By Benjamin Hunting For nearly a decade now the BMW 2 Series has, in the eyes of many enthusiasts, represented the sporting soul of the German brand. While most other spots in the BMW showroom expanded to accommodate the heft and bulk of increasingly cushy cars and crossovers, the 2 Series stayed true to the roots laid down by its 1 Series predecessor: a lightweight coupe (or convertible) that made good on the brand’s old-school “Ultimate Driving Machine” credo by way of a boisterous engine and playful suspension tune. As with all things, time has transformed the 2 Series mission statement, fi…