The BMW M2 is in the works and all set to make its global debut in April 2023. The car will house a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, in-line engine developing 460 hp and a peak torque of 550 Nm.
The M2 carries an athletic stance with its compact design and lines across the body, the M look of the car starts from the very front bumper with its large and frameless BMW kidney grille along with horizontal bars combined with a three-section lower air intake with almost rectangular contours. A strong front fascia for the M2 starts right there! The profile shows flared side skirts and muscular wheel arches that carries the M demeanour and the same can be seen at the rear section with the spoiler lip on the boot lid, the vertically arranged reflectors, the rear apron’s diffuser insert and the two pairs of exhaust tailpipes positioned a long way in from the outer edges.
The powertrain and chassis technology has taken cues from the M3 and M4, and that combined with the compact dimensions of a car housing a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, in-line engine mated to an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission shouts performance. All that power is sent to the rear wheels and peak torque is produced between 2,650 and 5,870 rpm with maximum output arriving at 6,250 rpm and the new engine revs to a maximum 7,200 rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox is available as an option and both operated by means of a selector lever of the latest M design as well as shift paddles on the steering wheel.
The company claims a dash from naught to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds with the eight-speed M-Steptronic transmission and in 4.3 seconds when fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox. It is capable of powering from 0 to 200 km/h in 13.5 seconds (automatic) or 14.3 seconds (manual). The capping limit of top speed of the new BMW M2 can be raised from 250 km/h to 285 km/h by specifying the optional M Driver’s Package.
Advanced driver aids of the M2 includes M-Traction Control, Active M-Differential, adaptive M-suspension with electronically controlled dampers, M-Servotronic steering with variable ratio, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) including M Dynamic Mode, and powerful M-Compound brakes with six-piston, fixed-calliper brakes at the front and single-piston, floating-calliper brakes at the rear. The integrated braking system presents the driver with two-pedal feel settings. The new BMW M2 comes with 19-inch light-alloy wheels at the front and 20-inch items at the rear, each representing an increase of one inch on the diameter of the wheels fitted as standard on the BMW M3 and BMW M4 models. There is also the option of fitting them with track tyres.
Inside the cockpit, a 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display integrate together sits atop the dashboard. The cockpit is driver-centric and features M-specific readouts, controls and setup options, as well as the advanced BMW Curved Display. Driving-related information including Shift Lights appears in a new graphical layout. The optional BMW Head-Up Display also features M-specific readouts. There is BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant designed for intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle using touch control and natural language. Smartphone integration for Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ is included as standard on the new BMW M2, and there is also a 5G antenna system for optimised connectivity. The driver and front passenger get sport seats in a model-specific design with Sensatec/Alcantara surfaces. M Sport seats with integral head restraints and perforated surfaces in Vernasca leather/Sensatec are available as an alternative. The M Carbon bucket seats that can also be found on the options list use carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the structural elements of the seat cushion and backrest and also feature cut-outs in the side bolsters and below the head restraints, thereby shaving around 10.8 kilograms off the vehicle’s weight.
Other notable features include three-zone automatic climate control, BMW Live Cockpit Plus complete with BMW Maps navigation system, ambient lighting and the Hi-Fi speaker system, Driving Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function to name a few. In terms of safety, the M2 comes with Front Collision Warning, Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator, Lane Departure Warning and Park Distance Control to name a few
