2023 BMW M2 will offer M2 CS-like performance and six-speed stick
BMW is nearly ready to introduce the long-awaited second-generation M2. Development work is ongoing, and the Munich-based company published a set of photos that show the coupe going flat-out on the Salzburgring in Austria to give fans a preview of what’s in store.
In spite of the camouflage, we can tell that the next-generation M2 stands out from the latest 2 Series with a deeper front bumper, larger kidney grilles and model-specific headlights. BMW dialed in a greater degree of differentiation between the 2 Series and the M2 this time around, much to the chagrin of folks planning to put M emblems on a 230i. Moving beyond the front end, punched-out wheel arches hide a wider track while the back end is characterized by a subtle trunk-mounted spoiler, vents cut into the bumper, and four round exhaust tips.
The list of options will include a carbon fiber roof panel and carbon fiber bucket seats for the front passengers. Speaking of the interior, BMW’s images do a formidable job of keeping it under wraps, but we can nonetheless tell that the M2 receives the curved display found in other members of the range; it’s a big, free-standing screen that merges the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system’s display. Drivers will have several driving modes to choose from, including Sport and Sport Plus, and the emergency brake is now electronic.
BMW notes that power for the M2 will come from a version of the 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged straight-six found in the M3 and the M4. Earlier rumors peg the engine’s output in the vicinity of 450 horsepower, though nothing is official yet; BMW simply pledged that the new model will deliver a level of performance similar to the limited-edition M2 CS. Rear-wheel drive will come standard, and buyers will be asked to choose between a six-speed manual transmission and an eight-speed automatic. It sounds like the M2 will be the purest modern-day M model.
M doesn’t design cars to merely go fast in a straight line; Dodge’s Challenger SRT Super Stock can help you scratch that itch. Handling is part of the equation, too. To that end, the firm fitted the M2 with a braking system sourced from the M3 and an adaptive suspension system.
Some expected to see the new M2 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2022, but the coupe’s debut is set for October 2022. That doesn’t mean it won’t appear at Goodwood; BMW could surprise us by entering a prototype in the hill climb. Deliveries will start in April 2023.
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