Many people were disappointed with the previous generation of the M3 so BMW had to release a car to make these people happy. The response was the M135i which was seen as one of the best sports car of its time. It was simple, powerful and very fun to drive and despite the fact it was less powerful than the M3, it was more fun to drive thanks to its simplicity. Well, BMW is now looking to do the same with the 2016 BMW M2 which has been released a couple of months ago and it is expected to go on sale in the near future. However, unlike its predecessor, it is now a full blown M car with a lot of upgrades over the usual 235i.
The car is using the same chassis as the 2 Series but it comes with a lot of upgrades to its running gear, engine, interior and exterior, all to the point that it no longer looks like a 2 Series but it looks a lot more like a shrunken version of the M4. The price for new 2016 BMW M2 is $52,695.
2016 BMW M2 Engine
Under the hood of the 2016 BMW M2 we can find the N55 turbocharged inline 6 petrol engine which has been extensively reworked in order to make 365 horsepower and 343 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the M4, the car is only rocking a single turbocharged which allows it to rev up to 7,000 rpm with ease. On top of that, it offers 343 lb-ft of torque from 1,400 to 5,560 rpm and it can provide in short bursts of power up to 369 lb-ft of torque from 1,450 rpm all the way up to 4,750 rpm.
The great part of this engine is that it feels powerful all the way through the rev range and it has been proven to be one of the more reliable units BMW has. Thanks to it, the M2 will hit 60 MPH in just 4.2 seconds when equipped with the new 7 speed dual-clutch automatic and in 4.4 seconds when equipped with the 6 speed manual. The gearbox routes all the power to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential which should provide tons of fun.
However, in order to handle all that power, BMW had to work quite a bit on the car’s running gear. Because of that, it is now around 4 inches wider than the usual 2 Series and a bit lower as well. The brakes are larger and in the front it comes with four piston calipers while the wheels are 19 inch forged rims wrapped in Michelin high performance tires designed specifically for this model.
Exterior
The exterior has also received a few tweaks in order to make the 2016 BMW M2 look better and also be faster around a track. In the front there is a more aggressive bumper with larger air intakes which feed the larger cooling system while at the back there is the usual M-branded quad-exhaust system and carbon fiber rear diffuser.
Interior of BMW M2
Inside the cabin, the new 2016 BMW M2 is pretty similar to the usual 2 Series. Here, instead of the usual aluminum or wood trimmings, BMW decided to install carbon fiber inserts on the dashboard, door covers and steering wheel. The seats look to be comfortable but unfortunately the Recaro seats will only be offered as an option which means that the M2 will easily match the price of a base M4. The good part is that their iDrive system as well as all the usual comfort features are available as standard.
