Jumping in the M240i after driving the X7 and 540i reminds me of why I love BMW. The small 2 Series coupe is similar in size to the E46 and E92 M3s that made me a Bimmer fan. I’m sat low, close to the ground, with the fat steering wheel falling easily to hand and drive mode buttons at my right hip. The steering wheel’s flappy paddles encourage me to play. For me, the quintessence of BMW is tightly wrapped sports coupes.
When I power on the M240i, the glitz of the new panoramic iDrive screen and the glow of the color HUD display remind me of BMW’s current technology chase. Even the entry-level 2 Series gets glossy screens and catchy graphics. While the iDrive infotainment is fast-acting and full of features, I ignore it as I’m here to “enjoy the go.” (Thanks, Charmin!)
However, truth be told, BMW has also applied its technological wizardry to the drivetrain. This M240i xDrive routes power to all four wheels via a rear-biased AWD system that mimics classic RWD dynamics.
The M240i’s heritage helps place it in the world. Its granddad was the original 1 Series. Launched in 2004, the OG (E82) 1 Series was a frumpy little car and hoot to drive. The E82’s hottest variant was the 1 Series M Coupe, which paired BMW’s turbo I6 with choice handling parts from the E92 M3. This motley M car is one of the best I’ve ever driven!
The next generation was the (F22) 2 Series. It arrived while BMW was adding one to its odd-numbered coupes to make the 2, 4, 6, and 8 Series we now know. Thus, we got the handsome F22, which thoroughly cleaned up the E82’s pudgy looks. Though I bemoaned the F22’s loss of hydraulic steering, the 228i and M2 were awesome handling cars in their own right, with short wheelbases and high chuckability. This generation made the M2 a mass-market commodity and a great choice for young lovers of the M brand.
Today, we have the (G42) 2 Series, the third generation in the lineage. It arrives at an unfortunate time when BMW is fixated on making its cars shockingly ugly. The G42 M240i almost avoided this fugly fate, but its well-toned body got stuck with a Pinocchio nose before it left the studio. (Why does the M240i need a schnoz like an AMG GT?) The proportions are discordant, but at least the sleek M240i avoided the new M2’s elephantiasis!
What the prior 1 and 2 Series had in common was driving pleasure; as Yoda could have said, “quick-witted coupes are they.” Thankfully, my initial impression of the new M240i says the character continues.
Leaving the parking lot for city streets, the M240i rides with firm composure. It reminds me of the tight suspension from my E90 M3, which prioritized body control over a wafting ride. The driver’s seat is reasonably comfortable, with good back and torso support but a slightly flat seat bottom. The steering is immediate and precise. There is a fair amount of road noise from the tires, and I can feel the road texture bubbling up through the floorboards.
Turning onto a broad city avenue, I squeeze the gas. The B58 I6 growls as the M240i accelerates. After so many drives in electric and hybrid vehicles, the B58 strikes me as an honest ICE engine. There’s no electric push to cover up its turbocharging, so there’s a mild lull in torque until the turbine hits its stride and shoves the M240i forward. As a car meant for driving pleasure, I appreciate that the M240i has a few mechanical quirks, as they give me a greater sense of the engineering choices that went into this coupe.
One would hope that a small sporty coupe would weigh less than 3,500 lbs, but that is not the way of the new 2 Series. The 2-er coupe has always weighed within a few hundred pounds of a 3-er sedan, and today’s M240i xDrive tips the scales with a hefty 3,871 lbs. BMW has compensated for its burgeoning belt lines by adding power and grip, so the M240i xDrive gets 382 hp and sticky summer tires. (The test car wore 225/40ZR19 Pirelli Cinturato P7 run flats.) The performance hardware helps mask the mass, but buyers can save 121 lbs by avoiding xDrive AWD and selecting rear-wheel drive instead.
I trundle past fast-food restaurants and Dollar Tree stores on rough pavement. The blemished road highlights the M240i’s emphasis on sport over luxury. While my dental fillings aren’t rattled out of my teeth, my gut is jiggled like a Jello cup by the tight suspension. Put plainly, the M240i rides like I expect an M Sport suspension to ride: it’s tight without being abusive, and it doesn’t hide the bumps.
Though increasingly rare, I6 engines are a key component of BMW-ness to me. The M240i’s I6 engine is heard clearly as I accelerate from light to light; its song links it to decades of exceptional BMW engines. The turbocharged B58 has a 3.0L displacement and needs a few revs to get over its boost threshold, but once it does, it produces a healthy 369 lb-ft of torque.
As I’m about to clear the urban chaos, I poke the Sport mode button and grab the left paddle for a downshift. The drivetrain response tightens significantly under the new programming, and the transmission executes a flawless blip shift. When I stomp on the throttle from 3k rpm, the M240i leaps forward and growls ferociously. The upshift to third gear comes with a nice womp from the exhaust, stirring my blood and plastering a broad grin on my face. Clearly, BMW has sprinkled some car-nut cocaine into the M240i’s fizzy cola mixture. I’m quickly seeing how a driving enthusiast would be thrilled with this car.
Cruising through a stretch of road construction in an overly aggressive gear, the M240i feels hungry to run. Once I pass the final flagger, I smash the throttle and feed the little beast. The M240i blitzes a long climbing sweeper as it rips to 80 mph. Its engine pulls heartily as I click off seamless upshifts to third and fourth gears, and the chassis allows a smidge of body roll as it vectors cleanly through the corner. Yes, the B58’s mighty thrust makes molehills out of the M240i’s mountainous weight; I loved this mill in the M340i, and it’s just as much of a stud in the M240i.
Cantering along at highway speeds with adrenaline coursing in my blood, it’s fair to say that I have a new favorite small BMW, the feisty and joyous M240i. Its engine, transmission, and chassis match the sporty driving I love. BMW has tuned the suspension for feisty back-road driving, and they’ve even taken pains to make the steering communicate: the tire impacts of road cracks and Botts dots make it to my hands.
For its power, poise, and practicality—the rear seats look large enough for kids or small adults—the M240i strikes me as the modern incarnation of the venerable E46 M3. Both cars are everyday usable, thrilling, yet completely accessible on real-world roads. (No 600hp fire dragons here.) The B58’s outsized oomph gives it real thrust, and its M Sport chassis has me longing for curves. I hold the M240i in high esteem, and I hope my next drive will come with much more seat time and a better variety of roads.
Mike's Steering Column 