We bring you live from Beijing, the first real life photos of the engine of the new BMW M2 Competition. