A special and comfortable vehicle for true BMW enthusiasts

To get a clean BMW these days you have to count to 2. By that I mean 2 Series.

Series 1 started life doing all the party stunts Beamer did. They were rear-wheel drive with the option of six-cylinder engines. But this is no longer the case.

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Today’s 1 Series is front-wheel drive and only comes with three- and four-cylinder engines. Or you might have xDrive, which is BMW’s code for all-wheel drive.

This means that the BMW 128ti is the equivalent of the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Front wheel drive and 265 hp.

The top-of-the-line M135i xDrive looks more like a Golf R. All-wheel drive and 306 hp. Both are great cars, but not branded BMWs.

However, step up to the 2 Series coupe and things start to look more like a BMW. You get the full BMW experience.

The entry-level car is rear-wheel drive, although it uses four-cylinder engines, petrol and diesel. There are grades 220i and 220d.

But opt ​​for the M240i and you get that nice-sounding 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, albeit with all-wheel drive as standard.

The best specialists in BMW’s M division - M stands for motorsport for the street - made sure it was set back a lot, with the front wheels only engaging when you’re in trouble.

A full-fledged M2 is on the way. Expect it to be 450 horses, with a choice of rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and more carbon fiber lightness. We’ll see this fall.

In the meantime, there’s the M240i, which we just tested. I would take one in no time.

Properly powerful. Seriously fast. Zero to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds.

The steering is sharp. The suspension is surprisingly supple. Ideal 50:50 weight distribution. Brakes are like anchors. Plus, xDrive is your friend on the dirt road.

Put it all together, and the result is a car that flies from corner to corner with pleasure.

From the moment you step inside, you just know that the next half hour or so is going to be fun. However, it also works as a long-range cruiser.

It is very comfortable. The seats are widely adjustable. All finishes look and feel expensive. And there’s a good balance between screens and switches for essentials. Just put your unloved child in the back.

This is a special car. Niche car? Yes. But this is intentional. The 1 Series is designed for a much larger number of customers, which gives BMW the freedom to make the 2 Series for true enthusiasts.

A little boomer that acts like a real boomer, if you will.

Now I’m going to put the same old needle on the same old record and do it again: this could be the last dance for racy little cars like this one.

With the world rapidly moving towards electrification, can BMW do it again in six years? I doubt it.

So let’s enjoy them while we can. More than 2 of you.

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