ENGINEER'S REVIEW OF THE BMW M2

This is an Automotive Engineer David Chao's full review of the all-new BMW M2, including quality checks, paint inspection, interior fit-and-finish, functionality and drive impressions. Watch the entire video to find out what David discovered about the M2 and whether it meets or exceeds David's expectation.
Automotive Press is owned and managed by David Koichi Chao, a global expert in the field of automotive evaluation, engineering, and strategy. With over 35 years of engineering experience, David is able to review vehicles from unique perspectives utilizing technical and specialized methods. David is a board member and a director at AJAC (Automobile Journalist Association of Canada).
David is known around the world as an authentic specialist of Lean/Agile Thinking, and travels all around the world to review vehicles and teach latest engineering methods. Born and raised in Japan, David has an engineering degree from University of British Columbia and post-graduate education from MIT and Harvard Business School in Boston.

[@qimingmai9816]

I have the 2024 M2 for a few months. I use it as a daily (20 miles) driver (to and from work). Very happy with it. Even happier to hear the positive review from you. Thanks for sharing!

[@chuckcribbs3398]

One of the best reviews I’ve ever watched. I enjoyed the fact you looked at the build quality and not just the performance. 👍🏻

[@AutomotivePress]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Kwaminho]

Great one Uncle David. 👍 Still waiting on your full review of the 2024 BMW X5. Thanks again. 🙏

[@alisaremi]

Keep up your great work, it’s so refreshing to see finally a good car video in which the creator comments and analyzes the car with no hype, and from a consumer standpoint? Please keep making videos like this

[@michaelpinnow5015]

Appreciate the commentary on quality in so many different areas of the car. Gives me more confidence in my recent purchase of an 2024 M2 Manual.

[@user-dg7gn4qk1y]

thank you, very helpful and objective. i ordered one with standard seats and yes performance and handling does trump smooth ride in my case.

[@markdhayward]

I hope you love it. I do. This is an amazing car. I also owned the 2020 M2c. The new version is amazingly improved.

[@lexxander4659]

Enjoyed the review. The “M” models are usually weekend cars/Track cars. Built in Mexico but with strict BMW specs and machinery. Great job 👏

[@likunjian1850]

david would love to see a g80 m3 or g82 m4 review if you havent done one already, these details are nice

[@matteoferrari6801]

Thank you for your review. I think that you probably must test an M2 with normal sport seats, automatic ZF gear and less racing tyres and you definitely feel it more comfortable without losing any performance

[@garyclark6747]

Great video David. 13:16

[@jimmyamico4713]

Hi David, I’m not a fan at all of German cars but I love to hear what you have to say about any vehicle. That’s why I am a huge fan of your channel.❤

[@AutomotivePress]

Thank you always Jimmy!

[@speeddemon311]

German cars are a special breed, but it comes at a cost to experience!

[@danielrogers4072]

David, I have been a driver of both Toyota and BMW. As an engineer and astute attention to quality do you believe BMW is doing better with durability and build quality? …my personal experience with BMW reliability and build has been comparable to my Toyota products in the last 15+yrs . If you take care of them and service them regularly they will treat you well in return!

[@danielrogers4072]

My experience with BMW has been much different than what I read online from those that bash BMW. Also acknowledging that BMW does offer a complex product as it relates to technology…that does contribute to potential risk to the owner experience and quality.

[@GnomeChewer89]

David, great and thoughtful review. Could you review an Alfa Romeo Guilia? Very interested to hear your take on prospective reliability of that car.

[@AutomotivePress]

If I can get hold of one, sure would love it review it!

[@Youtuberkt]

why is taking the panel gap less than 3mm important? what does it help with? other than aesthetics?

[@Malinkadink]

I think for most people m240i with awd is better, you can get one for 60k fully loaded, it's already doing 3.6s sprints to 60 out of the box, and can do 3s with something like a jb4 and dp. M2 too rough to use as a daily as mentioned in the video.

[@markallen2984]

To my eyes, the styling is very reminiscent of the second generation Scion tC

[@bcvijasiu]

How does this M2 compare to IS500?

[@G82Watts]

I have really fell in love with the m2 i use to hate it. Always considered it a worse m3 but now its like its own car. Seems like the most fun bmw M car u can buy. Not faster then a m3 but as others have said its more fun. I just watched a vid of a guy selling his m3 for an m2. I love this car man idk what bmw i want 😅

[@GregorBlacksmith]

I had no idea these are built in Mexico. I have had my eyes on a M240i xdrive with the adaptive suspension and the track heating and cooling package. They seem to be very affordable compared to an M3 but knowing where they’re built it makes more sense. I wonder: would an M240i have the same panel gap measurements as this m2 and is the iDrive controller easier than using the touchscreen?

