Yes, this is a front-wheel-drive BMW, but it still pulls off something few in this class can: a 50:50 weight distribution. Combine that with reworked dampers and a sharpened front axle, and you have a car that still feels like a BMW from the driver’s seat. The steering’s quicker, more direct, and the body control is far more sorted than it has any right to be. Even with “just” 156hp and 230Nm of torque, the 218 Gran Coupe doesn’t feel anaemic—it feels alive. It gets from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.6 seconds, but with a quick-shifting 7-speed DCT and a cheeky little boost function, it delivers its power with a grin-inducing urgency.
And that exhaust note? A bit synthetic, sure, but the Active Sound Design does enough to tickle your eardrums. It may be piped in through the speakers, but it works—especially when you’re flicking it through corners with the kind of poise you’d expect from something wearing an M badge (and yes, this one does come with the M Sport package as standard).