BMW is getting ready to rip the covers off its next compact rear- and all-wheel drive coupe.
The next-generation BMW 2 Series coupe has been spied during testing, ahead of a reveal in the coming months.
BMW hasn’t confirmed if it’s bound for our shores, but given Australia’s penchant for performance cars it’s almost certain to come Down Under.
Unlike the 2 Series Gran Coupe – which is built on the same front-wheel drive platform as the 1 Series, X1, and Mini range – the new 2 Series will be rear- or all-wheel drive.
It’s built on a variation of the same CLAR platform as the 3 Series, and BMW has confirmed it will pack a 3.0-litre inline-six engine and an eight-speed automatic in range-topping M240i xDrive trim.
With 275kW of power, expect it to be properly rapid in a straight line.
On the outside, the car spied here has a light signature that doesn’t appear elsewhere in the BMW range, and what look like more traditional, slim kidney grilles up front.
The proportions are classic rear-wheel drive coupe, with a long bonnet and short rear deck. Like the headlights, the tail lights have an LED signature distinct from the rest of the BMW range.
Along with the all-wheel drive M240i, the range is likely to include a few entry-level models with four-cylinder engines and rear-wheel drive.
Want tail-out thrills? A proper M2 is expected to follow the M240i, and it’s likely to be rear-drive.
BMW has a long history of small, two-door sports cars… and it knows it. It says the new 2 Series continues in the tradition of the 2002, the car that saved BMW and continues to inform (loosely, in some cases) its identity.
