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If you wanted a fast German saloon car you bought a BMW M3. Simple. It made the right noise (purists will say that ended with the E46's 3.2-litre normally-aspirated straight six), was rapid and had telepathic steering.
But as the M3 has grown up, it's now only available with four doors (you'll have to buy an M4 if you want the coupe version) and it weighs just over 1600kg.
It also got very expensive, the brilliant M3 Competition will put you over R1.3-million out of pocket. On the other hand, BMW's smallest M-car, the M2 can be picked up for under a bar.
So why do I think the M2 has replaced the M3?
The M2 and the E46 M3 are both 4.4m long, the M2 is only available in two-door configuration and the latest version labelled 'Competition' uses the S55 engine used in the F80 M3. The 2019 version makes 302kW and peak torque is pegged at 550Nm.
When I drove the diminutive M2 back in 2016, I loved how the turbocharged straight six dominated the driving experience. It felt nimble and very quick around a track in Franschhoek, and I could enter a corner at much higher speeds than I thought I could.
It's an easy car to drive fast and elevates your driving skill.
The diminutive M car has all the ingredients that made previous generation M3's such good cars. The M2 is slowly gaining the type of following that the M3 has in bucket loads.
More Competition
We're yet to drive the updated model, but it everything points to it being even better than the 2016 model.
In fact, that extra power sees the M2 Competition run a 4.4 second 0-100 km/h sprint time and a top speed of 287.58km/h top speed when tested by a Gauteng-based journalist.
So yes, the M2 has all the ingredients to be sought-after in a few years, but for the people that own one right now, well enjoy it, lucky buggers.
