Despite its march toward an electrified, SUV-packed future, one filled with complex, heavy, hybrid powertrains, BMW reminded us that it hasn’t forgotten where it came by showing us the surly, musclebound BMW M2 at the 2016 Detroit auto show.
The M2 wasn’t a surprise, as we have known about this car for a few months now. Starting with the capable and balanced 2 Series, the German automaker fit the M2 an aggressive flared appearance with widened bumpers and a front clip that looks like it was ripped right from big brothers M3 and M4. The M2’s 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine sends 365 hp and 343 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. 0-60 mph takes 4.4 seconds for an M2 with a manual transmission, and 4.2 seconds if it has the automatic.
We already knew the performance stats, and now we know how much it will cost us to get the car in our garage. When equipped with the manual transmission, the M2 will cost $52,695, including destination. With the DCT, it’ll be $2,900 more.
We asked if a four-door variant of the M2 may be in the cards, and BMW Chief of Sales Ian Robertson said that BMW “has had a lot of success with four door versions. We may look at more variants of the M2, but for now, it remains a two-door.” He goes on to mention how successful BMW’s M division has been in the U.S., citing a 65-percent increase in sales of M products, making the U.S. the largest market for the high-performance brand.
Take a look at the all-new BMW M2 in the photo gallery below.
