The 2024 BMW M2 Is What an M Car Should Look Like

A few weeks ago, images leaked of the new BMW M2. Uh oh. It seemed as though BMW had made yet another ugly car, though thankfully, the official images prove that's not the case. In fact, the new M2 looks damn good.

It's not beautiful in the classic sense, and you could argue the front and rear fascias are over-styled, but it nails the factory hot-rod sport-coupe thing. The M2 appears short and muscular, with boxy fender flares and a stance that recalls the epochal E30 M3. This is what the smallest M car should look like.

When the new 2-Series came out, I wasn't convinced. BMW designers increased the dash-to-axle ratio, the length between the dashboard and the centerline of the front wheels. Traditionally, front-engine sports cars have quite a long dash-to-axle, the result of pushing a long engine towards the dashboard for optimum weight distribution. Open up the hood of a Jaguar E-Type, and you'll understand why it looks the way it does. Despite using inline engines set back behind the front axle, BMWs have relatively short dash-to-axle ratios. The new 2-Series does, however, and it looks odd, especially in profile. With bigger fender flares, that awkwardness is gone. Widening the car—a move to fit the axles of the M3/M4—makes it look far more balanced.