Borrows quite a bit from the M4.
Is it common knowledge now that the M2 is currently BMW’s best-selling high performance model? If not, it’s pretty close to being that. No surprise, then, that the prospect of an even hotter version of the compact rear-drive sports car will cause quite a bit of stir.
Almost immediately following the premiere of the M2 back in 2015, speculation began on just how much more power and ability could be extracted from given this set of base ingredients. The M2 Competition, as it’s been named by the collective, is BMW’s first attempt at that exploration.
With these leaked photos, first surfaced via BMWBlog Slovenia, we see clearly that the Munich automaker fully intends to have the hardcore M2 premiere at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show that starts later this month. While the bright neons and exaggerated visuals remind us of a video game than a legitimate teaser, it shows just how different it is from the baseline M2.
The visual changes include a more angular pair of kidney grilles up front, additional venting around the lower edge of the splitter, new lightweight wheels, and side mirrors lifted straight from the larger M4. The interior, meanwhile, seems to borrow yet more from that larger two-door, such as its sports seats and more pronounced use of carbon fibre trim.
Interestingly, these pictures reveal that the M2 Competition will feature two configurable M mode buttons, just like the larger M3 and M4 and as well as the M5 and M6. Otherwise, though, the cabin retains the same configuration and equipment from the standard M2.
The transmission option here is shown to be the 7-speed dual-clutch option, so it’s unclear whether BMW will still offer a manual option at all should the Competition Pack be selected. However, the justification could well be due to the engine it’s mated to, which is considerably more potent.
It’ll still be a 3.0-litre straight-six, of course, but rumour has it that BMW will swap out the B58 unit and twin-scroll turbocharger with the S55 sixer with its twin-turbochargers - essentially the same motor as the F80 M3 and F82 M4. Thusly, it should follow that 331kW and 550Nm are available under that right foot.
Any way you slice it, that’s a substantial bump in performance over the base car’s 272kW and 465Nm, no doubt making the M2 even quicker than the heavier M3/M4 combo. Despite this, the information accompanying these leaked images claim a 4.2 second 100km/h sprint time, 0.1s slower than the M3. Curious. Perhaps BMW has de-tuned the S55 before slotting it into the M2 Competition.
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