After a long wait, the BMW M2 is here and, on paper at least, it looks like the most exciting car in BMW M’s lineup right now.

For most BMW M fans, a 370PS (365hp) twin-turbocharged straight six-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels is another way of describing heaven.

The BMW M2 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds with the standard manual gearbox or in 4.3 seconds with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch DCT transmission. But as BMW shows in the first promotional video for the M2, it also has a playful side.

The so-called “launchfilm” for the BMW M2 shows the new compact performance coupe doing power slides on the circuit in the company of its direct predecessor, the 1 M Coupe, and its spiritual predecessor, the E30 M3. More importantly, the video reveals the M2 Coupe’s Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7 minutes and 58 seconds. That makes it six seconds slower than the M4 Coupe. Opinions?

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