G87 M2 vs. Alpine A110 S vs. Civic Type R FL5 (on old Gotthard road)

I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with the freshly LCI’d M2. The fact that it would be that particular weekend was no accident. I had the outgoing (or rather out-gone already) Alpine A110 S on test so I thought a bit of competition should be interesting. To get a better grasp on the two, I brought my very own Civic Type R along. We would do what I like to call the Driving-Distilled-Loop: Gotthard, Nufenen, Grimsel and Susten. It’s an official designation. 😁

I thought I gather my thoughts in this rather lengthy post. I’ve recorded everything and over the coming weeks I’ll link the videos of all 8 stages. Enjoy!

The old Gotthard road. Once a trade route for mules and wagons, now one of the main arteries through which caravan enthusiasts and other vacation-hungry folks are pumped. Some skip the 17-kilometre tunnel out of nostalgia. Others out of spite — traffic, queues, whatever. Either way, the old road still draws drivers.

Climbing up from Göschenen, the cars above look like pearls on a string — or marbles in a run. Unless you hit it at odd hours, forget about any meaningful driving. It’s not the place to explore a car’s limits — are public roads the place to explore a car’s limits, though?

But that’s not the proper Gotthard Pass. We arrive in Andermatt — all luxury chalets and five-star ambition — but the real fun starts in Hospental. If you’re a Bond fan, you’ll recognise the name. It sits at the base of another Swiss legend: Furka. Not today though. We’ve got bigger plans.

Three cars. Three drivers. Four mountain passes. Eight stages.

I’ve got the Alpine A110 S and BMW M2 on test, and I’ve brought my own Civic Type R along for the ride. It’s shaping up to be a good one.

We roll into Hospental and head straight for the summit. The Gotthard road climbs gently — wide, straight, and important enough that it feels one roadworks project away from becoming a full motorway.

Funny thing: a few weeks back, my brother and I tore up this same road — him in an E30 Touring, me in a MkII Focus. We weren’t exactly polite to them. This time, I’m in the Civic. E is ahead in the Alpine. J is behind in the M2.

Gotthard North — A110 S vs Civic Type R (vs M2)

An odd car, the Alpine. How can a modern car be so small? How can a modern car be so light? The registration papers list an official weight of 1,190 kg (EU kerb weight — meaning at least 90% fuel and a 75 kg driver). How is it even legal for a car to weigh this little? And it’s not as if the cabin feels like a prison cell either.

The A110 S brings 300 PS and 340 Nm of torque. For something this light, that’s plenty — and it shows. The nimble Frenchman has no trouble pulling away from the heavier Japanese hatchback. The Civic Type R might be up on torque (400 Nm), but it’s down on both torque- and power-to-weight. And Gotthard North doesn’t offer the kind of corners that would let the Type R and its Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres shine.

We reach the top without much drama — but also without much insight into the cars.

Time for the first driver change: I hop into the Alpine, E grabs the M2, J takes the Civic Type R.

Gotthard South — A100 S vs M2 (vs Civic Type R)

The Alpine’s Sabelts are fantastic. I like my seats on the firmer side, and these are just brilliant. It’s also properly “sporty” driving position — bum low, feet high. You know, what everyone imagined as kids it would be like to sit in a supercar.

Driving the Alpine takes a bit of adjustment. The revival of the old rally legend isn’t angry or harsh. In fact, it’s surprisingly smooth. The engine is smooth, the Getrag DCT is smooth, the ride is smooth. Once again, lightness proves its point: you don’t have to beat the car into submission. The tyres don’t need to be wide, the suspension doesn’t have to be rock-hard, and the engine doesn’t need to make four-digit horsepower. Brilliant.

That’s not to say the Alpine can’t play. But we’ll have to wait to find out. Gotthard South is a string of wide switchbacks, with long-enough straights that you can’t really make use of — Swiss law enforcement, you know. Neither the Alpine nor the M2 (with E behind the wheel) are breaking a sweat — yet.

