CarWOW has arranged a drag race between two unlikely contenders: a BMW M2 Competition and its biggest sibling, the M8 Competition. The former received a plethora of upgrades to keep up.
The two cars still seem vastly different on most levels, except perhaps only for the badge and the body style. The M8 Competition packs AWD and is being marketed as a full-fledged supercar. With its 4.4-liter V8 sending 625 hp (466 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) to the wheels by means of an eight-speed automatic transmission, this placement actually seems justified.
The M2 Competition leaves a much more modest impression. It comes rear-axle driven by a twin-turbocharged inline-six engine rated at 410 hp (306 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque. The transmission type is seven-speed DSG. The advantages include lower weight (400 kg / 880 lbs lighter than the M8) and almost twice as cheap (€78k against the €135k of the M8).
The M2 did receive a number of high-end performance upgrades, and the M8 had its front axle uncoupled to even out the odds on the wet tarmac where AWD would probably play a decisive role otherwise.
In the end, the DSG transmission of the M2 proved more responsive than the automatic one of the M8, and the carbon-ceramic brakes the latter comes equipped with once again showed underwhelming performance.