The BMW M2 has a twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, called the S58, with 353kW and either 600Nm (with eight-speed auto) or 550Nm (with six-speed manual).

The M2 CS boasts 390kW and 650Nm, but only comes with an eight-speed auto.

The engine drives the rear wheels in all three versions of the M2.

The BMW M2 is capable of a claimed 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds (or 4.2sec with a manual gearbox) BMW says, though the M2 CS is a bit quicker at 3.8sec. The CS also removes the 250km/h top speed limit and can hit 302km/h, reportedly.

The BMW M2’s focus isn’t its interior features, but a 12.3-inch multimedia screen and a 14.9-inch driver display fitted into one continuous unit are the headlines, plus configurable drive settings, shift paddles or a more traditional central shifter, depending on gearbox.

A Harman Kardon sound system, phone charger and dual-zone climate control are the other key features, with heated sports seats in the M2 or carbon racing seats in the M2 CS.

The BMW M2 is a small, two-door sports car and as such isn’t very spacious. A driver-focused interior includes leather and Alcantara, or plenty of carbon fibre if you opt for the special M2 CS.

Unlike many modern cars, there are a series of physical buttons and controls for easy access to settings and menus pertaining to driving.

The BMW M2 is a four-seat sports car, though as a two-door coupe the rear seats require climbing into and are a bit tight for full-sized humans.

The front seats are either everyday padded sports seats or figure-hugging semi-racing seats with intense bolstering, depending on whether you go for the sharper M2 CS or not.

The BMW M2 has a 52-litre fuel tank and claimed fuel consumption of between 9.7L and 10.1L/100km. This suggests a range of around 500km per tank of (98 RON) premium petrol, though 11.4L/100km on a CarsGuide test in the M2 CS suggests reaching 500km would be optimistic.