2023 BMW M2 teased in tri-colour camo

The 2023 BMW M2 has been teased ahead of its unveiling in the coming months.

BMW showed off the upcoming M2 undergoing testing at the Salzburgring racing circuit in Austria, resplendent in a camouflage made up of the BMW M colours as the division celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Despite this being the first official preview of the M2 by BMW, the new-generation coupe is one of the worst-kept secrets from the Munich carmaker – images of the vehicle’s front bumper surfaced in mid 2021, while a leaked photo of the rear of the M2 emerged online earlier this month.

BMW has confirmed the new M2 will borrow its 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine from the M3 and M4, with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels.

While exact performance figures have yet to be locked in, reports suggest the prototypes are pushing out around 335kW – roughly 20kW less than a rear-wheel-drive manual M4.

The head of BMW M, Frank van Meel, told German media last week the M2 would be the last vehicle from the M division to enter production without any kind of hybrid-electric system.

According to BMWBlog, the M2 will also share its wheel track with the M4 – coming in at 54mm wider than the standard 2 Series – but enjoys a shorter wheelbase than its bigger sibling.

The M2 borrows its brakes and 19/20-inch alloy wheels from the M4 too, with sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres available as an option.

Step inside, and the M2’s interior is mostly lifted from the company catalogue, with M Sport seats available as standard, and carbon bucket seats from the M3/M4 also available at an additional cost.

The full reveal of the 2023 BMW M2 is set to occur in October 2022, with a local launch expected in the first half of next year.