Thursday 3rd January 2019

BMW M2 Gran Coupe on the way?

A four-door 2 Series is due, the M2 is popular, BMW loves to fill a fast car niche... Fingers crossed!

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You know how it goes with M cars: the estate version (if it happens) is cooler than the saloon, the saloon is cooler than the coupe, and everything is cooler than the cabrio. They're the rules. See the unbridled delirium around M5 Tourings, homebrew M3 wagons and similar machines which deviate from the two-door M car norm.

Another could be joining the ranks soon, with Autocar suggesting an M2 Gran Coupe could become a reality, to provide a four-door rival to cars like the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG CLA45. The rumours have come about with the emergence of new spy shots of the standard 2 Series Gran Coupe, with that model likely to arrive later this year. BMW of course has some form here, the two-door 6 Series (and M6) spawning Gran Coupe equivalents. The 4 Series coupe does have a four-door equivalent as well, though not an M4 yet.

As for what the M2 GC might be, Autocar's intel thus far is implying that the car would use the original M2's 370hp N55 straight-six turbo, rather than the S55 now found in the M2 Competition. Presumably this would be to leave some headroom to the two-door Comp as the flagship for now, though it would be surprising if a four-door version didn't happen in time.

Besides that expect a small weight gain to account for the additional doors - as a point of reference a 4 Series GC is 50kg more than a regular coupe - as well as fractional increases in length, wheelbase and interior dimensions. With the new G20 3 Series growing over its F30 predecessor in length, width, height and wheelbase - which will naturally carry over into the next M3 - the scope is there for the M2 GC to occupy the four-door niche once occupied by the now-larger car.

It all makes quite a lot of sense then, with a space being freed up in the range, a regular model imminent and the running gear already in the empire. Whether an M2 Gran Coupe actually happens, though, remains to be seen - count us amongst one of the (hopefully many) interested parties.

Images: S.Baldauf/S.B. Medien

[HM-2]

It's a pretty niche niche, but I can't say I wouldn't be tempted by a 4-door M2.
I prefer the idea of a 4-door to a hatch or a coupé for everyday use, but don't need a car as big as a 3-series.
I prefer the styling of the 4GC and 6GC to the 3 and 5 series respectively.

The camo'd up thing is pretty ungainly, mind.

[kambites]

This is based on the new transverse engined platform, right? It certainly looks like it from the position of the front axle.

I wonder if they'll install a Haldex type 4wd system or make it a hybrid with the rear drive being electric like the current Mini Countryman.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 3rd January 12:57

[LocoBlade]

The new 2 series will be based on the new G20 3 Series chassis so still RWD, so presumably this will be too as it seems strange to introduce a longer version of the existing 2 Series platform so late in its lifecycle. Either that or its a lowered 2 Series Active Tourer which I think is basically the Mini chassis in which case an M2 derivative with any of the existing engines isn't going to happen.

I can't see any M2GC having the original N55 engine anyway though, I thought the entire reason the existing M2 lost that engine and got the S55 was because it wasn't cost effective to bring it up to the latest emissions regs.

Edited by LocoBlade on Thursday 3rd January 13:03

[kambites]

LocoBlade said:

The new 2 series will be based on the new G20 3 Series chassis so still RWD, so presumably this will be too as it seems strange to introduce a longer version of the existing 2 Series platform so late in its lifecycle.

The coupe will, but the proportions of this look like it'll be based on the new 1-series platform to me (which is presumably an evolution of the current Mini and 2-series GT one). I suppose that might be the disguise giving that impression.

[LocoBlade]

kambites said:

LocoBlade said:

The new 2 series will be based on the new G20 3 Series chassis so still RWD, so presumably this will be too as it seems strange to introduce a longer version of the existing 2 Series platform so late in its lifecycle.

The coupe will, but the proportions of this look like it'll be based on the new 1-series platform to me.

Yep could be right, it does look a lot more like the proportions of an Active Tourer with the back of the roof chopped away. If it's FWD/4Wd and transverse though then it certainly won't get the N55 or S55 engine and I can't see BMW launching a full fat M car with a 4 pot.

