Just the other week we were taking a look at how fast a 450 HP BMW M2 is on an unrestricted Autobahn and that 300 km/h (186 mph) top speed definitely looked impressive. Some would argue that the standard 370 HP M2 would get close enough to that figure anyway so going the extra mile might not be worth the trouble but it all comes down to personal choice. To make the decision a bit easier, we found a video comparing the two straight up in an acceleration battle.
A couple of things are obvious from the get go. First of all, the stock M2 and the upgraded one are pretty close in the run up to about 130 km/h (about 80 mph) and there’s a simple explanation for it. The thing is, the M2 has been designed from the ground up to use 370 HP and therefore the rear axle was set up to put that exact amount of power to the ground without breaking traction. On the other hand the extra 80 HP of the PP-Performance tuned model make the M2 break traction during the run.
Of course, once you go over that threshold, which also happens to be the speed limit on most European highways, that added power of the tuned M2 starts to show, as grip no longer becomes an issue. The 450 HP beast does accelerate faster and to a higher speed than its rival in the footage here. However, if you think about it, how often do you actually get to travel that fast? On most highways you wouldn’t only be breaking the law, you’d also put other traffic participants at risk.
It’s the same thing on race tracks, where power is important but not the only thing that matters. On complicated, twisty, technical courses, putting the power down efficiently is probably even more important. Therefore, the choice is yours but having 450 HP definitely sounds better than 370 HP, even though you may never use all those ponies at once.
