BMW M240i xdrive Coupe is fiercely fun
Sporty compact car embodies a passion for spirited driving
THE average height of humans in industrialized nations has increased about 4 inches since the 18th century. Our homes have grown larger as well, having more than doubled since the 1950s to an average size of 2,584 square feet. So it’s no surprise that our cars have gulped a gallon of jumbo grow as well.
Consider the 2022 BMW M240i xdrive. At 179.4 inches long, it’s about the same size as the 2010 BMW 3 Series. (Of course, the latest 3 Series has grown to 185.7 inches, about the same length as a 1995 BMW 5 Series.) Certainly the 2022 BMW M240i Coupe is larger than the model it replaces, being 3.5 inches longer, 2.6 inches wider, 0.1 inch lower and using a 2-inch longer wheelbase. The front track has increased by 2.8 inches while the rear track has grown 1.9 inches — which lends added stability during aggressive driving.
But, oddly, the added girth doesn’t translate into a roomier cabin. In fact, rear-seat legroom has shrunk by nearly an inch, while rear-seat headroom has been reduced by nearly 2 inches. But buyers don’t buy the 2 Series Coupe for its spaciousness.
They buy it for fun.
Yet along with the larger size comes larger expectations. Does the redesigned 2022 M240i xdrive meet them? Yes, as long as you don’t require a manual transmission.
For the new model year, the 2 Series Coupe remains a classic rear-wheel-drive BMW, one that channels the brand’s most coveted coupes, such as the 1600, 2002 Ti and E-46 3 Series. The new 2 Series is offered as the rear-wheel-drive 230i, and as the all-wheel-drive M240i. (Neither should be confused with the four-door 2 Series Gran Coupe, which uses a different front-wheeldrive platform.) And as you’d expect, these are two different animals.
While the base 230i Coupe is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that generates 255 horsepower and 295 poundfeet of torque, the M240i is the far brawnier model. Credit its 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that now delivers 382 horsepower — up 47 horses from last year — along with 369 pound-feet of torque.
It has the usual upgrades you’d expect of a BMW M model — the M stands for Motorsport. So you get an adaptive suspension and electronically controlled limited-slip differential. This allows the driver to choose among various driving modes, including Comfort, Sport and Sport+.
But it’s the numbers that tell the tale. Reaching 60 mph takes 4.1 seconds in the M240i according to BMW. In contrast, the same run
The instrument panel is anchored by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen; an 8.8-inch infotainment display is standard.
requires 5.5 seconds in the 230i Coupe.
Yet regardless of which one you choose, you’ll be saddled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, albeit one that can be shifted manually. For some, the lack of a manual makes this car a nonstarter; for most buyers, it won’t.
For this week’s test drive, BMW supplied a 2022 BMW M240i xdrive Coupe.
The new M240i lacks the mammoth grille that has plagued the 4 Series Coupes and other BMWS. The greater restraint visually ties to its spiritual forbears.
But that doesn’t mean its look is conservative. It still sports the angular sheet metal increasingly seen on BMWS, which no doubt aids its aerodynamic efficiency. But its bulging power dome hood, large air intakes, dual trapezoidal exhaust and aggressive rear spoiler lend it a sportier air than the 230i. But all 2 Series have design elements influenced by its ancestors, such as its headlamps, which hark back to the single units used on the 2002, even if they look nothing like them.
Open the M240i’s doors and you’re greeted by a comfortable cabin you’ll immediately recognize if you’re with the latest BMW models. It’s loaded with the expected amenities, such as leather sport seats with adjustable lumbar support, and heaters, along with a heated steering wheel.
The instrument panel is anchored by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen; an 8.8-inch infotainment display is standard. BMW’S idrive control knob, framed by shortcut buttons controls them.
Apple Carplay and Android Auto are standard. Headroom and legroom are more than sufficient up front but is marginal in the rear — about what you’d expect.
The same can be said of its performance, one that lives up to its M badge.
To put it mildly, performance is fiercely fun, particularly in Sport or Sport+ mode. The silky 3.0-liter inline six provides incredible thrust, particularly when in Sport or Sport+ mode. That’s when the car becomes lightning quick, as do the transmission shifts.
The car lacks body lean when tackling turns, although the steering lacks feedback. On the flip side, when the road surface turns rough, switching to Comfort mode transforms this sports coupe’s ride, making it easy to live with every day.
That’s what makes the 2022 BMW M240i so compelling. Like the legendary BMW sports coupes that preceded it, the M240i xdrive rewarding driving dynamics, a potent powertrain, top-rate technology and a look that won’t provoke sarcastic comments.
And it largely meets our enormous expectations for a modern ultimate driving machine.