M2

Make
BMW
Segment
Coupe

BMW is hard at work developing the next-generation 2-Series, including the hardcore M2 variant. When it originally leaked last year, we were pretty disappointed with the styling, but more recent spy shots and official teasers have us feeling more confident for the M2, which we've rendered below in orange. BMW already announced the standard 2-Series would arrive with two variants; a rear-wheel-drive 230i and an xDrive M240i version. The M2, however, could receive a more radical drivetrain.

A suspicious test mule was spotted wearing the current M2's bodywork, sans exhaust pipes in the rear. Rumors suggest this could be the M Division's first all-electric sports car dubbed the iM2. The iM2 is expected to produce a staggering 1,000 kilowatts (1,341 horsepower) and hit 60 mph in only 2.5 seconds.

While an all-electric iM2 certainly sounds promising, it is not expected to arrive before a gas-powered M2. A recent leak predicted BMW would end current M2 production in June 2021. The next-generation M2 will enter production in December 2022, meaning there will be a significant gap. Given the production timing, we expect this model to arrive as the 2023 BMW M2. These leaks did not suggest when the iM2 would arrive, though we assume BMW won't release that model anytime soon.

It's still too early to tell exactly what the next-generation M2, but our rendering artists have imagined a rough approximation using spy shots and leaked images. The M2 will retain its short wheelbase and tall greenhouse, with a much different headlight shape than the existing model. This model should be spared the large kidney grille treatment found on the M3 and M4.

No concrete evidence is available proving what engine will sit under the new M2's hood. However, we can make an educated guess based on the previous M2 Competition using the same S55 engine from the outgoing M3 and M4. Following this logic, the next-generation M2 should borrow the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six from the current M3 and M4.

This engine produces between 473 and 503 horsepower in those models but will likely offer a detuned power output in the M2 with room for a future CS model. A six-speed manual transmission will be available, but the existing seven-speed DCT will likely be replaced by an eight-speed automatic.