Thanks to its immense hype upon release, the BMW M2 was thrown against nearly every car that even resembled a competitor. Porsche Cayman GT4, Shelby Mustang GT350, Corvette, Jaguar F-Type and the list goes on and on. Basically anything that was fun, fast and even remotely affordable was taken on by the scrappy M2. However, of all the cars on the market, its closest competitor might actually be an all-wheel drive sedan — the Audi RS3.
Okay, so the RS3 Sedan is quite a bit different from the rear-wheel drive coupe that is the BMW M2. The BMW M2 makes 365 hp from its 3.0 liter turbocharged I6 engine, is available with a dual-clutch transmission and powers only its rear wheels. The Audi RS3 makes 400 hp from its 2.5 liter turbocharged I5 engine, uses only a dual-clutch transmission and powers all four wheels. However, these two cars are really the two that compete the most, despite their differences.
They both can hit 60 mph in around 4 seconds flat, with the M2 usually doing it a tick or two over four seconds and the RS3 sometimes doing it a tick or two under. But around 4 seconds seems to be the number for both, consistently. So they’re both very, very quick. They both also cost around the same price. The Audi RS3 Sedan starts life at $54,900 while the BMW M2 (w/ DCT) starts at $55,400. Also, both cars have usable back seats, though the RS3 gets two extra doors, and a big trunk.
But most importantly, they both come from humble roots. Both cars are based on each brand’s small, inexpensive, entry-level cars that both start out with measly diesel engines under hood. So these aren’t thoroughbred performance cars but humble cars that punch above their weight class.
Admittedly, both cars are significantly different to drive. The BMW M2 is a hooligan that likes to wag its tail across the pavement in a heap of tire smoke. The Audi RS3 likes to pummel the tarmac into submission with its tenacious grip and torque. Where as the M2 is elegant and balanced, the RS3 is brutish and violent. But they’re both fast and they’re both fun.
Sure, these cars are mechanically very different. But they’re priced similarly, achieve the same goals and start out as similarly humble cars. So while they can perform higher than their price tags would suggest and many will compare them to more expensive cars, the BMW M2’s main competitor seems to be the Audi RS3 Sedan.
[Source: Gear Patrol]
No, the RS3 isn’t its only competitor. If the RS3 is competing with the M2, the CLA45 is also.
For anyone wanting a rwd. turbo I6 stick coupe, M2 is one of a kind.
I have to agree, the M2 is really ought to be out own its own. CLA45 and RS3, yes… but M2 is by itself. As you said, the other two aren’t even manual, RWD or coupes. I can see how people would cross shop them in the real world though. All offer similar performance for similar money.
I was pointing out that if the RS3 competes with it, the CLA competes with the RS3, so therefore, the CLA too competes with the M2. The RS3 isn’t the M2’s only “true” competitor, which is why this article is a bit weird.
I used to drive a 135i & loved it. M2 is evolved from 3 Series, other two seem like econoboxes.
The M2 is the new Supra, but that’ll be more evident when it gets the S55
No, the RS is a trash VW rebadge with garbage materials, same as the CLA45.
Your making BMW owners look very stupid with your comment, we don’t appreciate it. RS is not trash vw rebadge, really? Thats like saying a M2 is a m235i with fender flares. please change your screen name to M2poser
YOU’RE making BMW owners look very stupid with your comment, who is “we”? Since the Audi is based on the fwd. corporate Golf platform, how is he wrong? Don’t think you get to censor screen names, either.
Yes, he exaggerated a bit because Audi doesn’t use “garbage materials”, and Mercedes definitely doesn’t either. But Audi = Rebadged VW and that’s a fact. Same platform, same boring AF design, same engines and many more shared components make them more expensive VWs with a better image and more tech. It’s still FWD though.
In some cases, yes Audis are rebadged VWs. But not in the case of the RS3. That’d be like saying a Rolls Royce Ghost is a rebadged 7 Series. The RS3 is built on VW Group’s MQB platform, yes, but its entire powertrain is its own, engine and transmission. The all-wheel drive system is Haldex but specifically tuned for the RS3 and its interior is complete its own. Also its suspension and steering are unique as well. People take platform sharing too seriously. Platforms or architectures are really just series of dimensions and designs, not exact copies of cars.
I agree that the RS3 isn’t really a rebadged VW in terms of driving dynamics and interior. But the exterior is still boring AF imo even though it has wide wheel arches etc. The M2 is definitely the better drivers’ car, sadly it’s a dying species…
How many RS3s do you see being driven to track days by their owners? Or VAGs of any kind, for that matter? There is NO comparison between any MQB and the M2.
No, the RS is a rebadge POS VW with trash materials etc. It isn’t in the same league.
981 and 718 Caymans are in the same category,,,,,RWD, manual, coupes…
Aren’t they mid-engine 4s? Pricier? 2 seaters? Less trunk space? On their way to court with the rest of VAG?
Less trunk space? You are kidding? A cayman has two trunks…. And no a 981 base cayman is in the same price range. The only prob is the M2 can’t hold a stick to either a 981 Cayman or a 718….the M2 got spanked hard by both variants.
Two small ones, the 718s have a total of 275l while the M2 can take 390l with the rear seats up, which is slightly more than a VW Golf according to Whatcar. The M2 is much more practical than a 718, it’s not even comparable.
By whom? Who cross shops a 2 seat sports car with a 2+2 coupe? Who cross shops VAG with BMW?
Since you have decided the M2 is inferior, why compare? I couldn’t even fit into the Porsche..
No, that’s the segment with the 4C, the Elise/Exige and the A110. Those are all mid engined two seaters.
