2020 BMW M2

The BMW M2 might be the most straightforward sports car left in this German brand's lineup. A compact coupe with a turbocharged six-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and a standard six-speed manual transmission, it's one of the few BMW models that has not adopted standard AWD, nor has it abandoned the enthusiast-friendly three-pedal transmission.

For 2020, the BMW M2 is unchanged, following the company's decision last year to make the formerly optional competition package standard. That means the M2 once again boasts 405 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque from its 3.0L turbo inline six. As mentioned above, the standard transmission is a six-speed manual, and the option is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

While there is a convertible version of the standard 2 Series, the M2 comes only as a coupe.

The M2 is one of the high-end last sports cars to offer a stickshift, helping it stand out in a field of performance models adopting more electronic interventions with every generation. The M2's competition includes Audi's RS3 (394 hp) and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 (375 hp), both of which differ from the Bimmer with four doors, four driven wheels and automatic transmissions. The Porsche 718 Cayman S (350 hp) is a closer match, philosophically, with its two-door/two-seat interior, RWD and, like the BMW, a choice of six-speed stick and seven-speed automatic transmissions.

M2 standard features start with 19-inch wheels and staggered tires, which puts wider rubber on the rear axle. Other mechanical and exterior cues include auto-dimming side mirrors, gloss black exterior trim, M sport brakes, an active differential and lightweight suspension components.

Inside, there's black Dakota leather with either blue or orange stitching, carbon fibre trim, heated and power-adjustable front M sport seats with driver memory, automatic climate control, passive keyless entry, an auto-dimming mirror and a heated steering wheel.

BMW also includes driver aids like adaptive LED headlights, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, Apple CarPlay, an automatic engine start-stop system and adaptive cruise control.

As of this writing, BMW hadn't published fuel consumption estimates for the M2 Competition, but we expect those ratings to be similar, if not identical, to those for 2019, at 13.4/9.6 L/100 km (city/highway) with the six-speed manual transmission and 14.3/10.4 with the seven-speed auto.