BMW has been promoting the second-generation M2 for a few years now, nevertheless it has solely not too long ago obtained the total race automotive therapy. A lot to the dismay of purists, although, the brand new M2 Racing swaps its inline-six for a smaller four-cylinder engine. That may sound backward, particularly since track-only vehicles usually achieve energy over their street-legal siblings, however BMW has its causes.
We requested BMW why the M2 Racing ditches the beloved six-cylinder. Laura Claesgens from BMW M Motorsport’s communications workforce defined that the choice comes right down to price and ease. The lighter 2.0-liter engine places much less pressure on elements, permitting the usage of present M2 road automotive components, such because the brakes and cooling system. That interprets to decrease working prices for novice racers, which symbolize the automotive’s audience.
Photograph by: BMW
The M2 Racing makes use of a tuned model of BMW’s acquainted B48 engine, borrowed from the 230i however massaged to make 308 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That’s 53 hp and 15 lb-ft greater than the usual 2 Collection Coupe. Whereas that’s a far cry from the 473 hp supplied by the road-going M2’s S58 engine, BMW says the efficiency is good for an entry-level race automotive tailor-made to newcomers.
‘The M2 Racing is an entry-level racing automotive that focuses on studying to drive. The efficiency of the four-cylinder engine is adequate for this function. As well as, we wish to scale back the working prices of the M2 Racing, with the burden and efficiency of a four-cylinder engine, prices for brakes and cooling are decreased by utilizing normal elements.’
That downsizing and fat-cutting technique pays off. The M2 Racing weighs simply 3,302 kilos, shedding a big 512 lbs in comparison with the manufacturing mannequin. The usual M2 affords each a six-speed guide and an eight-speed computerized, however the race model will get a seven-speed ZF computerized transmission.
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Supply: BMW
Curiously, the M2 Racing is in-built the identical Mexican plant that assembles the common M2. But it surely receives a number of motorsport upgrades, together with an M4 GT4-derived exhaust with a racing catalytic converter, adjustable anti-roll bars, and glued KW shocks impressed by BMW’s GT3 program. Regardless of its stripped-out inside, it nonetheless affords air-con. And sure, you may even spec a passenger seat.
At €98,000, the M2 Racing is considerably extra inexpensive than its bigger siblings, the €219,000 M4 GT4 EVO and the €578,000 M4 GT3 EVO. Consumers may select from a number of upgrades, together with a rear wing, racing brake pads, a flap-controlled exhaust, and an air jack system. Gross sales are set to start in June, with the primary deliveries scheduled for later this yr, simply in time to organize for the 2026 motorsport season.
In case you’re fearful the street-approved M2 will even lose two cylinders, don’t be. The “G87” will hold the three.0-liter, six-cylinder mill for a few years to return. A warmer Competitors Sport (CS) is anticipated to interrupt cowl quickly, with experiences stating BMW can be making ready an xDrive variant for later this decade.
