Getting that coupé feeling with latest BMW 2-series

Published on 20 August, 2022

Overview

I believe there is something special about a coupé. To me it is more than just a technological jigsaw that is put together with precision and engineering.

Coupés should be all about building in and evoking emotion from within a car in large measure because of its sloped, low-slung looks and promise of power and pace.

Yes, saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs can all look well and win buyers for their looks too.

Indeed, compact SUVs and some new electric vehicles have taken design to a new level, often blending coupé looks into a cosmopolitan mix of design genres.

Rents are high so you may be thinking of buying a car to get to college – but be careful what you purchase

I wonder, though, will they prompt an enquiring look in 10 years time when, as older cars, they pass by on the road? Can they stand the test of time?

I ask that because I still turn my head to look at coupés, some from earlier this century, especially the likes of the Hyundai Coupé. It was dubbed the “poor man’s Porsche” in its prime. 

It had so much right in terms of design, and the mix and match of curve and edge. It is/was a car ahead of its time and I was sorry to see it discontinued.

And don’t let people tell you it was a woman’s car. What an insult to women and to the car.

I also remember the great yellow BMW 8-series coupé. And the Audi TT remains an exceptional piece of what I am going to call emotive engineering.

I could go on and on. Ford Puma anyone? (Yes there was a coupé version way back and a decent drive it was too).

There is a downside – you can, despite the best intentions, make a mess of a coupé. Ironically Hyundai did that with the subsequent Veloster hatch.

Now I get a fair bit of criticism from people saying I always seem to be driving something exotic or electrical. That is more a function of the timing of car production and arrival on the Irish market.

In the case of the coupés, I have to concede to criticism that they are not practical in the true sense of the word.

And they are always more costly than the standard, so an emotional response to seeing or driving a model has to be tempered with the reality of buying or owning one.

This week’s review car is the latest BMW 2-series Coupé.

It is not visually blaring on all fronts with audacious bulges and streaks of angles. I think the 4-series is nicer (the 2-series borrows from it and the 3-series).

But with its long bonnet, it has a mix of lovely lines. It certainly benefits from being a bit longer and wider than the old one.

To be precise it is 105mm longer (4,537mm) and 64mm wider (1,838mm) than its predecessor.

However, the new car is 28mm lower at 1,390mm. Its wheelbase is also 51mm longer at 2,741mm. So the “crouched” look is accentuated.

BMW reckons the car has almost perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Inside it is very much a take from the existing BMW pool of instrumentation, layout and new connectivity.

Yet with an excellent driver view, I got the sense of driving energy that you get from the really good exponents of the art of coupé making. 

If the test car had an Achilles heel in the current climate it was the presence of a diesel engine under the bonnet. It is now almost an offence to have such a power source in a car of this nature.

It’s not for me to say if that is right or wrong; only that I know the engine well from other models and it has never let me down.

On test I really had to strain to detect a harsh diesel note; pulling power was exceptional though, as a diesel, it didn’t have that madcap tearaway feeling of the likes of the petrol-engined 374hp M240i model. There is a more practical two-litre 4cyl petrol too.

The chassis was nicely sporty though I didn’t push it hard; it was obvious it could take a lot more turns and twists at greater speed. This had huge grip.

I would have liked a bit more feedback on the steering and maybe a bit more self-generated exhaust noise – part of the fun of a coupé I always say.

And taking three tall people in the cabin was really beyond its capacity; the long-legged rear occupant had to sit across both rear “seats” for a quick journey to the airport.

Despite some of the flaws just mentioned it still generated more than enough power, pace and handling to fit the coupé formula.

So yes I would buy one if I had the money, though I like the 4-series a lot.

The coupé magic lives on, albeit in smaller numbers as some automakers scale down their production. A pity.

But it makes the likes of the 2-series all the sweeter.

Rents are high so you may be thinking of buying a car to get to college – but be careful what you purchase