BMW M2 Rumored to start from $51,000

In the wake of the unveiling of the BMW M2, people are already starting to wonder how much the new M car will cost. We did an analysis on that subject a while back and arrived at the conclusion that it should be priced under $55,000. Well, we were right but a bit far off.

According to the latest info, coming from a dealer that claims he talked to the man in charge of the M Division in North America, the M2 will have a MSRP price of $51,000. That’s a bit under what we were expecting and we’re not mad in the tiniest bit.

The car is supposedly going to have an N55 engine under the hood, upgraded to make around 370 HP and over 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. We don’t know the exact figures right now but if the numbers come true, they should allow the M2 to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 4.5 seconds with the DCT gearbox.

For that kind of performance, you need to take a closer look at the competition to see if the pricing is fair. At the moment, Audi doesn’t have a car that could go up against the M2 while Mercedes only has the CLA45 AMG.

The all-wheel drive four-door Merc comes with a 2-liter 4-cylinder 381 HP engine now, which allows it to go up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, faster than the BMW. It’s also cheaper, at a starting MSRP price of $48,500 in the US.

 

It will be interesting to see how the two are compared to each other on the track, though, one using an FWD-biased all-wheel drive system and the other an exclusively RWD one.

Speaking of handling, the more competent comparison would be with a Porsche, right? Well, the one closest in terms of performance would be the Cayman GTS, which has 340 HP at its disposal to play with, accelerating to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds. It’s also starting at $75,200 which is nearly $25,000 more, a rather big difference.

Is it worth it? Depends on how you look at it. The Porsche might be better on track but then again, the M2 offers four usable seats and that’s something people looking for comfort and practicality might prefer. Furthermore, the BMW could turn out to be seriously faster in a straight line and that’s a winner in many drivers’ books.