Selling this car was much alike parting company with friends after a crazy good night out, probably having done something remarkably illegal. No car has any right to be as charming and endearing as the M2. I’ve used it predominantly as my commuting tool, ferrying me with real gusto and cheekiness to my office daily and currently there’s a sad, M2 sized hole in my heart.

With ownership of just over a year, one thing I wasn’t able to do was enjoy a trackway with it. It is such a ridiculously playful car that it just wants to be abused at every opportunity. The rear end is so completely pliable that it doesn’t take much at all steer the car completely from the rear. It’s no surprise that when Coventry BMW Sytners bought the car from me, they politely asked for a contribution to two new rear tyres.

Traction and stability control work pretty well – and you’re going to need those on anything other than completely dry weather, as the police van full of on-duty officers reminded me. One dark, rainy night in central London, I pulled out of a junction full throttle but I neglected to look further down the road as I came out the bend at a 45 degree angle, full opposite lock and rev counter doing it’s absolute best to tell me it had nothing else left in 2nd gear to give me.

“Hello sir, looks like you lost a bit of control back there?” I should have simply agreed but dammit, I have a reputation so I simply responded “No officer I was in complete control” but I did give the old classic ‘spilt diesel’ excuse. Thankfully, they were very sympathetic to my problems concerning lack of traction on the rears, and simply stated that there were a lot of uninsured drivers before letting me on my way, allowing my stupid giant smile to grace my face again.

This is the life with an M2 – it is extremely cheeky and full of life, so much so that the only reason I was selling it to begin with was to buy an M2 CS – but its actual replacement will be revealed on the next post. As joyous as it is, it is not practical when considering the demands a family of four have, so the lack of driveway space prohibits a full time 4th car. But once I move, I am absolutely 100% buying another one.

It looks so purposeful too; there are very few cars in the world that get the flared arches look over the standard models and the little M2 does a simply perfect job of turning a cool little saloon car into a raucous little hot rod. From the bonnet bulge, to those wide arches barely keeping the massively oversized bronze wheels in check, add to this unique look that I already miss.

In my time of ownership, I received plenty of comments, but my favourite is when a roadie stopped me in the middle of the street, asked me to wind my window down only to tell me ‘Mate, your car is better looking than my wife’. I’ve had a lot of things said in my life, but nothing this charming.

I do wonder if my feelings for this car would be different had I not so enjoyed the Wales trip – it was the first, and pretty much only time, I properly allowed the M2 to flex its dynamic range of abilities. As consummate a motorway cruiser as it wants to be, it can also turn into a proper hooligan on the right roads, converting slick B road bends into a series of black autographed signings across the tarmac whilst perpetually grinning ear to ear.

It would be remiss of me to not talk about the interior again also. It’s wonderfully accessible with old school controls promoting tactility and responsiveness. Together with Apple CarPlay, you have the perfect interior, wonderfully highlighted with the occasional reminder you’re in an M car with the odd dash of red and blue stripes.

There’s very little I don’t like about it, but nothing is perfect. I still never got used to the odd kangarooing the car does when moderating the throttle in 1st gear. It’s sometimes embarrassingly agricultural as it bounces up and down the road until you either change gear or lift off completely. Frustratingly, it only does this in the sport modes, which, ironically, is the only time you would want to use gears like that.

The gear shift itself, however, in full auto, is smooth, if a little lazy sometimes. It can sometimes change to a gear where the revs are very low, but then this is a turbocharged car making best use of its torque. But forget about using the paddle shift – or at least lower your expectations. It’s slow, unresponsive and not what I would expect from a component of a car intended to improve engagement.

Small quirks though make things more charming. If I had to downgrade all my cars, the M2 would be my number 1 choice – it’s that good and entertaining. I’m keen to establish what the new M2 will look like, but given time and some bigger spaces on my drive or garage, I’d love to fill it with an M2 CS. But for now, time to make way for something bigger…