BMW M240i xDrive Coupé
Photo: Helge Jepsen
This BMW maintains the original virtues of the people of Munich. He’s uncompromisingly sporty, uncomfortable, damn fast, and he’s thirsty. That can be a lot of fun, yes!
Ethey still exist, real BMWs like they used to be. Cars that are about driving and performance first and getting from A to B second. BMW has now relaunched the compact 2 Series coupe, giving it the chassis of the 3 and 4 Series, resulting in a moderate increase in length and width, but the new 2 Series is now three centimeters flatter. In the top model, which was a guest in the editorial office, there is a three-liter straight-six cylinder installed lengthways, which is also old school in a positive sense. 374 hp and a maximum torque of 500 Newton meters, paired with all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic, promise a lot.
Let’s get going straight away: Yes, it’s been a long time since we’ve had such an impressive performance on the obligatory Taunus circuit as we have from this BMW. Actually everything fits. Comfortable seats with a lot of lateral support, very good seating position, precise, exact steering and a lot of bang. You may miss a manual gearshift, which isn’t even on offer, but the automatic also does a great job, and it varies wonderfully in the different driving programs. There is even the Eco mode, then the BMW behaves more subdued, Comfort is the program for every day. If you want it really crisp, choose Sport or even Sport Plus. In the sports programs, the machine responds even better, the engine speed level is higher, and the automatic gear goes up a notch. In Sport Plus, it shifts down when the accelerator is released before the corner. You don’t really need the shift paddles, the automatic does it.