BMW is developing a new rear-wheel-drive BMW M2 performance coupé, as part of a future compact M car line-up that will include a four-wheel-drive BMW M2 Gran Coupé and a BMW 1 Series with more than 400bhp.
The second-generation M2 coupé, which takes the internal codename G87, is scheduled to go on sale in the UK in 2022. It will bring with it a detuned version of BMW M’s latest six-cylinder petrol engine, sourced from the new BMW M3 and BMW M4.
Despite the heavy camouflage of this newly spotted prototype, it looks as if the M2 will feature angular front end styling influenced more by the Z4 and M8 than the controversially big-grilled M3 and M4. Flared arches, big performance wheels and a quad-exit exhaust will be the most obvious visual differentiators from the standard 2 Series, but upsized air intakes and aero-enhancing trim will likely complete the look.
This twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol unit, dubbed S58, replaces the similarly configured S55 used by the current M2 and promises the same high-revving characteristics, with a redline of 7200rpm.
Nothing is official at this early stage, but insiders hint that the S58 engine will be tuned to provide the new junior M car with at least 420bhp in standard form – a 16bhp increase over today’s M2 Competition – to top the 416bhp of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the Mercedes-AMG A45 S.
Together with 406lb ft of torque, this should ensure off-the-line performance is on par with, if not better than, that of its predecessor, despite an incremental increase in weight due to slightly larger dimensions. Its 0-62mph time should be in the low four-second bracket and its top speed close to 175mph when configured with a final drive ratio similar to today’s M2.
The basis for the new M2 is the new second-generation 2 Series Coupé, itself heavily related to the third-generation BMW Z4 and its Toyota GR Toyota Supra sibling.
Revealed last month, the new 2 Series Coupé takes a different technical route to the new 2 Series Gran Coupé by adopting the latest evolution of BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform. This ensures the future M2 will have a similar mechanical layout to today’s model, with a longitudinal engine mounting instead of the transverse layout of its four-door BMW 235i xDrive Gran Coupé sibling, which is based on BMW’s Front Architecture (FAAR) platform.
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With the current 1 Series offering only a marginal increase in cabin space over its predecessor BMW should have just stuck with RWD for the current model while it'd have avoided the need to go down the costly route of having 2 vastly different platforms for their mid-size model range. Also, it seems BMW is going to great lengths to make the next M2 feel and drive like a sports car. But isn't that the job of the Z4? The 2 Series has always just been a coupe variant of the hatch it's based on so why not just continue in that vein.
Funnily enough, almost a year ago I said you could have an E46 M3 for about eight grand, I'll stand by that, but, if had the money, I take a look at this.
For eight grand though...
You could have a decent manual M3 (E46).