Beijing show: BMW leaks 302kW M2 Competition

BMW Group Australia has accidentally leaked details about the forthcoming M2 Competition on its website ahead of the long-rumoured sportscar’s expected international debut at the Beijing motor show later this month.

Significantly, the M2 Competition has swapped the regular M2’s N55 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine for the S55 twin-turbo unit employed by M3 and M4 variants to increase outputs to 302kW and 550Nm.

As a result, the latest M2 is up 30kW and 85Nm over the regular variant, but is still 29kW short of its M3 and M4 Pure and Competition siblings, which have the same torque output and screaming 7600rpm redline.

Drive is sent exclusively to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard, with BMW making no mention of a manual gearbox option in the leaked specifications.

Thanks to its new powerplant, the M2 Competition can sprint from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds – 0.1s quicker than the regular M2, but 0.2s slower than M3 and M4 Competition.

Trainspotters will notice the M2 Competition’s gloss-black double-kidney front grille that is wider and more angular than before, while its front bumper has larger air intakes and three vents in the lower splitter.

The M2 Competition’s aerodynamically honed side mirrors appear to be pinched from M3 and M4, while its 19-inch alloy wheels feature a new 10-double-spoke design.

Changes to the rear end are less dramatic with a tweaked diffuser and angular quad exhaust tailpipes the only highlights, while a gloss-black finish for the window and front-fender gill trim rounds out the exterior upgrades.

Inside, the front sport seats are nearly identical in design to that of the M4 Competition Convertible, except trimmed in black Dakota leather with illuminated M2 logos.

A red start-stop button also distinguishes the M2 Competition, while configurable M1 and M2 driving modes have been added to the steering wheel, allowing the driver to more easily alter engine, exhaust, transmission, steering and traction control settings on the move.

BMW Group Australia removed regular variants of the M3 and M4 from its model line-up in December last year, persisting with its Pure and Competition variants instead, with this same scenario likely to play out when the M2 Competition lobs.

The current M2 range starts from $93,300 before on-road costs for the entry-level Pure, while the regular variant checks in at $99,900.

Given that the M3 and M4 Competition command a $17,000 premium over their Pure counterparts, the M2 Competition could cost around $109,900 when it lobs.

GoAuto contacted BMW Group Australia regarding local timing, but the company declined to comment. However, the M2 Competition is expected to hit showrooms by the end of this year.

Sales of the 2 Series Coupe and Convertible took a hit last year, with 1750 examples sold to the end of 2017, representing an 18.9 per cent decrease over the 2159 deliveries made in 2016.

Nevertheless, the BMW pair finished third in the sub-$80,000 sportscar segment last year, trailing the Ford Mustang (9165) and Hyundai Veloster (1935), but ahead of the Toyota 86 (1619), Mazda MX-5 (1459) and Subaru BRZ (786), among others.

This sales decline has slowed in 2018, with 443 vehicles finding homes to the end of March, which equates to a 9.2 per cent downturn over the same period in 2017.