Photo: SB Medien
The last time we met up with the upcoming BMW M2 on the Nurburgring was back in fall last year when the car was just starting its tests and was basically an M235i with a wider body kit. Today, as the tests on the famous Green Hell are kicking off again, we’re looking at a production ready model taking on the twists and turns of the track.
That’s right, the BMW M2 looks ready for production and the drivers are seemingly doing their last tests before the assembly lines kick off and start pouring out probably the most popular small coupe from Bavaria of the last decade.
According to our own sources inside Munich, the M2 will be entering production in November this year and that means we’ll get to see the concept somewhere this summer and the car in the metal at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall.
The engine under the bonnet will be wearing the N55B30T0 codename and it will be a well-deserved swan song of the N55 range that will be retired soon, to be replaced by the new B58 modular plants. As the codename suggests, this will be a “T0” type of engine meaning it will be pushing the performance to the limit.
Rumors claim that the power output will be close to 370 HP and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque and that the M2 will be offered with a choice between a 6-speed manual gearbox and an automatic one. Hurray for the manual (that will be the weapon of choice most likely) but what about the auto? What will that be?
Going with the super-fast 7-speed DCT could be a dream but something tells us that such an option would take the M2 too close to the M3 and M4 in terms of performance. Therefore, the M division could go with a revised 8-speed ZF box. It’s not unseen as the X5 and X6 M models also use such a transmission.
Since the weight factor will play a big part in how the car will drive, expect it to be close to what the M3 and M4 are showing. That’s somewhere under 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs). Combined with the smaller output of the engine, things should even out between the models.
A sprint of around 4.2-4.3 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) could also be expected, going up a little more if we’re talking manual transmission. Either way, the shorter wheelbase and the wide tracks will surely translate into an incredibly fun car to drive on the track.
All you have to do to envision how agile it will be is take a look at the rear axle of the prototype in these photos and those huge wheels hiding the gargantuan rotors behind them. This should be a proper gift for BMW fans on the company’s 100th anniversary. Let’s hope it won’t be a limited-run production car.
According to our own sources inside Munich, the M2 will be entering production in November this year and that means we’ll get to see the concept somewhere this summer and the car in the metal at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall.
The engine under the bonnet will be wearing the N55B30T0 codename and it will be a well-deserved swan song of the N55 range that will be retired soon, to be replaced by the new B58 modular plants. As the codename suggests, this will be a “T0” type of engine meaning it will be pushing the performance to the limit.
Rumors claim that the power output will be close to 370 HP and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque and that the M2 will be offered with a choice between a 6-speed manual gearbox and an automatic one. Hurray for the manual (that will be the weapon of choice most likely) but what about the auto? What will that be?
Going with the super-fast 7-speed DCT could be a dream but something tells us that such an option would take the M2 too close to the M3 and M4 in terms of performance. Therefore, the M division could go with a revised 8-speed ZF box. It’s not unseen as the X5 and X6 M models also use such a transmission.
Since the weight factor will play a big part in how the car will drive, expect it to be close to what the M3 and M4 are showing. That’s somewhere under 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs). Combined with the smaller output of the engine, things should even out between the models.
A sprint of around 4.2-4.3 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) could also be expected, going up a little more if we’re talking manual transmission. Either way, the shorter wheelbase and the wide tracks will surely translate into an incredibly fun car to drive on the track.
All you have to do to envision how agile it will be is take a look at the rear axle of the prototype in these photos and those huge wheels hiding the gargantuan rotors behind them. This should be a proper gift for BMW fans on the company’s 100th anniversary. Let’s hope it won’t be a limited-run production car.
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