In the market for a beginner-friendly race car tailored to privateers? Seeking a competition-ready vehicle straight off the trailer? Working with a six-figure budget? Let’s narrow the focus further… Does a BMW pique your interest? If you’ve reached this ultra-specific niche, meet your match: the BMW M2 Racing.

As BMW’s compact flagship M model, the M2 claimed our 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year title and remains a standout in our long-term test fleet, where it continues to impress. This agile coupe delivers thrilling performance and blistering speed, borrowing key components from its larger M3 and M4 siblings—most notably a muscular 453–473-horsepower twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. Its smaller frame paired with this robust powertrain creates an exhilarating driving experience that defies its size.

The M2 Racing isn’t just stripped of luxury comforts—its cabin is gutted for a fire suppression system, roll cage, motorsport-grade dash, and track-ready gear. But the most surprising deletion lies under the hood: gone is the standard M2’s S58 inline-six, replaced by a turbocharged four-cylinder. Cue the disbelief!

Before lamenting the loss of two cylinders (in a car most will never own), recall BMW M’s history. The legendary E30 M3, a compact coupe akin to today’s M2, roared with a high-revving four-cylinder. Inline-sixes only entered smaller M models with the 1990s-era M3, while the E90 M3 later shocked purists with a roaring V-8. Cylinder counts in M cars have always shifted—so why fuss over the M2 Racing’s four-pot? Even its predecessor, the M235i Racing, packed a six, but BMW’s performance division has never been shackled to tradition. The M2 Racing’s engine choice? Just another chapter in M’s legacy of mechanical experimentation.

The BMW M2 Racing features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the brand’s B48 family, shared with other BMW models. While its 313 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque fall short of the production M2’s S58 inline-six, the Racing variant compensates with a stripped-down curb weight of approximately 3,300 pounds—over 300 pounds lighter than the standard automatic-equipped M2. This enhances its power-to-weight ratio, paired with the same ZF 8HP automatic transmission and rear mechanical locking differential.

Upgrades include BMW M Motorsport brake cooling, an aerodynamic kit with a front splitter, a carbon-fiber roof, quick-release hood/trunk latches, 18-inch forged wheels, and KW adjustable dampers with anti-roll bars. The cabin incorporates Makrolon rear side windows featuring a fuel filler port and a pit-speed limiter. Each model arrives in U300 Alpine White, serving as a blank canvas for custom liveries and sponsor decals.