Köln to Brescia with the new M2

Autobahn 3, Frankfurt, 7 p.m. We sip a terrible coffee while refueling our BMW M2. It’s pouring rain, and the beautiful Telesto Grey bodywork is crossed by shimmering reflections that, under the downpour, give it an almost matte appearance.

We set off from Cologne just a few hours ago and are due to reach Brescia tomorrow. As usual, apart from a few fast stretches of Autobahn, we’ll avoid motorways and choose a route that includes several Alpine passes we know well. Once in Austria, we’ll leave the high-speed roads behind and head towards Sölden, before climbing the Timmelsjoch Pass and finally crossing into Italy.

The M2 has always been one of our favourite M cars: the most compact, the purest and, in a way, the most “honest” of modern M models. It’s a car that can certainly be used every day, but one that truly deserves to be set free on winding mountain roads. Thus, the departure from Cologne and a few hundred kilometres on the Autobahn become the perfect prologue to our 1,000-plus-kilometre journey.

Fourteen months after the debut of the M2 G87, BMW introduces its first facelift. The updated 2025 model retains its race-bred attitude, refining it through a series of stylistic and mechanical tweaks. Visually, it remains largely unchanged, apart from the addition of gloss black exhaust tips and the option of silver-finished 19- and 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside the cabin, the Alcantara-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel immediately stands out, while the instrumentation is updated with a 12.3-inch digital cluster, paired with a 14.9-inch infotainment display running BMW OS 8.5.

The most interesting changes, however, lie beneath the bonnet. The now-legendary 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six S58 receives a modest upgrade, raising output to 480 hp—20 more than before. Torque climbs to 600 Nm on the eight-speed automatic version, delivering sharp throttle response and a continuous surge that builds without interruption.

The following day, finally leaving the plains behind, the new M2 truly begins to tell the story of its evolution. On the road to Sölden, along endless sweeping bends that flow like a mantra, the car feels lighter on its feet and more closely connected to the driver’s inputs. The steering, more honest and communicative, allows the front end to be placed with a precision that the previous generation occasionally lacked. The suspension works more cohesively, while the electronics—still ever-present—seem to have learned a subtler touch, allowing the natural rhythm of the drive to emerge.

At 2,474 metres above sea level, the Timmelsjoch Pass is among the highest drivable mountain passes in Europe. Just a few kilometres earlier the sky was blue; now we find ourselves enveloped in cloud, with temperatures dropping close to freezing. Here, between rock walls that amplify every note of the six-cylinder engine, the 2025 M2 reveals its aggressive character. Torque is always on tap, now pushing even higher up the rev range, allowing both relaxed cruising at mid revs and full-throttle runs to the redline without any loss of thrust. The torque-converter automatic gearbox, far smoother than the old F87’s dual-clutch, snaps through ratios with ruthless precision.

The landscape around us is completely white, blanketed in fresh snow, while the tarmac—though clear—is extremely slippery. The M Setup, with its ten levels, allows fine-tuning of the M Traction Control intervention, letting the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres slide safely through the wide hairpins leading to the summit.

The highly communicative steering and faultless chassis remind us that size still matters. The M2 is built on a shortened version of the current M4 platform, with a wheelbase reduced by 110 mm compared to its bigger sister—a characteristic that makes it simply perfect for this kind of road.

Descending towards South Tyrol, the sky opens up once again and, as we head towards the autumn-painted Dolomites, the scenery seems tailor-made to highlight the M2’s dual personality: raw and muscular, yes, but also surprisingly mature. The excellent driving position, good visibility, communicative steering and flawless software make it a sports car that is always alert and responsive, easy to understand and exploit.

After several hours of hairpins and forests, we rejoin the A22 Brenner motorway. The final destination draws near, and the smiles on our faces confirm that the M2 has been a perfect travel companion, offering a level of mechanical cohesion worthy of the finest M cars.

In an era where weight and dimensions continue to grow, the BMW M2 stands as a reminder that the M division has not forgotten its roots—and still knows how to deliver a recipe faithful to the spirit of the M3 E30, carrying that tradition forward with conviction.