Our New Shop Car: BMW G87 M2 6MT LCI

Having recently parted ways with both an F82 M4 and a G90 M5, AUTOID Creative Director Nathan (Rtwenty3) found himself back in the driver’s seat of his trusty E36 328i while waiting for his next project. This transition sparked a crucial epiphany: the goal for the next build would be to marry the raw engagement and "fun factor" of the E36 with a far more modern and capable platform. The result of that realisation is this manual LCI BMW G87 M2, and as you might expect for someone working at AUTO ID, leaving it in stock form was never actually an option.

Collection

The journey started with a trek up to Newcastle to meet Tony at Performance 28 for collection. The car itself is a stunning factory spec, finished in Frozen Grey Metallic with a Stealth PPF and equipped with the six speed manual gearbox. It’s a fully loaded example, opting for the standard seats over the factory buckets for a slightly different approach to the interior.

Lowering Springs and Wheel Spacers

Upon returning to the AUTOID workshop after a six hour drive from Newcastle, the first order of business was addressing the stance. Nathan felt the factory ride height was one of the car's weakest points, describing the stock arch gap as embarrassing for a modern M car. To fix this using a proven OEM+ formula, the team installed a set of Evolve lowering springs to provide a 30mm drop, paired with Bimmec spacers 15mm up front and 12.5mm in the rear to bring the wheels perfectly flush with the arches. A Bimmec stud conversion kit was also added for a cleaner aesthetic and more practical wheel swaps. Initial testing confirmed that the ride quality remained impressively close to stock while completely transforming the car’s presence on the road.

Gloss Black Body kit

To provide some much needed contrast against the Frozen Gray paint, the car was fitted with a full Zaero gloss black body kit. This began at the front with a 3pc front splitter and aggressive Zaero grilles, which involve removing the stock M2 plaque for a significantly cleaner, wider look. The profile was sharpened with gloss black side skirts and a set of Automotive Passion carbon arch guards to keep the sticky tires from peppering the paint with road debris. At the rear, a high kick gloss black spoiler and a deep slat diffuser were installed, replacing the somewhat lackluster factory plastics with a much more aggressive, sculpted finish.

Performance Mods

The transformation wasn't limited to aesthetics, as Nathan turned his attention to the S58 under the hood. The restrictive factory paper filters were swapped for an MMX Ultimate Intake Solution, featuring high flow pipes and billet turbo elbows. This not only improved airflow but finally unlocked the addictive induction sneeze that characterises a tuned BMW turbo engine. To tie the performance together, the car was sent to Define Coding for an official BMW M2 CS software flash. Because this was achieved without a hardware unlock, it represents a seamless way to bump power from 480 bhp to an estimated 510 bhp. Beyond the raw numbers, the CS flash recalibrates the steering to remove the center "dead spot" and updates the damper and rear differential mapping for a much sharper, more intuitive driving experience.

The Outcome

After a whirlwind 24 hour marathon, the result is a car that Nathan crowns as his favorite build to date, even when measured against heavy hitters like his previous Audi R8 or the G90 M5. The combination of the manual gearbox and the newfound CS level agility makes it feel like a "proper" driver’s car that prioritizes fun over clinical speed. When comparing it to the older F82 M4, Nathan notes that while the F-series might offer a touch more raw feedback through the axles, the G87 M2 is on another level in terms of how effortlessly and rapidly it covers ground. This is only the beginning of the journey for this M2, and with the AUTO ID YouTube channel closing in on 100k subscribers, the modifications are only going to get more ambitious from here.

What should Nathan do next to the M2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!