Many of the 2023 BMW M2 performance tests have focused on the G87 equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox since this is the version enthusiasts are buying. French magazine L’Argus has instead decided to focus on the model fitted with the Steptronic transmission, which is actually the standard gearbox in some countries. In Germany for example, the six-speed manual costs an extra €500.
Using the launch control system, the second-generation M2 was put through its paces in an acceleration test all the way up to top speed. The car in question had the optional M Driver’s Package, therefore loosening up the electronic limiter from the standard 155 mph (250 km/h) to 177 mph (285 km/h). As the video shows, the car reached 181 mph (291 km/h) but it’s a known fact that modern speedometers show a slightly higher speed than the actual velocity.
Even without the M Driver’s Package, the M2 is plenty fast since you can’t legally hit 155 mph (250 km/h) unless you’re on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn in Germany or on a race track. It looks as though a truly unrestricted version would go even faster than 181 mph (291 km/h) as the Steptronic had just shifted into seventh. One has to wonder whether an uncorked G87 would smash the 300-km/h barrier. That’s 186 mph.
Although the M2’s market launch took place only a few months ago, BMW is already working on a CS version said to have over 500 horsepower. That could translate into a higher speed but you’ll be giving up on the six-speed manual since the hotter derivative is said to be automatic-only. Further down the line, an xDrive variant, perhaps even more potent, is expected around 2026 and it too would eschew the clutch pedal.
Meanwhile, the M2 is off to a strong start as production numbers from the San Louis Potosi plant in Mexico where the sports coupe shows more than 10,000 units have already been assembled since the SOP in December 2022.
Source: L’argus / YouTube
