2021 BMW 2 Series Coupe leaked
Next generation BMW 2 Series coupe caught without disguise ahead of its official unveiling later this year or early next.
The images – discovered on a Facebook group by a user of the 2Addicts forum – appear to show a partially covered example of the next 2 Series coupe parked in an enclosed holding area.
While much of the body and glasshouse are obscured by a fabric cover, the photos reveal the coupe will escape the tall, buck-toothed grille treatment that its larger 4 Series cousin is set to receive in the coming months, instead featuring a pair of wider, slimmer kidneys inspired by the 3 Series and Z4.
They’re flanked by a set of sleek LED headlights, which sit above a bold lower fascia design that’s more streamlined and inset than anything seen on the outgoing 2er.
At the rear, the next-generation 2 Series appears to buck BMW’s slim tail-light trend, sporting angular LED lighting units closer in shape to the current 2 Series than the 8 Series or upcoming 4 Series coupes.
Above and top of story: sourced from 2Addicts forum
The presence of a black rear lip spoiler, dual trapezoidal exhaust outlets, a hardcore rear diffuser and an M badge on the front fascia suggests we’re looking at the sporty M Performance model, a space occupied in today’s range by the M240i.
BMW has previously confirmed the 2 Series coupe will receive a second generation, which is set to be unveiled sometime next year. Unlike the four-door Gran Coupe and MPV-like Active Tourer with which it shares the 2 Series name, the next-generation coupe will retain its rear-wheel-drive layout, likely riding on the modular CLAR architecture employed by BMW’s larger models.
A range of turbocharged four-cylinder and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are expected to be offered on the new model, paired to a selection of manual and automatic gearboxes. The range is set to be topped at launch by a circa-250kW M240i, with a hero M2 model confirmed to follow at a later date.
Above: 2017 BMW M240i
However, while the vehicle in the leaked photos is most likely the next-generation 2 Series coupe, alternate theories doing the virtual rounds suggest it could be the face-lifted version of the China- and Mexico-only 1 Series Sedan, which was revealed nearly four years ago and is due for its mid-life update.