Time for the next stage. We head towards Nufenen Pass, and the next driver change: I hop back into the Civic Type R, E stays in the M2, J gets to observe from the Alpine.

Nufenen East — Civic Type R vs M2 (vs A110 S)

Nufenen East is a gentle climb to one of Switzerland’s highest passes. It’s not just remote — it feels it. Wild goats lining the roadside are a good reminder of that.

Let’s see if the Honda can give the Bimmer a run for its money. It’s not just down on power — it’s also running a six-speed manual, while the BMW packs ZF’s 8-speed auto. Unsurprisingly, the gearing isn’t in the Civic’s favour. But this isn’t a racetrack.

As we near the summit, the road turns bumpy — a legacy of concrete slabs shifting over the decades. The Civic struggles to put its power down cleanly. Hairpin exits aren’t its forte. But on roads like these, rear-wheel drive isn’t always an advantage either. With one tyre often airborne, traction is a coin toss.

Then come the fast corners — and the Civic comes alive. E in the M2 can’t fully commit on the ADVANs. The Civic, front-wheel drive or not, is no joke.

First break of the day. We park up, grab a bite, and sip coffee at the restaurant. Most big passes have a restaurant at the summit — sometimes even a hotel. What a day this is turning into.

Next duel: E in the M2 vs me in the A110 S, with J getting another stint in the Civic Type R.

Nufenen West — M2 vs A110 S (vs Civic Type R)

The descent is always less exciting than the ascent. Except when you have someone to chase. In this case, a 480 PS Bimmer.

A few weeks back, during the aforementioned shit-box showdown — E30 318i Touring vs MkII Focus — Nufenen West quietly became the hero of the day. Chasing the E30? Absolute riot.

This looks like it’s shaping up the same way. We’re starting to trust the cars more, and with confidence comes speed. The straights are still coasting territory, but in the corners we’re finally getting a sense of what these machines can do.

The Alpine is superb on turn-in. And with its similar power-to-weight ratio, it has no trouble keeping the M2 honest. Acceleration is more linear and less explosive than the BMW’s — but it’s not struggling. WHAT. A. DRIVE.

The Civic Type R needs a fuel stop (where did all that petrol go?) as we prep for the next duel: I hop in the M2 for the first time, E takes the Alpine, and J climbs into the Civic for his final stint in the hatchback.

Grimsel South — M2 vs A110 S (vs Civic Type R)

When you drive Grimsel coming from Furka, you start with the relatively boring stretch up to the Grimsel Pass summit: switchbacks out of Gletsch. But if you’re coming from Nufenen, you start further down — in Oberwald — and get a genuinely great run up to Gletsch.

By now, we’re properly dialed-in. I’m setting the pace in the M2, which is running on Yokohama ADVAN V107s. A sporty tyre, no doubt — but not quite on the level of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. Less grip? Absolutely.

But on a BMW, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it transforms the M2.

It’s not wildly different from an M3 or M4, but the shorter wheelbase and slightly lower grip make it far more playful. Turn-in is sharp, and the rear doesn’t cling too much — a brilliant combo.

I run PS4Ss on my M3 Touring, but I’m starting to wonder if the M2’s way isn’t… better.

The A110 S has a harder time keeping up now — though it’s hardly struggling. Once we reach Gletsch, the second part of the climb begins. Switchback after switchback, the M2’s tyres squeal in delight — and the car is loving it.

The A110 S will let go at the rear too, but it takes a bit more persuasion.

Wow!

Time to swap again. E hops into the Civic Type R, I stay in the M2, and J takes the Alpine.

Grimsel North — Civic Type R vs M2 (vs A110 S)

Grimsel North isn’t as busy as Nufenen West was earlier, but the fact that E quickly picks up speed in his first stint with the Civic Type R tells me something: the Honda inspires confidence.

Even downhill — where we can’t push the cars too hard — the Civic shines. It’s more of a coasting match, but that’s a game the Honda can play all day long. With seemingly unshakeable front-end grip, it looks like it never needs to brake before a corner.

E’s never been particularly fond of the Civic, but by the time we reach Innertkirchen, even he’s conceding to its incredible talents.

