- BMW will launch a new 2-series coupe next fall.
- It will keep its rear-wheel-drive layout and continue to offer inline-six engines.
- M240i and M2 versions will remain part of the lineup, but the convertible model will disappear.
If you were concerned the next-gen BMW 2-series coupe would go the way of the 2-series Gran Coupe, which shares a front-wheel-drive platform with Mini and the X1, we have great news: The upcoming model, slated for a late 2021 launch as a 2022 model, will very much keep its current configuration—and appeal.
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Company sources confirm to us that the next 2-series Coupe will share its rear-wheel-drive platform with BMW’s more upscale models, its closest relatives being the 3- and 4-series. Comprehensively redesigned, it will feature new sheetmetal and a new, unique interior that won’t be shared with other models. Power will come from turbocharged four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, likely continuing the current portfolio of a 2.0-liter four in the 230i and a 3.0-liter six in the M240i. We are told the inline-six in the upscale versions remains a staple of performance-oriented BMWs. All-wheel drive will remain an option.
We expect BMW to continue offering a manual gearbox, at least in the next-generation M2. It is not clear whether BMW will continue to offer a manual in the next M240i; though a stick-shift currently an option on the U.S.-market M240i, this version has already been killed in Europe.
With a shrinking market for convertibles, there won’t be another 2-Series droptop. BMW hopes to draw most customers to the next-gen 4-series convertible, which—unlike the current model—will feature a fabric top that will position it closer to the current 2-series convertible.
BMW
Seen by many as the quintessential BMW, and arguably the spiritual successor of the legendary 2002, the next 2-series coupe won’t have much natural competition. The closest, in our view, is the two-seater Porsche Cayman. But there will be some cross-shopping with sporty imports based on front-wheel-drive architectures, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the Audi S3 and RS3, and even BMW’s own 2-series Gran Coupe. Prices will remain close to the current model.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
