Despite the BMW M2 being the cheapest M car on sale, it’s still the best M car on sale. It packs almost M4-levels of performance in a smaller, more compact package, which makes it incredibly fun. In fact, at the price point, you’d be hard pressed to find a car as fun as the M2. Which is why it’s a Motor Magazine Performance Car of the Year.

Out of the twelve cars that made it as Motor Mag’s Performance Car of the Year, the BMW M2 placed 4th. That puts it ahead of cars like the Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG C63 and Nissan GT-R. So it beat out some pretty great competition. It received high praise from most of the Motor Mag staffers, as it performs well on both the road and track.

 

It makes its bones on the road, though. While it’s a good car on the track, as it’s fun and fast without being scary or difficult to handle, it’s best out on the pavement. It’s comfortable enough to be a great daily driver but when it gets to the twisty bits, it comes alive. With sharp steering and playful driving dynamics, the M2 is a return to form for the M Division.