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Road test review: BMW M240i

Friday, 16 September 2022

The BMW M240i isn't like any other 2 Series on the market right now.
The M240i is a return to small form factor coupes from BMW.
The M240i is a return to small form factor coupes from BMW.
Proportionally, the M240i really holds up.
Proportionally, the M240i really holds up.

BMW diehards will go to sleep most nights wistfully thinking about the good old days of boxy coupes with small footprints, powered by throaty six-cylinders and weighing closer to 1500kg than two tonnes. It might seem like those cars are indeed a thing of the past, and for the most part they are. But the new M240i shows that the Bavarian maker is still capable of producing a small two-door that goes like hell, even if it doesn’t look quite as good as an E30.

This car has the entire cabin from the 4 Series, but BMW’s website suggests it has been replaced by the new interior.
This car has the entire cabin from the 4 Series, but BMW’s website suggests it has been replaced by the new interior.

OUTSIDE

The M240i doesn’t look like the 2 Series you might have in mind, which is probably the 218i or the M235i, which use the front-wheel drive UKL2 architecture found underneath the current 1 Series and are mechanically unrelated to the older 2.

**READ MORE:

The 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six, good here for 285kW and 500Nm... At least, that’s what BMW says.
The 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six, good here for 285kW and 500Nm... At least, that’s what BMW says.

* BMW shows off quad-motor electric prototype

* Road test review: BMW i4 M50

* BMW suddenly reveals Z4-powered M240i xDrive

The M240i is naturally rear-biased, which immediately makes it a great drive.
The M240i is naturally rear-biased, which immediately makes it a great drive.

* Road test review: Toyota GR Supra

**

xDrive definitely makes the car quick off the line, and is a great safety net if you push the limits too far.
xDrive definitely makes the car quick off the line, and is a great safety net if you push the limits too far.

Instead, it gets beady little eyes with adaptive LED headlights, a long bonnet hiding the longitudinal 3.0-litre engine with a raised centre section, chunky triangular corner intakes and a kidney grille that isn’t vastly oversized.

Around the back are swoopy taillights that nudge into the bootlid, which gets a small built-in lip as well as a slim spoiler on top. Two exhaust pipes flank a small diffuser.

Under the skin, this M440i Gran Coupe is exactly the same as the M240i.
Under the skin, this M440i Gran Coupe is exactly the same as the M240i.

Those corner intakes look bigger in photos than in real life too. In the metal they aren’t quite as eye-catching. The front end is actually quite muscular, with the stubby nose and raised bonnet pairing well with the slightly flared arches. I’m still not sold on the squiggly rear lights, I think they look a bit strange.

There’s a good chance the upcoming M2 will use these styling cues, and aside from those rear lights, I think it works. Just imagine the trapezoidal exhausts replaced by four proper outlets, more aggressive arches, and an angrier front end without the triangles (a change already confirmed in official teaser imagery).

INSIDE

The M240i I drove here missed out on the new interior destined to decorate the 3 Series, which includes a massive 14.9-inch curved display not dissimilar to the one found in the iX electric SUV running the new iDrive 8 operating system. Instead, it used the older, much more familiar iDrive 7-powered system found in many other BMW models.

But, after a look at BMW’s website, it seems newer M240i models do actually get the updated interior, which would make the car feel quite a bit newer from the inside.

Anyway, this particular M240i is essentially a 4 Series inside. It has the smaller infotainment screen, a great many buttons for air-conditioning and media, and the now-outdated tall gear selector. Behind the wheel is the older digital dash as well. It’s funny, this interior doesn’t really feel that old, but compared to the newer stuff, it doesn’t quite have the same panashe.

UNDER THE BONNET

BMW’s 3.0-litre turbo-six has been around the block a bit now. It powers every current x40i model from the brand as well as the Toyota Supra, all producing a claimed 285kW and 500Nm of torque. Independent dyno readings suggest it actually produces closer to 300kW, which I wouldn’t be surprised at.

It’s paired with a ZF eight-speed transmission, which is brilliant as usual, and a rear-biased xDrive all-wheel drive system.

It seems sales of AWD vehicles versus RWD is pushing manufacturers into only offering the former, but considering most systems can effectively run in rear-wheels-only mode, is it really that bad? I don’t think so. You get the assurance of all-paw grip when you’re not running at the ragged edge while also being able to get a bit loose on the track without requiring advanced driving skills. Plus you feel like an absolute hero when driving it hard, thanks to all the electronic wizardry.

ON THE ROAD

Speaking of driving, this is where the M240i really needs to shine. And, thankfully, it does, for the most part.

Like I said, the all-wheel drive system is very good at making you feel like a great driver while keeping everything safe. It allows some rear-end slippage while still being ready to intervene if you push things too far. In fact, most of the time it’s feeding the rear wheels to keep that RWD feel.

Standard-fit M suspension keeps everything balanced and under control and the steering is sharp and nicely weighted. The engine is brilliant, as usual, offering a tasty growl at low speeds which evolves into a howl the higher the revs climb. It’s not as loud as a full-fat M car, because it isn’t a full-fat M car.

The brakes definitely need some attention, they’re very grabby at the top of the pedal.

The M240i really is a great sports car, but it suffers from the Russian doll-ness of BMW’s line-up. It feels like a small 4 Series because that’s exactly what it is, aside from the sheetmetal. I understand xDrive being the only option, and as good as it is, rear-wheel drive would set the M240i aside, particularly considering the M2 is rumoured to get xDrive as well. Yeah, that would then make it a BMW-shaped Supra but that’s what you get for sharing hardware, and who really cares about that any more?

I drove an M440i xDrive Gran Coupe immediately after the M240i and you’ll be shocked to hear they are indeed extremely similar, save for a few tech changes and the obvious styling differences.

BMW’s local line-up dodges some of the sameness it could have had in that the 4 Series now doesn’t get a two-door coupe (excluding the M4) and the 2 Series doesn’t have a four-door with the 3.0-litre turbo-six engine. The 3 Series is the outlier in that you can still get the M340i as a sedan, making it the same car as the M440i but with a different grille and new cabin. Confused? They’re all still great cars so there’s really no wrong option.

What could help that issue of character is the aftermarket. A throatier exhaust would immediately help, and I know this engine has a good amount of tuning potential, if you’d like to push well into the 300kW club.

VERDICT

So, for just over $100,000, is the M240i a good pick? If you like a two-door coupe, a straight-six turbo engine and all-wheel drive, it’s kind of in a class of one. You could think of it as a hard-top Z4, or an all-wheel drive Supra, or a two-door 4 Series. It’s not necessarily better or worse than any of those, just serving a (very) slightly different customer.

The real question is how good will the M2 be and how much will it cost. There’s a good chance the M240i could be the value option of BMW’s performance range, especially if you’re happy to fiddle with things after buying.