[@user-bk4vl1ur5f]

Top car ❤

[@petercusden200]

Mazda CX90 had sub 3mm panel gaps not too long ago.

[@davehudson4607]

Please, a you go over more than panel gaps!

[@MrTbodo10]

I really like the look of this car

[@gildovargas]

Designed by Mexican Industrial Designer José Casas Build exclusively in BMW'S Plant in San Luis Potosí, México for the World. Same Plant Where BMW is Going to Build the NEUE KLASSE.

[@greyphantome2617]

Better looking than the most BMWs for sure, side profile looks perfectly balanced. But these car makers really need to move away from stuck up screens

[@Digiphex]

True, complete with a stand on the back!

[@spendingtimetogether8428]

Just wanted to know what, if any, deficiencies are there that you noticed since BMW ditched the DCT for a reg AT (even though it's a lauded ZF one)? The carmakers never state how much HP loss there is with the AT but I wonder about that esp vs DCT vs MT.

[@chrisbradley3224]

It's not as crispy in shifting, that's the only difference. There is no notable power loss since the torque converter locks up once you start moving.

[@johnsullivan8673]

DCT has a lower peak torque rating than something with a torque converter.

[@spendingtimetogether8428]

@@johnsullivan8673 That's interesting, why is that and is it negligible? I would've thought it would be the opposite since there's more HP loss w slush boxes.

[@johnsullivan8673]

@@spendingtimetogether8428 friction mating surface limitation. With a DCT, essentially your contact area is halved. Not to mention torque converters use fluid coupling.

[@joellarrysr9977]

I believe the colors correlate with race tracks

[@BobKenge]

Wow built in Mexico 🇲🇽👏👏

[@protectork9831]

Is the engine also made in Mexico

[@Dayz3O6]

For some reason I always thought this car came out last year.

[@ajdeange]

Good engine and transmission David. Yes. The amazing maintenance items that it requires adds up. Plus, a lot of plastic to warrant the price tag.

[@chrisbradley3224]

Name a car with less plastic at this price point. You can't.

[@ajdeange]

Any Volvo

[@chrisbradley3224]

@@ajdeange Not true

[@ajdeange]

Any

[@jbjdmcruiser23]

I’m sorry I know sir that you are a Toyota / Lexus Engineer originally, but in terms of Toyota product I wouldn’t even buy a Lexus Es compare to Lexus IS. That alone I would rather have an LS! But that M3 car is so expensive that it depreciates its value in a heartbeat! If the M3/M4 looses it too fast and they’re made in Germany, can you imagine that made in Mexico! I’m just saying Lexus ES resale value can never be comparable to IS or LS resale value so to me no, I’d rather get me an M4 which is a lot more lightweight compare to that M2 and it looks a lot better too!

[@robtaylor1156]

I prefer my high prefornance German cars built in Germany.

[@raycollington4310]

I used to think the same. Sadly it all seems chinesium and cheap cheese engine parts nowadays.

[@raycollington4310]

@@DaveP-uv1ml You are bang on here saying that the specification provided by the client is the key. What I sometimes ponder is, take two examples, say the Audi RS roller arm and BMW N47 timing chain debacle. Was the client specification produced by experienced professional engineers who knew what they were doing and designed these parts with very short service life, or were inexperienced wet behind the ears people involved. I know there are loads of retired German automotive engineers who cringe in their beer and what those who have succeeded them, have done to product quality.

[@chrisbradley3224]

@@raycollington4310 Except S58 is one of the top BMW engines ever built and if you watch a teardown it has extremely high quality parts.

[@BrakRulesAll]

Is that Mr. K? lol

[@amurika6336]

Dang… “Precise and *BOLD* ”

[@ricktrue8441]

The elephant in the room.How much does this thing weigh?

[@speeddemon311]

Way too much for a small two door sports car!

[@joellarrysr9977]

Use your voice for HVAC settings. That's what they want us to do

[@arashefi]

1:11 David- why do you always measure one side? Please measure the other side too and compare. Maybe this side is 2.8 and other side is 3.5

[@AutomotivePress]

Actually I always measure both sides, and measure twice. But that would take too long in the video, so I only show one side unless left and right side happen to produce different results (it's usually 99% same).

