DIAL M FOR MANUAL

Anything with an M badge is exciting. How about a manual, then?

- Anubhav Sharma

Manual. Yep, that’s what I want to start this with. The new BMW M2 comes with a manual gearbox. I think it has been over fifteen years since I drove a new BMW with a manual gearbox. After years of automatic gearboxes, BMW India heard the tiny but consistent voice of enthusiasts asking for a manual gearbox. And they could not have chosen a better car to attach it to. The first-generation M2 was a runaway hit. Small, light-ish and all that M power led it to become the highest-ever sold M-car, with over 60,000 on the roads around the world. No pressure, then, on the second generation, right?

Since BMW’s design language is quite the conversation starter these days, let’s start with the beauty bits or the lack thereof. Thankfully, the ‘grille till you can bear it’ approach has been given a miss and the M2’s kidney grille is not just bearable but mostly functional, and built directly into the front bumper. The boxy fender flares and wide haunches give the M2 a semi-aggressive road presence. The quad exhaust tips make the rear a little bit interesting, but otherwise the design does not feel cohesive. Sure, photos do not do it justice, but even if compared to the previous M2, this one is more striking than pretty.