Our Cars: BMW M2

After almost five months, I’m now much closer to the end of my time with this BMW M2 than the start. In fact, just six weeks from now a man from BMW will arrive at my house to take it away, and that’ll be that for the best long-term test car I’ve ever had. Better than the VW Golf R Mk7, the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, the modified BMW M135i (the last of the rear-drive models) and better even than the previous-shape BMW M4? No question.

I’ve been fortunate enough to live with plenty of other press demonstrators over the years, but the four listed above are the ones that left the biggest impression. Even so, I don’t remember feeling particularly sorry when they were taken away, but I will when the M2 returns to the mothership. In part that’s because there’s really nothing else out there like it. I can think of only one other sports coupé on sale today that seats four and offers a manual gearbox option – the Ford Mustang.

Toyota GR86? A great car but you can’t necessarily order one right now. Porsche 911? Fine if you’ve got at least a hundred grand to spend and don’t want to carry adults or taller children in the back. If you don’t and you do, and a hefty muscle car isn’t for you, it has to be an M2.