2023 BMW M2 Dyno Test Shows Noticeably More Power Than Advertised

BMW seems to habitually underrate the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six.

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Mark Webb

By: Mark Webb

Apr 11, 2023 at 6:42pm ET

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There's no question the 2023 BMW M2 is special. It looks like a proper M car from BMW and performs like one, including having enough power to back up its looks. In fact, it may have more power than it lets on, according to a recent video from IND Distribution.

It's not the first time we've seen BMW's 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine deliver more power than expected. In October, we reported that the M4 CSL's engine showed a stout 595 horsepower, 53 hp more than BMW's official number.

The BMW M2’s new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, shared with the M4, is rated at a respectable 453 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque. That's 48 hp more than the previous M2 Competition and eight more than the most-powerful M2 CS.

Gallery: 2023 BMW M2: First Drive Review

However, IND Distribution's dyno shows that BMW's official numbers are slightly low. After three runs, its Zandvoort Blue M2 showed a peak output of 465 horsepower and 412 pound-feet of torque. That gap between the official and dyno numbers isn't as significant as it was for the M4 CSL, but it's enough to make you wonder if BMW is intentionally pessimistic regarding its official engine power figures.

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In any case, the Motor1 team is enamored with the new M2. In our recent test, we said that "If you like the M4, then you’ll love the new M2." While offering a slightly different personality than the original M2, the new one proves to be a smaller and more agile version of the M4 with many of the same features.

Starting at $63,195, including the destination fee, the M2 isn't cheap. It's also not light, tipping the scales at 3,867 pounds. That's just 112 pounds less than the M4 and more than 200 pounds more than the previous M2 Competition. A lot of that weight is due to BMW's modular CLAR architecture, which underpins the M4 as well as this car. However, that heft is more than made up for by the performance, including a 3.9 second 0 to 60 mph time and an exhaust note offering the exciting yet familiar rasp of BMW's most potent inline-six engines.

Source: IND Distribution via YouTube