When the G87-era BMW M2 debuted in 2022, it received a lot of criticism for its styling. No one complained about its performance, and many people proclaimed it the best M car currently available from Munich engineers. We’re part of that demographic, and a new Nürburgring video from Sport Auto shows why we love it so much.
M2’s time of 7:38.23 set by German publication Sports cars Christian Gebhardt is just a bit slower than the 7:33.90 lap set by BMW last year. Both times are for the shorter 12.8-mile stretch of track, but the latest time confirms that the M2 is a serious performer. Watching Gebhardt guide the Bimmer through the endless turns, we’d dare say he’s actually a little conservative at times. It’s understandable: no one wants to be the one who throws someone else’s car onto the world’s most famous road course.
That being said, in this case “conservative” still means 136 mph approaching the famous peak of Quiddelbacher Hohe, the remarkable first straight of the Nordschleife. Gebhardt doesn’t take off, but the car certainly comes close. He backs off the throttle and hits 161 mph while hitting the next straight, negotiating the high gear. Swedish Cross left-handed like a pro.
Aside from a few tight turns, Gebhardt never drops below 60 mph during his run, reaching a maximum of 174 mph down the main straight. Presumably this means this M2 is equipped with the M Driver’s Pack which removes the 155 mph speed limiter. Without it, BMW says the M2’s top speed is 177 mph, a figure Gebhardt nearly hits during this lap.
The G87 M2 is already tied with the M3 in the ‘Ring. That’s faster than an Audi RS3, and it’s almost as quick as the M4 Competition. We know BMW is working on a new M2 CS that could debut this year, which begs the question. How much faster will he be when he finally hits the track for an official lap? We probably won’t have to wait long to find out.
