THE SMALLEST BMW M car is growing up as the M2 has evolved into the M2 Competition.

It’s already regarded as one of the best driver-focused cars around, and the new M2 Competition hopes to make that experience even better.

Visually the car gets some small tweaks like 19-inch forged alloy wheels and grey brake callipers. That famous kidney grille is stretched and finished in a high-gloss black, and there’s the addition of adaptive LED headlights which come as standard.

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Inside, the car gets some more subtle changes to make it stand out. Door sills carry the M2 Competition logo, and as an option, new M Sport bucket seats feature illuminated M2 logos for added theatre at night. The cabin is dripping in leather and Alcantara and there’s a choice of blue or orange highlights and stitching.

But the more important news is what goes on under the bonnet. The 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine gains an additional turbocharger that boosts the power output from 370hp up to 410hp, while torque increases to 550Nm. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and it gets a throttle blipping function for perfect downshifts.

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BMW says it will hit 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, but if you choose the optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, this time comes down by 0.2 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h unless you specify the M Driver Package, which increases this limit to a bahnstorming 280km/h.

The BMW M2 Competition goes on sale in Ireland later this year and will have a starting price of €87,315.

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