BERLIN: The German automaker BMW is all set to launch another racy two-door with 2016 arrival of the M2 Coupe to challenge Mercedes-AMG A45 and the second generation Audi RS3.
The upcoming RS3 will likely follow in the footsteps of the Clubsport Concept and boast a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine under the hood.
The powerplant, similar to the one used in the previous-generation TT-RS, is expected to produce 360 horsepower at the most — so that the RS3 won’t step on the toes of other S and RS models in Audi’s lineup.
But new BMW M2 Coupe which succeeds the BMW 1M Coupe, which BMW sold on a limited basis in 2011. The M2 Coupe will sit just above the M235i, creating an aerodynamic gap between the two models to differentiate themselves from each other. The M2 Coupe, for instance, will feature unique front and rear bumpers, front wings, a larger boot lid, and a set of 19-inch wheels as standard features. Once out, the M2 will be dropped into a three-way fight with the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A45 and the second generation Audi RS3.
There are still a lot of undisclosed details surrounding the status of the M2 Coupe. Although it’s been known for quite some time that the new sports coupe will feature a new 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine, the output of this engine remains a mystery. However, M division head Friedrich Nitschke made it clear that BMW M is targeting a magic number of 400 horsepower.
Nitschke admitted that it’s a tricky number to attain even if the technology is in place to attain it quite easily. See, 400 horsepower will be a little too close to the 425-horsepower output of the current M4, so achieving a number in the vicinity of 375 horsepower is the more realistic and practical goal for BMW M. Fortunately, sources within BMW M have told Autocar that the first prototypes of the M2 Coupe have engines that run on that exact number.
The M2 Coupe will hit 62 mph in 4.4 seconds with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission at its disposal. If that number’s accurate, that would make the M2 Coupe half-a-second faster to 62 mph than its predecessor, but two-tenths-of-a-second slower than the M4. Top speed will remain at 155 mph, the same with all of BMW M vehicles.
The BMW M2 Coupe is expected to hit dealerships in the early part of the 2015 with the M2 Cabriolet following a year later.
