2016 BMW M2 Competition F87 - hardcore next-level build!

The BMW F87 M2 Competition is an incredibly impressive machine out of the box, but there’s always room for improvement, as this absolutely awesome full-on build goes to show.

Words: Elizabeth de Latour

Photos: Rtwenty3

APEX PREDATORxa

FULL-ON F87 M2 COMP

Hardcore next-level build!Apex Predator

Covered in carbon and oozing aggression, this absolutely epic F87 M2 Competition is a hardcore, full-on build that takes the already awesome M car to the next level.

The F87 M2C is undoubtedly one of BMW’s best M cars in recent times. As a pulse-pounding performance package, it does everything brilliantly. It’s an irresistible offering, and it’s easy to see why lifelong BMW fan Josh (@joshicc) ended up with one. Though, as you can see, his is a little spicier than a regular M2 Comp…

“Being half German and regularly visiting family over the years as well as spending some years living there, meant I saw lots of BMWs growing up; Merc/ Audi/BMW were the common cars out there,” Josh tells us as we chat. It was BMW he gravitated to and kicked off his ownership experience with an E82 120d.

“I was fairly unaware of the modification scene/community initially. But in 2016, I joined my first forum (BabyBMW), and from there, it was a slippery slope,” he laughs. He added a few mods before graduating to his first big build, a wide-body, hybrid turbo-powered M235i on 20s that was featured in the June 2020 issue of Performance BMW. It was an awesome build, but where do you go from there?

“It’s clear I like two-door cars, and natural progression leads to the platform of the F87 chassis, arguably the best allround M car from the F-series platform,” enthuses Josh. “The M2 Competition makes for an incredibly fast road and track car, as well as looking amazing and having lots of modification potential,” and those are all great reasons to want one.

“The car was found on Auto Trader one evening during a COVID lockdown,” Josh tells us. “It was being sold by Tier One Automotive in Kings Langley for a friend of theirs. The car had an incredible spec list, and I can’t emphasise this enough,” he enthuses. “Low miles, full front end and side PPF, full BMW M Performance genuine carbon exterior/interior kit, AC Schnitzer coilover suspension and rear roof spoiler, Remus axle-back exhaust, Royal Steering Wheels trimmed flat-bottom wheel, uprated paddles, P3 Gauge and more!” he exclaims.

“The night I came across it was the day it had been lowered by over £6000, putting it at £39,995 when I found it. I actually thought it was too good to be true because the spec list was impressive, and people around me could not believe what I got for my money. I still remind myself how lucky I was, being honest,” he smiles, and it sounds like Josh bagged himself the bargain of the century.

As impressive as this M2’s spec already was, Josh wasn’t about to leave it as it was, and this F87 was about to undergo an incredible transformation. “I was the sales manager at AutoID, at the time, and it would become the first AutoID shop car. Six months prior, the goal was set by myself and the team to start 2021 with an M2, and we hit the goal. We knew the road ahead was filled with heavy modifications to demonstrate what we sold atthe business,” he says, and they wasted no time in getting stuck in.

“As with the M235i, my goal is always to be as unique as possible with my build and to stand out from the rest. This ethos has both come from mainly my own attitude towards modifying but was also supported by the narrative of AutoID as a business,” explains Josh. “Right away, we started by removing some of the exterior genuine BMW carbon and replacing it with AutoID aftermarket options; a TRE CS carbon splitter, TRE carbon CS spoiler and the beefy AutoTecknic carbon diffuser. By mid-April and having run these parts to demo for a few months, we installed a new rear upgrade, that being the M Performance-style wing which really gave the car a slight racing look. I never thought I’d be drilling my car, ever!” laughs Josh.

“Three months later, in July 2021, we were changing the rear again, as well as stepping down to a smaller track alloy setup and tyre,” says Josh. “This time with a full carbon TRE CSL-style boot lid inspired by the E46 M3 CSL and 2Forge ZF6 18” alloys wrapped in Yokohama AD08 rubber, bolstering the track setup,and shortly after uprated pads, lines and fluids were installed. In September, it was time to up the ante with the full carbon TRE CS bonnet and 3DDesign partcarbon front bumper. This combo made the M2 very unique, and it was revealed at the Slammed UK Gravity event later that month. It seems modification phases came every three months!” chuckles Josh.

