BMW has something of a treat in store for fans of their M cars. Those pining for an M2, arguably the best car the performance division produces, but can’t justify owning a small two-door will be glad to know a four-door Gran Coupe body style might be premiering as early as mid-2019 with deliveries slated for this year’s fourth quarter.
According to Autocar, the M2 Gran Coupe will debut for the 2020 model year as the flagship of the 2 Series Gran Coupe range. Like the 4 Series Gran Coupe and now-defunct 6 Series Gran Coupe, it will run the gamut between entry-level variants with four-cylinder (possibly even three-cylinder) petrol or diesel engines to sportier or more luxurious breeds, some with plug-in hybrid systems.
Focusing on the fire-breather M2 Gran Coupe, BMW are clearly anticipating a brutal fight with the incoming Audi RS3 as well as the second-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. As you’d imagine, it rides on the existing 2 Series platform but sports a stretched wheelbase to accommodate the larger rear passenger area and two more doors.
Expect styling to very closely mimic the current M2 Coupe from the front and rear, with any changes only visually discernible when viewed from its side, all the way down to the minute details. BMW expects this new to further distance the 1 Series hatch and coupe-like 2 Series for the former’s eventual shift to a front-drive platform shared with the 2 Series Active Tourer, X1, X2 and various MINIs.
Meanwhile, the proper 2 Series - Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe - will retain the longitudinal engine layout and rear-wheel drive dynamics that BMW is so famed for. That motor will likely be an unchanged version of the N55 3.0-litre inline-6 slotted into the standard M2 Coupe. However, it is also possible that the automaker may decide to slot in the newer B58 straight-6 into the M2 Coupe prior to the Gran Coupe’s launch.
It’s not probable that the M Division will see any need to introduce an even more aggressive M2 Gran Coupe Competition if only to have it share the twin-turbocharged S55 engine from the F80 M3. Given the four-door’s more practical appeal, this might be wholly unnecessary. Still, with 272kW at its disposal, the four-door M2 will not be lacking in performance and should almost indistinguishable to the Coupe on paper.
The larger threat, then, lies with its rivals from AMG and Audi Sport. While details on the next RS3 are unconfirmed, we do have a rather clear idea of how much punch the CLA 45 will be packing. Recent leaks suggest that the A 45, the CLA’s hatchback sibling, will feature a whopping 309kW output and all-wheel drive. There’s no reason to believe Affalterbach’s four-door coupe will be any less potent.
But while the AMG is all about point-to-point speed, the BMW wishes to engage the driver even more with a looser rear end and the option of a manual transmission over the standard 8-speed ZF automatic.
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