5 reasons why new BMW M2 will be absolutely unbeatable

The all-new 2016 BMW M2 is a car that will keep the Bavarian automaker firmly planted in first place in the luxury performance car segment. It was a brilliant move by BMW M GmbH to build the M2 Coupe and it will be hard for the competition to beat. Like its stablemate, the BMW M235i that is being recognized as one of the best cars for 2016 by Car and Driver, the M2 Coupe will be a car that goes down as an important car for BMW. The M235i is one of the best vehicles in the BMW lineup because it embodies everything that made BMW a driver-focused machine. Why will the new BMW M2 be one of the leading cars of 2016?

The M2 kicks up, what made BMW a machine owners were proud to own and excited to drive every time they get behind the wheel, a few notches. This M will get any performance enthusiasts attention regardless of what they drive now. No one other than BMW has driven the performance coupe yet, but you can count on it getting rave reviews when it finally gets tested.

We’ve driven the M235i and found the rear-drive sedan to be the most toss-able small luxury coupe on the market. Our tester came mated to an optional 8-speed Sport automatic transmission, but it comes with a manual gearbox for driving purists. BMW’s new model has an ideal 50-50 weight distribution and we found the BMW M235i is a blast to drive, and gets better in the corners.

We can’t wait to get our hands on the M2 because it’s more than a M235i with more power under the hood. There’s five reasons the M2 will be one of the best cars for 2016 and one of BMW’s best new cars they’ve produced. It’s the spiritual successor to the iconic BMW 2002 Turbo and will likely be more popular than the classic BMW 1 Series M Coupe that ’s worth more today than when it was new.

Impressive performance

It all starts with the M2’s impressive power under the hood. The M2 has more torque than past generation M3’s, and comes standard with impressive performance from the TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter powerplant. BMW M GmbH engineers drew on years of experience and the M2 produces more power than its predecessor, the BMW 1 M Coupe.

The M2 comes with a TwinPower 3.0-liter turbo 6-cylinder inline engine that pumps out an impressive 370hp and 343 lb-ft of torque. This is more than 70 lb-ft of additional torque than the past generation M3 produced. The high-performance coupe also features an overboost function that raises the horsepower figure by 26 lb-ft to 369 lb-ft between 1,450 and 4,750 rpm. It will launch from 0-62 in just 4.3 seconds with M DCT. The M2 clocked a 7:58 around the Nurburgring, which is just six seconds slower than the M4’s official 7:52. The M2 will blow the top off the fun-to drive meter when it arrives next year.

It uses M3/M4 technology

BMW M GmbH development engineers took the newly developed 3.0 liter 6-cylinder engine and used selected components from the high-performance powerplant used in the new BMW M3 and BMW M4. Those internals include the pistons, with their top ring optimized for the use of grey-cast iron liners and the crankshaft main bearing shells. M2’s engine also gets high-performance spark plugs designed to optimally work at higher temperatures.

Track-ready from the Leipzig factory

The M2 gets track-ready features like an additional oil cooler for the transmission oil when equipped with the optional M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT), and an extra radiator for the engine. When others are dropping the manual gearbox, M2 is available with a six-speed manual gearbox with automatic rev-matching, and a new type of carbon-fiber friction lining that enhances shift precision.

The new coupe also comes with high-performance brakes that were tested on the Nurburgring. The front axle gets four-piston fixed calipers with massive 15-inch diameter rotors, the rear axle uses two-piston fixed calipers with 14.5 inch diameter rotors. Both use M compound brake pads with perforated and inner-vented brake disc rings made from grey-cast iron. On the track, the driver can activate the M Dynamic Mode Sport plus mode for greater control during power drifts. Check out the video below and watch the coupe power around the Anglesey Circuit in the UK.

Reduced unsprung mass

The new M2 uses a number of lightweight parts to help reduce unsprung mass, and tips the scales at 3,295 pounds, which is more than 200 pounds lighter than the M4 with a manual gearbox. M GmbH development engineers used lightweight aluminum front and rear axles and reduce weight by 11 pounds in the control arms, wheel carriers, axle subframes and stiffening plate of the double-joint spring-strut front axle. Additional weight savings in the suspension struts and tubular anti-roll bar was achieved by using aluminum.

BMW M also used forged aluminum for the control arms and wheel carriers of the all-new BMW M2’s five-link rear axle which reduces the unsprung masses of the wheel-locating components by more than 6 pounds compared to a steel construction. The M2 rides on lightweight 19-inch forged wheels that substantially reduce rotating and unsprung masses. Finally, the high-performance M brake disc hubs are manufactured from aluminum and are significantly lighter than conventional braking systems.

The M2 has good genes

Inspiration for the new M2 came from the BMW 2002 and the E30 M3. Hussein Alattar with BMW Design was responsible for the exterior design of the M2 Coupe and did a masterful job. The M2 is wider than the normal 2 Series, 60 millimeters in the rear and 100 millimeters in the front. It also gets a large air intake with its outer air inlets, winglets on the side and larger wheel arches to accommodate the larger wheels. The M2 also gets double duel exhaust tail pipes that are moved inward to emphasize the width of the car. Konrad Pointner who was in charge of body development with BMW M gets credit for the M2’s powerful styling. The M2 will never be mistaken for the standard 2 Series.

We can’t wait to get our hands on the 2016 BMW M2 and see how absolutely unbeatable the newest BMW M will be. The M2 Coupe will be a car that goes down as one of the most important cars BMW has ever produced.

Media source: BMW M