BMW’s M division is working on a challenge that’s certain to excite the brand’s traditional fanbase – a replacement for the considerably-loved M2 coupe. The next-era design will make its debut afterwards this yr, and our special pictures preview how it could look.

The preceding-era M2 was a key design for BMW’s M division. Again in 2018, the brand labelled the car as its “strongest expansion driver”, so the achievement of this new design is very important, even even though the firm’s portfolio has considering that expanded to contain more popular efficiency cars, this kind of as SUVs and even electric powered vehicles.

BMW’s following M2 will take edge of the refreshing platform discovered under the new 2 Collection coupe, which was derived from that of the three Collection. Even so, there’ll be major improvements above the powertrains and chassis in the regular 2 Collection.

Electrical power should come from BMW M’s most recent turbocharged three.-litre straight-6 petrol motor, discovered in the likes of the X3 M and X4 M efficiency SUVs. Codenamed S58, the device develops 503bhp in BMW’s flagship Competition trim but, so the M2 doesn’t tread on the toes of its larger sized (and more costly) siblings, we be expecting BMW will restrict the coupe’s output.

Like the rest of BMW’s M line-up, the M2 will be supplied with two electric power outputs – there’ll be a regular variant at the entry-stage and a more strong Competition possibility acting as the flagship. The M2 base design will have at minimum 400bhp, which will give plenty of respiration space in between the M2 and the new M240i xDrive, which produces 369bhp.

That 400bhp output would also give the M2 plenty of grunt to contend with the existing crop of hyper hatches from Audi and Mercedes. The new Audi RS three has a 395bhp turbocharged 2.five-litre five-pot petrol motor, while the Mercedes-AMG A forty five S presents 415bhp.

Even so, compared with all those vehicles (and certainly the M240i), BMW is envisioned to keep the M2 rear- wheel-generate only, instead than adopting the rear-biased 4-wheel-generate system from the new M3 and M4. Purists will also be glad to listen to that a 6-velocity manual gearbox will also be available along with the common 8-velocity paddle-shift automatic.

The M2 Competition will have a little bit more electric power nonetheless – quite possibly edging toward the 430bhp mark if BMW mirrors the gap in between the regular and Competition variations of the M3 and M4. The brand may well even produce a replacement for the observe-concentrated 444bhp M2 CS, which was the most strong street-heading M2 so far.

To management the extra electric power, BMW will make a several improvements to the M240i’s platform. The firm engineers will widen the coupe’s observe, include some extra braces to cut down chassis flex, bolt on some larger sized brakes and suit an M Sport rear differential as regular.

The suspension will be upgraded, way too – and the brand’s engineers have two solutions to decide on from here. Choices contain the firm’s stroke-dependent mechanical dampers, tuned to match the M2’s stiffer and wider chassis, or M Sport adaptive electromechanical dampers.

New 2022 BMW M2: design and inside

BMW will improve the coupe’s styling pretty substantially at the entrance stop. Leaked pictures present that, instead than adopting the great vertical kidney grilles utilized to different the M3 from the regular three Collection, it’ll get a pair of boxy, horizontal replacements.

This square theme will extend to the lessen sections of the entrance apron, with a huge rectangular central intake flanked by two square elements at the entrance corners. Spy photographs present that the following M2 will also reincorporate the quad-exit exhaust system of the preceding design into a new look rear diffuser.

The M2 won’t just vary from the M240i on the outdoors, even though the cabin will get a host of improvements, way too. Our spy photographers have found within the M2, revealing that BMW will equip the coupe with its new curved Display screen iDrive set up. That suggests the digital devices and infotainment display are joined collectively in one particular seamless screen. 

The rest of the cabin will get BMW’s classic M division touches, this kind of as supportive bucket seats and a new sporting activities steering wheel with two bright red M method buttons, permitting the driver to promptly switch in between two separately configured vehicle setups.

New 2022 BMW M2: rates and competitors

BMW isn’t envisioned to start the new M2 until eventually the stop of 2022, and the car may well not reach United kingdom showrooms until eventually the commencing of 2023, so pricing information are unavailable.

Inspite of this, rates for the M2 Competition (which is the only design we’ll get here in Britain) are envisioned to commence from around £60,000. That suggests the coupe will be equipped to contend with sporting activities coupes this kind of as the Porsche Cayman, as effectively as the new Audi RS three hyper hatch.

Now click here to examine our assessment of the new BMW M3 Competition