BMW M2 M Performance parts launched

You can get new carbon bits for your M2 ... and just look at that MotoGP safety car!

This is a clever bit of marketing from BMW really. Make one staggeringly cool MotoGP safety car, fit it with parts that customers can actually purchase, then sit back and watch as people strive to create something similar and buy all the aftermarket goodies. Well, sort of.

Safety car laps a whole lot more appealing now!

In case you hadn't already guessed, not every single part on this M2 MotoGP safety car is available in the M Performance catalogue. But there are a few, so let's run through those first. The side skirts, front grilles, 'Air Breather', mirror caps, rear diffuser and front aero blades will all be available on the production M2 as well. Technically the safety car has the M Performance exhaust too, but given BMW describes it as "stripped down completely" to ensure that it "can still be heard over the roar of prototype motorcycles on their installation lap", it probably isn't all that similar. Must sound incredible though.

Of course, what are of most interest are all the goodies on the safety car that you can't have on a roadgoing M2. There's coilover suspension, carbon ceramic brakes and that rear spoiler for a start. See also the magnificent gold cage, the Recaro buckets with Schroth belts and a battery master switch. Cars automatically become cooler with a battery master switch.

Not coming to a dealer near you soon

As for actual safety car gubbins, the light bar uses the latest LED tech and is supplemented by additional lights front and rear. The corona headlight rings can flash too. There will be no missing the M2, put it that way. Suddenly an interruption in a MotoGP race doesn't seem so uninteresting...

As for the M Performance road car bits, they're the usual mix of quite interesting (uprated brakes) and the rather naff (those stripes mainly). Most intriguingly there's the option of M Performance coil spring suspension, allowing the car to be lowered by up to 20mm. Combined with adjustable dampers (16 rebound settings, 12 in compression), it should make for an M2 that's adaptable to any driving style.

The road equivalent. Needs more gold

The brake upgrade is sadly nothing more than pads, but BMW says they "do not show any fading tendencies even when constantly subjected to extreme use." And you really will be able to subject them to extreme use, thanks to the M Performance stainless steel pedal covers and their pronounced rubber profiles. Ahem.

Inside there are some nice Alcantara goodies available, plentiful carbon fibre plus the M Performance wheel option, with a display showing information on lap time and g-forces. Should make the commute a little more interesting.

The M Performance parts for the M2 will be launched next month, should the standard car not meet your expectations. As for the safety car, the first MotoGP race is March 20 at Qatar. We'll certainly be tuning in!