SCOOP! BMW M2 India-bound next year

BMW unveiled the all-new M2 performance car in its production guise recently. The M2 is a direct successor to the limited-run 1-series M Coupe which was offered on sale internationally. The new M2 will go on sale internationally next year, and sources at BMW India tell us that this model will be brought to India as well. The M2 is BMW M division’s smallest offering and will sit below the M3 and M4 siblings in BMW’s global line-up.

The RWD M2 gets a heavily structured front bumper with winglets to channel air, prominent air vents, a modified grille, widened wheel arches, a boot-lip spoiler, a rear bumper with an integrated spoiler and quad exhaust. The company claims that the body kit has reduced drag by about five percent along with reducing lift by around 30 percent. Inside, the car gets unique instrument graphics, a BMW M Sport steering wheel with paddle shifters on the automatic model, sports seats with adjustable side bolstering, an aluminium footrest and knee padding on the centre console for the driver.

The M2 draws power from a heavily reworked version of the 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol N55 engine that powered the 1-series M Coupe. The reworked engine uses the pistons, crankshaft-bearing shells, exhaust system elements and other as yet unspecified components from the twin-turbo S55 engine seen in the M3 and M4. This means that the engine develops 365bhp, which is 30bhp more than its predecessor and 60bhp less than the larger M3. Torque output is rated at 47.42kgm with an overboost function that pushes torque to 51.02kgm.

Globally, the M2 will be offered with the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic unit with launch control, three drive modes – Comfort, Sport and Sport+, paddle shifters and the Smoky Burnout function that allows for wheelspin off the line. As with other M models, an electronic limited-slip differential is standard. However it remains to be seen which version will make it to our shores.

In terms of performance, the manual M2 has a claimed 0-100kph sprint time of 4.5 seconds with its automatic counterpart doing the same in 4.2 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250kph but can be raised to 270kph. Braking duties are handled by 370mm discs with four-piston callipers up front and 360mm discs with two-piston callipers at the rear. The M2 is 4,468mm long, 1,854mm wide and 1,410mm high, making it 202mm shorter, 21mm narrower and 10mm lower than the M3. In terms of wheelbase, the car is 117mm shorter than the M3 and M4 at 2,693mm.

The BMW M2 will have its first public reveal at the Detroit motor show in January 2016 and will also be showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016 in February. BMW is likely to launch the M2 in India around April 2016.

BMW M2 photo gallery