There’s a new compact M division treat in store for fans in 2015: the BMW M2, scooped exclusively in the new November 2014 issue of CAR magazine.
The new edition, on sale in print and digital editions for tablets today, names the new cars coming in 2015 that we’re most excited about. And the M2 is most certainly near the top of that list. Here’s why.
BMW M2: the new M division here in 2015
Remember the original E30 M3 of 1986? The BMW 2002 Turbo from way back when in 1972? That’s the spirit of next year’s new M2. A kind of back-to-basics BMW hot-rod.
It’s due to slot beneath the M3/M4 duo, which have climbed up a step on the performance and price ladder in recent years. The two-door is set to continue in the smoking tyre tracks of the 1-series M Coupe, which we had such a scream running as a CAR magazine long-termer back in 2011.
Our artist’s impressions by R.Varicak/Motor Forecast reveal the look of the new 2015 BMW M2; based on detailed insider information from the design studio in Munich, they depict a stubby car that takes today’s M235i and adds an extra dose of menace and muscle.
Quad exhaust pipes and a subtle boot lip spoiler dominate the car’s rump, while the front of the M2 is marked by extra air intakes and a bulging bonnet. The M badge features front and rear on the kidney grille and boot lid.
The engine room: a twin-turbo straight six
Munich is planning to equip the M2 with a detuned version of the 3.0-litre straight six in the latest M3 and M4. It’s still twin-turbocharged, but we detail the exact engineering tweaks in the full magazine story.
Expect power to shrink to 369bhp and torque to 384lb ft, from big brother’s more fulsome 425bhp/406lb ft. That’s internal politics for you.
Read the full story on the new M2 in the new magazine. We reveal the chassis tricks used to tame that grunt in a small package; how the M2 will out-drag many Porsches from 0-62mph; and have more photos and details of the £45,000 coupe.
Don’t forget to read all about the key cars of 2015 in the new November 2014 issue of CAR magazine. Click here for a free digital preview. And find out how to download our digital edition for iPad, Google Play, Nook and Kobo e-readers here.
