£29k BMW M2 | Spotted

The highest mileage M2 on the classifieds can be had for hot hatch money

Unless they’ve come from a rental fleet on the Costa del Sol, cars with higher than average mileages aren’t necessarily the worn-out rattle boxes your average punter might believe them to be. Most PHers will know that regular care and maintenance rank far higher than keeping use to a minimum, and in some cases, a bigger number on the odometer can earn a car hero status. Take this BMW M2, for example, which has acquired 41,000 miles in just three years, making it not only the most-driven M2 on the classifieds but also of higher mileage than the average three-year-old UK car from any category.

All of those miles have been accumulated by one owner, though, suggesting that rather than being the village bicycle, this M2 has been lovingly appreciated by an enthusiast not interested in leaving a 370hp Bavarian parked up until a sunny Sunday. And who could blame them? The M2 is arguably the most charming car to come from BMW’s performance arm in this generation, mixing straight-six character with a compact (for 2019) package focussed on driver engagement.

Back when the M2 was new in 2016 we had little reason to highlight the car’s use of rear-wheel drive as, barring the 2 Series Active Tourer, this was the default layout of a BMW. But today, with xDrive spreading across the firm’s performance range like a traction-boosting virus, the M2 looks more thoroughbred than ever. Its two-door body, draped over front-engined, pure rear-drive organs could soon become an extinct formula. The M135i now has a front-biased version of xDrive, and even the next M3/M4 are going to use part-time all-wheel drive to keep up the fight with AMG and Audi Sport.

To some, labelling a sports car that weighs 1,570kg as traditional might seem a little far-fetched, but the M2 has always done a remarkable job of hiding its weight. Sure, the engine never quite feels let off the leash thanks to the mass, nor can the chassis hunker down like a Porsche Cayman’s. But as a fairly small-scale car – its wheelbase is 6mm shorter than the Honda Civic Type R’s – there’s a fluidity over uneven surfaces and sense of freedom to explore a road’s full width that’s not achievable in BMW’s bigger, heavier M cars. It’s a cliché to draw comparison between the M2 and original M3, but it’s a totally appropriate one. Hence many British M2’s remits as weekend toys and garage queens.

The extensive use of today’s Spotted, however, suggests its owner has put it into full time use, as does the fact it’s an auto. Yet as you’d expect for a car of this youth, it’s been serviced exclusively at main BMW dealerships and comes with the added bonus of a five-year service pack, so there’s little reason to doubt that such a lifestyle could be continued. Although we also suspect there’ll be some buyers eyeing the investment potential should they keep the miles down, particularly because this M2 is up for under £29k. It’s officially the cheapest M2 on PH’s classifieds, and cheaper than each of the hot hatches to feature in Matt’s recent group test. By anyone’s measure, that’s a lot of car for the money.

SPECIFICATION – BMW M2 DCT

Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six
Power (hp): 370@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 343@1,400-4,750rpm
MPG: 35.8
CO2: 185g/km
First registered: 2016
Recorded mileage: 41,000
Price new: £44,070
Yours for: £28,950

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