[Sport220]

Unless it's considerably cheaper, I see no reason why you'd get this instead of an M3.
Seeing as the M2C(hubby) isn't even that much lighter than an M4

[Frimley111R]

|I looked into this recently but there seemed to be some fairly convincing reports on this model not being created. Plus it'll be small but very heavy (the Coupe is 1600kg+). I know M Cars are but surely small means light?

[kambites]

LocoBlade said:

I can't see BMW launching a full fat M car with a 4 pot.

I don't see why not, really; most of the competition are four-pots and it doesn't seem to hurt their sales.

[Brainpox]

Sport220 said:

Unless it's considerably cheaper, I see no reason why you'd get this instead of an M3.
Seeing as the M2C(hubby) isn't even that much lighter than an M4

I thought the M2 was heavier? And the M2C heavier still with the S55.

[kambites]

Sport220 said:

Unless it's considerably cheaper, I see no reason why you'd get this instead of an M3.

One has to imagine it'll be priced against the RS3 saloon and CLA 45AMG; so about £45k. The M3 is about £60k isn't it? That seems like a reasonable gap.

If it is transverse engined it may have more interior space than the 3-series, too.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 3rd January 13:15

[Jimmy Recard]

kambites said:

LocoBlade said:

I can't see BMW launching a full fat M car with a 4 pot.

I don't see why not, really; most of the competition are four-pots and it doesn't seem to hurt their sales.

I think that the E30 M3 was a 'full fat M car' anyway

[Bencolem]

So in 5 years time when the 1/2 series has become the size of the current 3/4 (which itself has become the size of the 5/6 series) and BMW needs to introduce a 1/2 series sized compact car, what are they going to call it? The 0 series? The -1 series?

[kambites]

Here we go, there doesn't appear to be a rear differential, although it's possible it's hidden away above the exhaust:



Note the single exhaust tip so this isn't the M2 mule in the article above, but it is a 2-series GC mule. So the M2 might well be 4wd but the platform is apparently engineered for FWD and hence probably transverse-engined.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 3rd January 13:52

[sh33n]

Not sure I understand this niche, if they are filling a niche please do a M3 estate!

If they run this along side a M3 (which I can’t see why because there was never a M4 GC) then why would anyone bother with the M3?

The new M3 will be bigger so this M2 GC will probably be a pretty straight swap power wise and cheaper so I’ll take the M2 GC.

I think BMW will loose out on sales of the mid range M cars if this is released.

[Harry_523]

The "journalists" reporting this seem to be the only people who cant see this mule is blatantly FWD based.

I sincerely hope there is a proper I6 RWD M2GC with a decent hatch back coming though because there is a lot of demand for a properly practical M car. I'll take mine with a manual please...

[Frimley111R]

kambites said:

One has to imagine it'll be priced against the RS3 saloon and CLA 45AMG; so about £45k. The M3 is about £60k isn't it? That seems like a reasonable gap.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 3rd January 13:15

An M2C is £50k...

[sh33n]

Harry_523 said:

The "journalists" reporting this seem to be the only people who cant see this mule is blatantly FWD based.

I sincerely hope there is a proper I6 RWD M2GC with a decent hatch back coming though because there is a lot of demand for a properly practical M car. I'll take mine with a manual please...

How can you tell it's FWD from those pics?

BMW will sell you a X5M (soon a X3M or X4M also) if you want a practical 'M' car. Not that these appeal to me.

[kambites]

Frimley111R said:

An M2C is £50k...

Yes, and an M2C in an M2C. This appears to be a Mini in a frock.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 3rd January 14:24

[kambites]

sh33n said:

How can you tell it's FWD from those pics?

You can't but you can tell it's transverse front-engined from the combination of the bonnet line and the front axle position. Realistically it's not going to be FWD, it'll be 4wd but there's typically a big difference between a longitudinal engined 4wd platform an a transverse engined one.

[smilo996]

Would be great if they did a 2 door estate/shooting brake or even pushed the design back into the Z4M Coupe and developed it to today using that platform.