Aston Martin DBS vs BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

In mid-2018, to coincide with its global launch, CarsGuide was invited to a hush-hush, behind-closed-doors preview of the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. 

Hidden within a maze of black velvet drapes at a low-key, inner-city Sydney location sat the famous British brand’s new flagship, a stunning 2+2 GT with the performance, dynamics and luxurious quality to match its exotic looks and $500K+ price tag.

On that day, for whatever reason, I never thought the opportunity to steer it would come my way. But two years later, almost to the day, the key to this ‘Sabiro Blue’ beauty was mine.

The DBS Superleggera sits at the top performance coupe table, mixing it with Bentley, Ferrari, and Porsche’s finest. But maybe you already have one (or more) of those. Which begs the question, does this imposing V12 machine do enough to qualify for an extra space in your garage? 

Coupes are back.

Heading into the second half of the 2020s, buyers of affordable sports cars seem better-served for choice than when the current BMW 2 Series Coupe surfaced earlier this decade.

Mazda’s MX-5 keeps gently evolving. Toyota and Subaru have rejuvenated their respective firecracker 86/BRZ twins. The glorious Nissan Z is as evocative as it is entertaining. The recent Ford Mustang revamp serves rousing American muscle car. The reborn Honda Prelude looms as a hybrid hero. And even Audi’s TT is set for resurrection soon.

All reinvigorate the genre. Just like the (G42) 2 Series Coupe, the third in the series since 2007, released during 2021 and facelifted in 2024.

Here we revisit the M240i xDrive, our favourite version (sorry, M2 owners), to see if it remains the definitive brand experience.