The M2 is the closest thing to a Cayman BMW can make. : (
The Z4 is…
GOSH you brought up a great point. where is the new MZ4? Clownshoe to M Z4 coupe to nothing. great point K971…
It doesn’t look like BMW wants to do a Z4M… But the M40i with i presume 360hp won’t be that far off
The new nothing is being previewed at Pebble Beach.
BMW have no more tried to make a Cayman than they have a 911. The rebadged Toureg is the closest thing to an X5M Porsche can make!
I know, it’s sad. BMW keeps making bigger and heavier cars. It’s the only thing they do really well.
You’re an idiot.
So in your infinite wisdom, what is a car in its category? Common sense says a car is in another cars category if it is “cross shopped” with the other…..So your logic is saying a Porsche 911 is not in the same class with an AMG GT-S or an F type Jag because the Porsche has a rear engine? And the other are 2 seaters? You are kidding, right?.. Comparing it to an Audi automatic sedan is crazy! Nobody is cross shopping the two! Has nothing to do with mid engine, front engine, rear engine…The M2 and and a Cayman are bothcompact , rear drive, 2dr, manual sports cars……surely this should not have to be explained…..
By your logic an X5 M and an M5 are in the same category, a Wraith and a 488 are in the same category, an M3 a 911 and an F-Type are in the same category or a Golf GTi and a BRZ are in the same category…. People cross-shop all kinds of cars, but that doesn’t mean they’ve the same purpose, usually just that they have a similar pricetag.
Nowadays there are so much different types of cars that your description could fit half the industry. Guess what, an Alfa 4C and a Ferrari LaFerrari are both Italian 2 door mid engined dct two seater coupes… The exact same thing.
More seriously though all the cars i listed are in a similar price range, have similar power to weight ratio and performance figures overall, are all mid engined two seaters and all have a four cylinder engine (the Exige being the exception). Those are definitely in the same category.
Are you over 25 years old? You are one lost individual…..Any time I encounter an M2 on the street with my 981 Cayman S it is game on! Either they pull up to me or I pull up to them and it’s game on! You are insane to think they are not in the same category!!! They are both lightweight, compact, rear wheel drive German sports cars! How you don’t understand the similarity is mind boggling????? Go buy yourself one,,,maybe then you will get it!
There is definitely some sort of rivalry between the two, like there was between the 1M and the Cayman R. But they are just so different still, the 718 is relatively light but the M2 is as heavy as a Carrera 4S. 150kg of difference. The 718 is pretty small but the M2 looks pretty bulky on the road because of its wide body, it’s not big but it’s not small either, definitely not 718 small.
They have a somewhat similar purpose but done completely differently. To me it looks like the reasons why someone would go after the M2 (versatility and practicality) will eliminate the 718 out of his list and vice-versa. Something like a TT RS seems more comparable.
After reading all of these comments, I think a lot of people are missing the point the article was making. Cars don’t necessarily need to share the same drivetrain setup to compete. The reason I was asking if the RS3 Sedan was the true competitor to the BMW M2 was because both cars offer very similar performance, are priced almost identically and, most importantly, are both based on humble roots.
Cars like the Cayman, Corvette, F-Type and most others mentioned here are almost all significantly more expensive and are bespoke sports cars, not based on any other car. The M2 and RS3 are both based on each brand’s cheapest car that typically come with lowley diesels.
Plus, both the M2 and RS3 are comfortable enough and practical enough to be used everyday, all the time, as someone’s only car.
To me,,,saying an M2 does not compete with the likes of Cayman’s, Audi TT’s, Mustangs, Camaros, and Sting rays is insulting to the BMW brand! Of course they do,,,and they do it well! They should not be viewed as RS3 killers! But direct competitors to American and European entry level sports cars………A camaro ss and a stingray can be had under 55k a base cayman/ boxster a tad more. Whats an M2 going for? 50-60k? My problem is someone looking for a 2dr sports car is not looking for a 4 door sedan….Someone buying a coupe probably has another vehicle to do the everyday things. There are some awesome coupes out there these days…and trust me, a guy with a Shelby GT350R, a Camaro SS, or a base Cayman is going to view an M2 BMW on the street as a challenge,,,and rightfully so. Why? Because they are in the same “segment” as entry level sports coupes.
A challenge?! Where do you live that street racing is legal? Or smart?
Again Terry,,,maybe one day when you actually own a BMW M2 or have a buddy who has one,,,,you may understand? Maybe not? Until then, you can live vicariously through this web site,,,,I, however, will go in my garage and pull a car out of my garage and actually live the experience. You should try it,,,it is kind of fun..
Owned an e9, have driven most that have followed. One reason I take issue when they are compared to VAG, AMG or domestic trash. Enjoy your rebadged Toureg.
no need to sound like a knob just because someone else is..go to my garage and live the experience.. lol
Maybe this article should read…”IS THE AUDI RS3 The ONLY COMPETITION THE M2 CAN BEAT”……because their are a bunch of cars, in the same category known as “sports cars” that will destroy it! i.e.,,,,,Camaro, Mustang, Audi TT, Cayman S, Boxster S, Corvette Stingray…..an RS3 never even crossed my mind…
Again, if the M2 is so lame, why are you here?
Because I am not a fan boy worshiping every car BMW manufactures! Is this a fan boy page where everybody lives in a BMW haze? Or is this about discussing cars? I am a car guy,,,,I road race, I drag race, I love cars. The M2 is not lame,,,it is a cool car. It is not a Porsche Cayman, but not many cars are. The article is stating its only competition is an RS3….that is what happens when kids write artcles and have no idea what they are talking about. That is an insane observation….there are many direct competitors. I own cars in this genre, they are all fun cars. But understand, I don’t come here to praise every car BMW puts out.
Full circle: M2 is unique to the marketplace. Ditto M3 & M4 – who else is turbocharging inline sixes? There are no alternatives.