[@arashefi]

It’s good to know. Thank you so much for your quick responding. 🙏🏼

[@tamago84]

jackie chan for cars

[@jpdoc5722]

civic type-R is better value 👍

[@paulcs2607]

Nice but where is the Engineering content?

[@albertkang1052]

BMW made this press car just for you. So I wouldn't be surprised if it had a good build quality. JK!

[@natelove187]

Car built that well. I’ll keep it away from people and big cities. It will spend more time in the garage and on country roads🍷

[@WTF_888]

Still can't stand the look of it no matter how many times I look at this G87 M2. Just doesn't grow on me. IMO, I would only buy a car if I fell in love the first sight. Don't understand someone buy this and then spend a shit load of $ the next day to mod the look of it. It is like taking your newly married wife to do plastic surgery the next day you married her.😂

[@WTF_888]

​@@DaveP-uv1ml For sure there will be a CS version of this G87 M2 coming soon. I'm sure the performance side will be even better but for the looks.......well, with such an ugly base to start with it will probably be like putting lipstick on a pig. 😂 You're right that it is better to just buy the factory- tuned version than to mod it yourself from a lesser model to make it look like the top model. I know you can easily mod it to outperform the factory top model, but at the end of the day the OEM top model is what most people recognize and become a legend, whereas a tuned car will only be appreciated by a much smaller group and depreciate like crazy as well as losing the warranty.

[@G82Watts]

Not really just type in "adro g82 m4 competition blue" completely changes the car. That's the best looking m4 of all time.

[@raycollington4310]

How can a company produce that level of bodywork accuracy, then put cheap and nasty parts in the engine. I've finished with German cars, I rate them as junk status, after my last 5 series experience.

[@chrisbradley3224]

They don't, you must be on drugs. The engine has forged pistons and crank, extremely high quality cams, etc. You can search YT for teardowns of it.

[@raycollington4310]

@@chrisbradley3224 I wish I was on drugs. Do your research and you will see unprecedented engine failures through either poor design or rubbish parts. Just look at the N47 timing chain setup debacle as one example. I used to love BMW engines but sadly bear the scars of the cost reduction teams achievements. If you haven't experienced this personally, well done and good luck with your BMW products.

[@calebg.9662]

Daily Toyota/Lexus Weekend BMW

[@mrkhan2983]

seems like BMW is out of designs now !

[@speeddemon311]

Think they had a 5 year old draw a sketch with crayons, and said that will work just fine 😂

[@G82Watts]

I actually love it. I use to hate the m2 always looked at it as a smaller less powerful m3 now it is its own car. Plus when seeing it u know that's a new bmw. Problem with audi and merc is they all look the same on the road. Seeing this would turn heads and make people go wtf is that oh a BMW

[@epicFrogman]

Woah thats an ugly front bumper

[@johnwilliam8366]

I prefer high performance German cars built in Germany.

[@edombre4637]

imo the new M2 is incredibly ugly - it's difficult to even look at that car without feeling some sort of revulsion or pity. No matter how well it may (or not) drive, I couldn't keep a car like that because it's so ugly, I mean, you have to look at it every day if you own one. That why so many people who buy these are spending $$$+++ on cosmetic modifications.

[@vagabond1776]

I don’t think BMW has automotive enthusiasts at the helm…they would’ve never approved this design.🤪 The front end and instrument/infotainment screen looks out of place…definitely won’t age well.

[@trieunguyen5897]

Lease it. Don’t buy it

[@supremeetnel7707]

Same engine in a Toyota. This car is reliable

[@paulferreira8342]

@@supremeetnel7707For about 100K miles, yes. Then it dissolves, like every other BMW.

[@Xidd9964ever]

Which Toyota has S58?​@@supremeetnel7707

[@amggeniuses4575]

@@supremeetnel7707Not really. The engine in the M2 is the S58, not the B58. S58 has 2 turbos as opposed to one twin scroll turbo. The S58 utilizes extensive forged internals and much more cooling.

[@Silby13]

@@paulferreira8342there’s a video of some guys who put a ton of miles on the S58 all while beating on it at racing events with high HP tunes. They tear the engine down after all of it and it’s damn near perfect. This motor is one of if not the best BMW has ever made

[@aarsenalfan]

Can't AFFORD it as a first car, let alone as 2nd or 3rd (weekend) vehicle. 🫵🥱👎