“In November, there was an early Christmas present from me to me, carbon vented arches I bought and had installed,” Josh enthuses, and these give this M2 insane presence. “The front end at this point was almost all fully carbon, an incredible look, and it was ready to go on its first proper track day at the AutoID Llandow two-day track event in Wales, albeit a wet one!” Josh exclaims. Luckily, the M2 made it through its on-track baptism of fire in one piece, and the mods continued unabated.

“In January 2022, the rear seats were taken out, and a Stern Performance rear seat delete kit was fitted, consisting of two carbon strut bars, netting and a new carpet. Along with the rear seat delete kit, we fitted AutoID carbon side skirts.” At this point, Josh started working with a new client, and that meant a new direction for the M2. “February marked the start of working with Swift Performance, as well as AutoID and Royal Steering Wheels. What this meant was much more emphasis towards track modifications,” he explains, which is what led the M2 to its current stage of evolution.

“In March of that year, Millway Motorsport camber plates and control arm bushes, a Forge Motorsport uprated charge-cooler radiator, and a Deadweight Industries lithium battery (17kg saving) were installed, along with a geometry setup by Swift Performance carried out ahead of a busy track summer season,” explains Josh, and you can see the M2 evolving into a more focused machine at this point. “May 2022 saw ‘Version 2’ for the M2: a full vinyl wrap colour change to Inozetek MidnightGreen by Identity wraps,” Josh tells us, and that mesmerising dark green really makes this F87 stand out from the crowd. And along with the colour, the M2 continued to be honed into a more hardcore build. “The heavy stock front seats were removed and replaced with Recaro Pole Position bucket seats, along with more rear downforce, thanks to the fully adjustable Aero Dynamics GT Flex wing installed by Pinnacle Motorsport, and the transformation left me speechless,” Josh enthuses. “The car was now the perfect balance of track and show, the goal I was aiming for.”

Of course, there was still room for improvement, and with Swift Performance’s chassis expertise to hand, it would have been silly not to make the most of that.

“The start of 2023 saw a refresh of suspension,” Josh says. “All the suspension and chassis modifications came from Swift Performance’s recommendations. Since I joined the company, I’ve learned a lot more about how cars can be set up well and what mods can benefit the handling/ drive,” he explains. “Both Russ and Tim, the owners, are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to upgrades for the M-lite and M models.

“The car came fitted with good-level fast road and trackcapable coilovers from AC Schnitzer, but as the track days ramped up, we wanted to fit a more track-focused suspension,” reasons Josh. “Due to the relationship Swift Performance has with Bilstein, we opted for its Clubsport suspension (which comes with adjustable top mounts), but custom-built to Swift Performance’s spec and valving.” This, along with the supporting chassis mods, has endowed this M2 with next-level handling that takes it above and beyond and means Josh can really make the most of it on track.

The final slew of upgrades came just a couple of months ago, and they’ve brought this M2 Comp to completion. “An Adro full-length carbon diffuser has replaced the AutoTecknic diffuser. The Adro diffuser is very much a Marmite diffuser: you either love it or hate it,” chuckles Josh, “but the aggression and uniqueness of the build meant a new diffuser from a new brand was required,” and it’s the perfect finishing touch to a build with this much presence.

There’s such an incredible sense of purpose to this whole build, and this is one of the most aggressive M2s we’ve ever seen. All that carbon is just outrageously sexy, the bonnet looks awesome, the vented arches are so aggressive, and that high-rise wing just finishes the whole build off perfectly. Then you’ve got the way it sits and the perfect fitment of the wheels, and you’re left in no doubt that this M2 is a serious piece of kit.

One thing Josh hasn’t mentioned is engine mods, and that’s because he’s largely left the S55 alone. “I never tuned the M2, mainly due to the S55 engine suffering from crank hub failures,” he explains, “but also, I wanted to see how quick the car could get with weight reduction and handling upgrades. With lots of weight saving around the car thanks to all the carbon panels, rear seat removal, plus Recaro Pole position buckets, and the lithium battery, the M2 now comes in at 1510kg with a quarter tank of petrol,” which is good going. Mind you, when Josh pops the bonnet, there’s still plenty to enjoy under there. “Engine bay-wise, the Infinity Design carbon intakes and engine cover were installed, along with the Goldenwrench chargecooler cover and red toppers pack, simple but smart,” he grins, and those little touches make all the difference.

It’s taken just two years to get this M2 Comp to its final, spectacular form. And while we don’t often get to say that a feature car is finished, are you surprised? While there are a few money-no-object upgrades that could have been added, Josh himself says that it would start to feel like modding for the sake of modding, and he’s happy with where the car is, so there’s no need to take things further.

