Now that the 2022 BMW 2 Series has been revealed, we’re patiently waiting for the reveal of its hotter BMW M2 sibling.
BMW says it’ll introduce the new M2 in 2022, though it hasn’t confirmed exactly when. Local launch timing has also yet to be revealed.
The regular 2 Series will arrive here before the end of 2021, with a new all-wheel drive M240i xDrive range-topper powered by a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
Inside, the M2 looks more like the upcoming i4 than the regular 2 Series.
While the Australian-market 2 Series will offer a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster plus a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that juts out of the dash, the M2 looks to have the large, ‘curved’ display seen in the i4 and iX.
In those cars, the digital instrument cluster still measures 12.3 inches but blends almost seamlessly with a 14.9-inch touchscreen in one large housing.
Unlike the M240i xDrive that’ll head the local 2 Series range, the M2 is expected to remain rear-wheel drive.
It’ll reportedly put out more power than the current M2 Competition, which produces 302kW of power and 500Nm of torque from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine. The CS puts out a further 29kW.
The new car is rumoured to see its output increased to 335kW or even 365kW, with a six-speed manual also expected to continue.
That puts the larger M3 and M4 in its crosshairs. They put out 353kW and 550Nm in base, manual guise, with Competition models pumping out 375kW of power.
The M2, like the 2 Series, shares a version of the 3 Series and 4 Series’ CLAR underpinnings.
Unlike the M3, 4 Series and M4, the new 2 Series has been spared from BMW’s oversized, double-coffin front grille. It appears the M2 has also avoided this fate.
We can see it’s received some aggressive aesthetic enhancements, as expected of an M2, such as wider fenders and quad exhaust outlets.
The M2 has no direct rivals. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have a two-door coupe this small, while the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 features four-door coupe styling but all-wheel drive.
MORE: Everything BMW M2