Another swap — and now for the big one, and my personal favourite: Susten West.

Susten West — M2 vs Civic Type R (vs A110 S)

Ah, Susten West — the Nordschleife of Swiss mountain passes. What I love about the long ascent from the Bernese town of Innertkirchen is its diversity. A constant rhythm of corners, few boring straights, varying radii and camber — and many of them fast. It’s a perfect stretch to load up the suspension and lean on the tyres.

It also seems we’ve picked up an involuntary fourth participant. Usually, when you spot a Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini on these roads, they’re just out for a cruise. But this guy in a 991.2 Turbo (S?) was definitely here to play — actually it looked as if he was there for a supercar meet, but you get the idea.

E in the M2 gave chase, and I followed in the Civic Type R. Unsurprisingly, they’d both pull away on the straights — but it seemed the M2 could actually stay on the Turbo’s tail. Still, as it turned out, I was able to claw myself back in the fast corners. The Civic Type R is a weapon.

Eventually, the Turbo peels off. We carry on at pace… at least for a bit. You see, the M2 shed more weight in fuel than expected climbing Susten. We slow… and then we slow some more. Eventually, it drops into some sort of limp mode — but we make it to the top

J is not exactly thrilled about the state E has left the M2 in.

Susten East — Civic Type R vs A110 S (M2)

Good thing the M2 is running out of fuel. Otherwise we’d have to admit to a bit of fatigue. But this also gives us time to contemplate the different experiences with the different cars.

Honda Civic Type R (FL5)

The Civic Type R is an extremely competent car. I think it’s miles ahead of any other hatchback, even the GR Yaris. It has an astonishing amount of grip and it’s tactile: The steering is spot on, the seats are spot on and the gear shift is spot on. People are also spot on when they call it the GT3 of hatchbacks. Fantastic machine. The thing is, due to its FWD setup it’s a bit one-dimensional, certainly when we look at its competition.

Alpine A110 S

The Alpine is an eye opener. Everybody should have driven one at least once in their life. Driving something as light and nimble really resets the senses, and its mid-engined so you notice there’s a willingness to rotate in corners. However, how this car is not available as a manual is baffling. IF you ask me, Mazda should buy the chassis of Alpine, throw in their 2-litre nat-asp four and the manual gearbox.

The Alpine is not a car to be thrashed, but it should be a car to be thrashed. It looks brilliant, I love the seats and the drive in general, but there’s not much sparkle from the powertrain (not that I think Mazda’s four is particularly charismatic but at least you could angry-thrash it).

BMW M2 (G87)

The M2. I didn’t like its looks but after a few days I started to get used to it, but I’m still clearly holding on to my opinion that the F87 is a much more handsome car. The prevalent opinion among journalists is that it feels less like an M2 and more like a smaller M4. Even as a former owner of an F87 M2 Competition I’m not sure how to process that. If they mean it’s heavier, that’s true but it’s not like the F87 was a lightweight. If they mean more shared components including interior: Yeah maybe. Still, I’m not any closer to understanding that sentiment.

In fact, after the weekend with the M2 I’m willing to eulogise the M4. Yes, the G87 M2 has killed the G82 M4. The only reason you’d get an M4 over the M2 has little to do with the talents of the car and more with bragging rights (unless you’re turning it into a competition drift car and need the longer wheelbase). It’s also a brilliant reminder that you don’t really need all-wheel drive on these cars. Yes, owning a G81 M3 Touring makes this an awkward statement.

Oh, and as fan of manuals, I’m going to double down on awkwardness: Don’t bother with the manual. BMW’s terrible gear shift is not worth the appalling gearing. Get the auto, use the rev band, and have fun with it. I don’t have a fever, I promise, and I haven’t been replaced by a skinwalker — I think.

BMW’s are so versatile and talented. Everybody speaks about the B58 but limiting the car’s talents to its engine would do injustice to the fantastic chassis. It can be a touring car if you want, it can be hooligan if you want.

The M2 wins.