COVER BMW M2 revealed

M2 uses an uprated version of 3.0-litre sixcylinder to deliver 364bhp and 465Nm

OFFICIAL Pumped-up BMW M2 Coupé

Rebecca Chaplin

Rebecca_Chaplin@dennis.co.uk @BelieveBecca

IT was only a matter of time before

BMW’s M division got its hands on the 2 Series, and this is the result – the hotly anticipated M2 Coupé. Priced from £44,070, it will go on sale in April next year, with fewer than 500 models earmarked for the UK.

Two years after the car on which it’s based was launched, the M2 has the Audi RS 3 firmly in its sights. With the M division’s reputation for producing brilliantly balanced, agile and searingly fast rear-wheel-drive performance cars, this new M2 Coupé is set to be a worthy competitor.

It looks like a baby M4. It has similar air intakes at the front, flared wheelarches and trademark quad exhausts. The rear end is more toned and sculpted than the 2 Series’ and there’s a clear influence from the limited-run 1M Coupé. According to BMW, the M2 has been designed

■ 364bhp from 3.0-litre six-cyl ■ Manual or automatic boxes

DESIGN

BMW insists

for aerodynamic purposes – not for style. As a consequence, BMW has managed to reduce lift by 35 per cent and drag by five per cent over a standard 2 Series. Wider sideskirts are another modification, to accommodate the car’s wider tracks and larger wheels.

The M2 will use BMW’s 3.0-litre straightsix turbocharged engine, which features in the M235i, but has been uprated for the new model. It produces 364bhp and 465Nm of torque, plus an additional 35Nm is available with the overboost function between 1,450 and 4,750rpm.

The gearbox, brakes, front and rear axles, crankshaft and pistons aggressive styling is for aerodynamic efficiency. Pumped up wheelarches accommodate wider track and tyres

Cabin features discreet M badges, Professional sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity

EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT

As As well as well as M M Da Dako kota ta leather, M2 leather, M2 gets bodykit, gets bodykit, plus plus 19 19-inch -inch alloy wheels alloy wheels hiding M brakes hiding M brakes

m “Engineers have used aluminium to reduce weight, making M2 Coupé pé 35kg lighter than M235i at just 1,495kg” g”

Coupé targets Audi RS 3

have all been lifted from the M4, too, while there’s also extra water cooler for the engine to keep temperatures stable. The M2 also features an electronically controlled limited-slip differential – to help make best use of the engine’s performance – as standard.

Engineers have used aluminium to reduce weight where possible with the M2, making it 35kg lighter than the M235i, at just 1,495kg. It will be limited to 155mph and 0-62mph takes 4.5 seconds when paired with the six-speed manual – an optional seven-speed DCT automatic reduces that to 4.3 seconds.

“We’ve got a unique selling point, and it’s something we’ve pushed very hard for, to offer a manual and a DCT,” Steve Roberts, BMW UK’s product operations manager for small cars, told us.

“We know, with our current M drivers, there’s a lot who love driving with the DCT gearbox, but we know there are a lot of people who will want this as a driver’s car and will want it with a manual.”

BMW’s TwinScroll turbocharger has been used on the M2 to improve efficiency, but as the turbocharger has been integrated into the exhaust, this means it also performs better from a cold start. BMW claims the M2 will achieve 35.8mpg and emit 185g/km of CO2, while the auto is slightly less efficient, claiming 33.2mpg and 199g/km.

Although the outside clearly shows the M2 is a member of the M family, there are few surprises on the inside. The M logos stitched into the seatbacks suggest the car’s potent performance. Elsewhere, standard kit includes M Dakota leather, M division bodykit and brakes, BMW’s Professional Navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and 19-inch alloy wheels.

When the M2 hits dealers, it will be priced £44,070 with the manual gearbox, and £46,575 with the auto M DCT box.