The trend started in 1966 when BMW introduced their first sporty shorty, the 02, with the 2002 being the most desirable of them all. Nowadays a sought-after cult classic. Those cars initially gave the Bavarian brand their cult following. And what is it, that real BMW aficionados don’t like? Mainly three things: front-wheel drive, small engines, and big kidney grilles. So being Bavarian BMW said: ‘Hold my beer’. Out came the second-generation 2 Series of 2022, which might well be the last of its kind. The beginning of the end for old-school small cars out of the BMW stable. The 2 Series Coupé was first introduced in 2013 and then facelifted in 2017.

That’s why you should take full advantage of this offering and go for the top-of-the-range model of the three variants, available in SA. Don’t get me wrong, the 220i and the 200d Coupé with 4cyl. diesel/petrol engines are great cars, but the spirit of a two-door sporty BMW Coupé only really comes across in the 285kW six-cylinder version, with all-wheel drive, the M240i.

The new 2 is bigger, inside and out. It’s ten centimetres longer and five centimetres wider, the wheelbase gains 5cm. It’s lower and stiffer, with a lower centre of gravity. All this is due to the fact, that it is build on a different platform: the one, the 3 Series and 4 Series are using. With the axles borrowed from the Z4. So the new 2 is a baby M4 now, not a souped-up 1 anymore.

The power dome makes the hood look smaller, but much more aggressive. I love the Coupé-typical frameless glass in the doors and the three-dimensional rear lights. Inside it is now also more 3 or 4 than 2.