Now that the 2023 BMW M2 G87 is here, it’s time to see how it stacks up against its predecessor. After all, the previous-gen M2 was a beloved car, one that not only drive brilliantly (especially in CS form) but also looked great (especially in CS form). So can this new car top the last-gen car’s design? Let’s take a look.
This is where the real comparison is going to happen and, ultimately, where customers will judge both cars. The F87 M2 was, and still is, a great looking Bimmer and its simple, handsome front end is a big part of why. Its grilles are sensibly sized, its headlights feature the classic double halo design, and its air intakes fit the front end properly. This new car, though, is a bit different. While it’s grilles are sized properly, their weird rectangular shape, with their harsh 90-degree angles, look odd and don’t really fit the car. And the almost perfectly rectangular air intakes look wrong. It’s not bad looking but it just seems to lack cohesion, especially compared to the F87. So the older car wins here.
The new G87 BMW M2 looks good in profile. Looking at it from the side, you can see boxiness of the flared fenders, similar to the E30 M3’s. Admittedly, the abruptness of the fender flares with more harsh right angles, looks a bit odd on the 2 Series’ body style. However, it works better than at the front. Even still, it cant’ match the F87 M2. The more I look at the G87, the more I appreciate the F87. The latter is just so smooth and cohesive looking, with muscular hips that look natural, not forced. I like how low the G87 looks, and I always felt the F87 looked a bit too tall, but the F87’s profile is just better to these eyes overall.
From this angle, the G87 really works. Its taillights are starting to grow on me, and…
