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BMW M2 revealed, Australian debut likely for first half 2016

BMW’s mad M3 and M4 performance mid-sizers now have an ankle-devouring little brother, with the 2016 BMW M2 coupe officially revealed today.


First of its name, the new king of the 2 Series range arrives as a successor to the 1 Series M coupe revealed in 2011.

That mean it hasn’t been a long wait for the limited-edition 1 M’s replacement, but for fans eager to get into something a little smaller than the M4, it’s likely been an excrutiating one.

For Australian fans, the wait will continue, but not too much longer: speaking with CarAdvice today, BMW Australia communications manager Lenore Fletcher said that “nothing is finalised, but we are hopeful we will see it in the first half of 2016”.

Powered by a twin-scroll 3.0-litre straight-six, the M2 boasts 272kW at 6500rpm through to a 7000rpm redline. Torque is listed at 465Nm between 1400-5560rpm, while an overboost function knocks that up to 500Nm between 1450-4750rpm.

By comparison, the 1 Series M Coupe offered 250kW and 450Nm (again with 500Nm available on overboost), while the current M235i promises a still respectable 240kW and 450Nm.

Go one level up and there’s the M4, offering 317kW/550Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds with its DCT auto.

With the M2, a six-speed manual is standard fit and, in that configuration, BMW M says the little 1495kg coupe will hit 100km/h from standstill in 4.5 seconds. Go for the optional seven-speed dual-clutch auto - which lifts weight to 1570kg but also benefits from launch control - and that time is shaved to 4.3 seconds.

Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, but if you option the M Driver’s Package (which, in Europe at least, includes a track training course), top speed is lifted to 270km/h.

Fuel consumption on the European test cycle is listed at 7.9L/100km with the DCT auto, with CO2 emissions rated at 185g/km. The manual setup is a little thirstier and dirtier, at 8.5 l/100km and 199g/km.

Transforming the 2 Series Coupe into an M2 necessitated a host of mechanical, styling and aero changes, and the standout exterior tweaks are easy to spot.

There’s huge wheel arch flaring at both ends, with the front guards now 55mm wider and the rear even bigger with an 80mm increase, both accommodating the wider 1579/1601mm front and rear tracks.

The new bumpers are likewise hard to miss, adding aero advantages and visual muscle, with a meaty front splitter, huge winged side intakes, a small lip spoiler tacked onto the boot lid and a set of chrome exhaust tips poking out either side of the rear diffuser.

Big forged aluminium 19-inch alloys fill out those pumped guards, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/35 ZR19 tyres at the front and 265/35 ZR 19 rubber at the back.

Perforated and internally vented brake discs (380mm front with four piston calliper and 370mm rear with two pistons) fill the space behind the five split-spokes.

The M2 takes more than a few cues from its M3 and M4 siblings, along with a handful of parts, including their lightweight front and rear axles, engine pistons with top rings optimised for grey-cast iron liners, and crankshaft main bearing shells.

The multi-link rear suspension is an all-aluminium design, and there’s also plenty of aluminium up front with the double wishbones, control arms, wheel carriers and subframes, along with the struts. The list continues with an aluminium reinforcing plate between front axle subframe and the side sills.

An additional oil cooler is featured for the transmission in DCT-equipped models, along with another water cooler for the engine.

BMW’s Active M Differential is featured, along with M Dynamic Mode to allow a little wheel slip for “controlled drifts” on the track.

There’s a full array of BMW EfficientDynamics tech on-board, including brake energy regeneration, electromechanical power steering (in place of a hydraulic setup), automatic start/stop, intelligent lightweight construction, on-demand operation of ancillary units, differential with optimised-warm-up behaviour, and a map-regulated oil pump.

As with the larger M4, a GoPro camera app is also available, pairing the camera with the car’s dash display and iDrive controller.

Good news, too, if one is so inclined: the ‘Smokey Burnouts’ function is again featured, inviting the driver to “indulge in a degree of rear wheel spin while the car is moving at low speeds”.

Watch for CarAdvice’s review of the new M2 to come in the months ahead, and an Australian market launch to occur in the first half of 2016.

Click the photos tab above for more images. 

What do you think of the M2, is this the true successor to the 1 M Series Coupe that fans have been waiting for?

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