At last - BMW confirms 480hp M2 xDrive
First-ever all-wheel-drive M2 officially announced, costing from £75k - and it keeps rear-drive mode
When the big three German manufacturers seem determined to outdo each other on groundbreaking, unprecedented announcements, it isn’t half nice to write a bit of predictable news. Having been rumoured for a long time - and already built by the aftermarket - then leaked online, the BMW M2 with xDrive is now finally official.
It’s nothing more complex than that sounds, the M2 set to benefit from the same all-wheel drive system that works so effectively in the M4. There’s an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case; the latter also houses the control unit and the wheel slip limitation. BMW says the M2 xDrive will remain rear-driven right up until the intervention of the fronts is deemed necessary, with the wheel slip limitation able to compensate for speed differences between axles. As with the M4, expect similar seamlessness between rear- and all-wheel drive, plus a distinct rear bias to its cornering attitude. Or, as BMW would put it, a ‘driving experience of unsurpassed dynamism with a noticeable increase in directional stability and traction.’
Expect the same sort of configurability that’s come to characterise the modern xDrive M car in the M2. A pure rear-drive mode has been confirmed, so presumably the 4WD Sport setting will feature also. With all four wheels able to deal with 480hp and 442lb ft of torque, the M2 is capable of 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds - or a third of a second faster than the rear-drive car. The dash to 124mph takes just 12.8 seconds - in the junior M car! (And fret not if stats aren’t a concern; the rear-drive M2, with manual option, continues alongside this auto-only car.) Top speed is 155mph, optionally 177mph, and expect a minimal weight gain for this new derivative. Because for the M4 it was only a 50kg penalty, plus the CO2 and MPG figures for this car - 27.7-29.1mpg, 230-231g/km - are almost identical to the two-wheel drive model. All xDrive M2s will be powered by the new M Ignite version of the S58 straight six with pre-chamber ignition.
As with the M4, there’ll be nothing visually to tell this M2 apart from any other. It has the same 19-inch front, 20-inch rear wheels (with track tyres as an option), the same M compound brakes behind them, and the same badges. Nobody will know you have the M2 with ‘superior traction and further enhanced dynamics’ until scooting away from the lights. The BMW Individual Borusan Turkish Blue seen here is new for all M2 models, one of 14 colours - five metallic, three solid, six Individual paints - on offer. The UK market launch for the xDrive will be later in the summer, with prices starting from £74,255 (the standard M2 auto is £71,645).
Alexander Karajlovic, BMW M’s VP for Development, said: “The new BMW M2 with M xDrive opens the next chapter in the story of an icon. It breaks new ground in blending the strong, uncompromising character of the BMW M2 compact high-performance sports car with the superior traction and precision of M xDrive for the first time… Like its stablemates, the BMW M2 with M xDrive is therefore very much a driver’s car, but it also elevates its high-performance abilities to a new level and redefines sporting prowess in the compact M segment.”
Expect them on the road for a dank and greasy British winter. Finally, don’t forget that the 480hp M2 has been around for a little while, and isn’t exactly traction-limited with two driven wheels - it’s now from £52k. The same sort of money as buys one of the earliest xDrive M4s, too…
Also, I thought time might be kinder to this design but they're still so blockheaded and dumdfounded,
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