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BMW M2 Coupé revealed

2016 BMW M2 2016 BMW M2 2016 BMW M2
Adam Schoeman

BMW has released specs and images of its much-anticipated junior M car, the M2 coupé.

The M2 is set to do battle with the likes of Audi’s RS3 and Mercedes-AMG’s A45. It uses an older, but heavily revised version of the N55 single-turbocharged straight-six engine, now rated at 272 kW, linked to 465 Nm of torque.

The M3 and M4 use the more powerful S55 twin-turbocharged engine, but we have been told that a lot of the individual components of the S55 engine have been bolted onto the M2 by BMW’s M Division.

Even so, the M2 enters the market with a handicap as far as power output goes. The latest iteration of the A45 AMG’s 2,0-litre turbocharged motor produces 280 kW, while the Audi RS3, due in SA before year-end, pushes out 270 kW.

That being said, the M2 is lighter than the A45 AMG, giving it a more attractive power-to-weight ratio, and while it has a claimed torque output of 465 Nm, BMW has fitted it with a kick-down activated overboost which brings usable torque to a staggering 500 Nm in short bursts.

The engine will link up to the rear wheels with a choice of either a seven-speed M-DCT dual clutch, or a six-speed manual gearbox. The DCT variant comes with steering wheel-mounted shift paddles and launch control, while the manual is set to receive an auto-blipping function similar to that employed in Nissan’s 370Z.

2016 BMW M2

2016 BMW M2

The idea is that the car will automatically blip the throttle when the driver downshifts, eliminating the need to heel and toe while braking.

As with all M cars, the M2 will be fitted with a mechanical differential on the rear wheels, and will sport the signature M-division quad exhausts. A rear diffuser will also be integrated, together with a small boot lid spoiler.

The chassis of the M2 is largely a bespoke unit, featuring tracks that are significantly wider than those of the M235i, and actually on par with the M4. However, it is substantially smaller, coming in 21 mm narrower and 10 mm lower than the M4, and using a wheelbase that is 117 mm shorter.

The M2 will ride on 19-inch alloys wrapped in 254/35 front and 265/35 rear rubber. Behind the front and rear wheels are 380 mm and 370 mm steel brakes, linked to four and two-piston callipers respectively.

The driver will be able to choose from a number of different driver programs, including Comfort, Sport and Sport+. These alter the engine’s mapping, the responsiveness of the electrically assisted steering and the suspension set-up (as well as the gear shifts in the case of the M-DCT transmission). There is also a Smoky Burnout function which will allow the car to wheelspin as it launches off the line …

BMW claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds for the manual version and 4.3 seconds with the launch control-activated automatic gearbox. The A45 AMG is able to execute the same sprint in 4,2 seconds, while the Audi RS3 is on par with the BMW at 4,3 sec. But remember: the M2 is rear-wheel drive only …

2016 BMW M2

2016 BMW M2

The M2 comes with more expectations than any car that we have seen, as it has been hailed as successor to the legendary 1-Series M Coupé, the track day edition of the M235i and a smaller and in some people’s minds more useable version of the now brutal M3 and M4.

All of these are correct in that the M2 is now the smallest of the M cars, a posittioin that had been momentarily occupied by the 1-Series M Coupé before its small production run ended. Even though the latter looked very similar to the first-generation 135i on paper, it turned out to be one of the most emotive vehicles BMW has ever made.

The M235i on the other hand is the sweet heart of the BMW range, extending to the glorious M135i with its slightly larger footprint and more traditional shape. The M4 has more power and better handling, but in chasing down its competitors has lost a degree of everyday usability, making it difficult to drive it with real enthusiasm on anything but a track. It’s also become quite a big car.

The M2 is meant to remedy that by offering us a car that is smaller and less powerful, but has the same level of engineering as the M3 and M4, which has always been our only problem with the M135i. And unlike the 1-Series M Coupé, the M2 is a born and bred M car, with the full weight of the M-Division’s performance engineering prowess behind it.

BMW is set to officially unveil the M2 at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2016, and should go on sale shortly thereafter.

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