And seeing as he’s so happy with the car, we can’t help but wonder what his favourite part is, cruel as we are for asking aquestion like that about a build on this scale. “This is an incredibly hard question because the build is a result of many mods coming together,” reasons Josh. “However, the colour change from Inozetek/Identity Wraps or the 3DDesign front bumper from AutoID are the two things that dramatically changed the look of the car, and so I think one of these two would be the favourite if I had to choose,” he nods. “Narrowing all the mods down to two is the best I can do I think, sorry!” Josh adds with a laugh.

“I’m unaware of another customer car running this front bumper which is what makes it so special; combined with the green colour, it’s just unreal,” he enthuses. So what’s next? “The car will be raffled by Certified Competitions in the hope a petrolhead can enjoy the car as I move on to the next build,” Josh tells us, and we can’t help but wonder where you go after a car like this? “The natural progression from BMW M is Porsche,” smiles Josh. “I’m sticking with German (of course), and it’s an itch I have to scratch,” and we know that feeling all too well. “Watch this space, although I’m not sure I can go quite as crazy on modifications with Porsche!” he exclaims, but judging by his previous builds, we wouldn’t expect a tame creation to emerge. And, also going by his previous builds, we’d be very surprised if Josh is done with BMs. This M2 Competition is simply magnificent on every level, an incredible machine that looks epic and has the hardware to go with it, and Josh has built something seriously special here. Whoever wins this beast of an M2 is going to be one very lucky – and happy – person.

Josh has put together an absolutely incredible M2.

Inozetek Midnight Green wrap by Identity Wraps looks absolutely awesome.

my goal is always to be as unique as possible with my build and to stand out from the rest

Carbon boot lid and rear seat delete are all part of the weightsaving programme

DATA FILE BMW M2 Competition F87

• ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION: 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six S55B30, Infinity Design carbon intakes, Goldenwrench engine bay pack and cooler cover, Infinity Design carbon engine cover, Remus exhaust, mid-pipe and carbon tips. M DCT seven-speed gearbox
• CHASSIS: 10x18” (front) and 11x18” (rear) 2Forge ZF6 alloys with 265/35 (front) and 285/35 (rear) tyres, Bilstein Clubsport coilovers with custom valving, Millway camber plates and control arm bushes, DS2500 and RS29 pads, Goodridge braided brake lines, Motul 660 brake fluid
• EXTERIOR: Inozetek Midnight Green wrap with bumper PPF, TRE full carbon CS bonnet, 3DDesign part-carbon front bumper, carbon headlight trims, grilles, arch guards, vented front arches, mirror caps, side skirts, and arch trims, AC Schnitzer roof spoiler, TRE full carbon CSL boot lid, Aerodynamics GT Flex Wing, Adro full carbon diffuser, Acexxon carbon reflector inserts, Goldenwrench reverse rear light covers
• INTERIOR: Recaro Pole Position seats, custom-painted Pinnacle Motorsport fixings, Royal Steering Wheels flat-bottom Alcantara wheel, carbon steering wheel trim, 3DDesign carbon paddles, carbon interior kit, carbon rear seat delete kit, AC Schnitzer pedal covers, P3 gauge, Deadweight lithium battery, BMW front/rear cams
• THANKS I’d like to say a special thanks to Swift Performance and AutoID as well as numerous other supporting businesses/individuals: Aaron and Shae at Bilstein UK, Andy at Identity Wraps, Inozetek UK, 3DDesign, Pinnacle Motorsport, Forge Motorsport, Infinity Design, Brogan at 2Forge Wheels, Goldenwrench, Cav at Stjarnagloss, GWComposites, Adro Inc, Aerodynamics, Stern Performance, Nathan (@Rtwenty3), Magna plates, Roadstr, Kyle from Defined Coding, Exclusive Registrations, Tim Williams (@TimWilliamsHD), Luke Papworth (@Hampshirephotography), Four Stroke Media, ZK Trackdays, Tier One Automotive, Royal Steering Wheels, Automotive Passion and finally to all of those who have followed the build on social media/at events and have commented, liked and shared via social media. It means a lot and I know a lot of people take inspiration from it as well, thank you

Engine bay-wise, the Infinity Design carbon intakes and engine cover were installed, along with the Goldenwrench chargecooler cover and red toppers pack, simple but smart

The S55 has been left standard, but it’s not exactly short on power. The interior features sexy Recaro Pole Position seats