while we’ve seen it go up against the Honda Civic Type-R too, this time we’re dealing with yet another car, one that doesn’t exactly fit the profile to be a direct competitor.
The guys from Drive Australia have decided to compare the best performance cars you can buy in the land down under for less than AUD100,000. That brought forward the M2 and its traditional enemies but also another offering that is only available in Australia: the HSV Clubsport R8 LSA. Now, we know the name might be a bit boring to read but it does tell you a lot about the car.
While the guys from Drive consider this beast to be a rival for the M2 we’d strongly disagree. The HSV is more of a competitor for the M5 in both size and power. The 1.9-ton car uses a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 to deliver 544 HP and 671 Nm (495 lb-ft) of torque to the rear wheels while also being included in a segment above the M2 in terms of size.
However, we do get the point the guys were trying to make. For the same kind of money, you could be faced with a decision between the HSV and the M2 and then, you’d have to choose, even if the comparison wouldn’t be fair. In the end, reaching a consensus was a bit tricky but the BMW apparently won this comparison too, adding yet another name to its list of defeated pretenders. Unfortunately, the guys disable the option to embed their videos on websites so you’ll have to go on Youtube to see the whole thing. Enjoy.