FH5, BMW M2 (2023)

After driving the 2023 BMW M2 in Rivals, where it was immediately apparent that the handling was a little sus, I decided to skip an RWD build and slap AWD on. I went for a full S1-class build as well. The car was all right round the sweeping turns down Copper Canyon, but didn’t like sharper corners, noticeably understeering.

Round Plaza Circuit, which I know well, the car was prone to sliding through some of the technical sections because it had too much power and too little handling. In spite of some tinkering on my part, the car still needed a lot of finesse through the corners.

I then tried an A-class build for which there’s not a lot of PI to play with. Round Los Jardines, the car struggled to take the lead and remain ahead of the drivatars. I felt it was a bit too chunky and revised the build, adding sport weight reduction (race weight reduction sends the car into S1 class). Stock tyres, but they seemed all right.

There was a pesky Audi RS5 in Tierra Próspera and Stadium Circuit, and an annoying Jag round Mulegé. The one thing the M2 did have was decent turn-in for an AWD car.

My feeling is that the car is probably best in low S1 class – AWD, race weight reduction, and engine upgrades that also lighten the car a bit further. Perhaps semi-slicks are sufficient at this level, but it’d depend on how much power the car has. Certainly at the top of S1 class, slick tyres don’t have as much to offer as I hoped.

Appendix

I tried the 2016 BMW M2 in FH4 and 5, which I prefer to the 2023 M2. You don’t need to do a drivetrain swap, and the handling is far more compliant even if the car ends up in S1 class.

The new M2 reminds me of the MB SL65 AMG, which is ridiculously overpowered and lacks the handling to cope with it.