The BMW M2 Competition is still a media darling and has been ever since it was launched. The same goes for the original M2 which is still loved to this day. With the new version though, BMW offered a bit more power and a new engine under the hood, something that worried a couple of fans, concerned about ruining the original’s balance. But what if an M2 Competition went as far as 600 HP? Would that ruin it? The guys from The Smoking Tire find out.
This car is actually owned and built by Marc Norris. You might remember his name because he’s the one who had the audacity of building a BMW E46 M3 Touring a while back, a car that made headlines around the world back then. Now he’s the owner of a BMW M2 Competition and, since he’s been running a BMW shop for over 25 years, you could tell this wouldn’t be your average M2 from the get go.
The power levels might be impressive but the main takeaway from the video though is how changed the suspension is. That’s actually something I noticed when I drove the BMW M2 Competition as well. It felt underdamped and too stiff on certain roads leading to a jumpy behavior on uneven surfaces. What Marc did was replace the suspension with a softer setup that absorbs bumps easier and in a more composed fashion.
The end result is pretty impressive judging by the expression on Zack’s face. So, in case you were wondering about what Marc changed on the M2, the list includes a new coilover sleeve kit, monoball bushings up front, toe links in the back and sway bars, most of them from Dinan.
For the power upgrade, Noelle Performance Engineering programmed the M2 to deliver the huge reliable power (matching warranty up to 4-years / 50k miles with consequential damages, emission legal), while Dinan provided a new charge air cooler.
For more info, check out the video.
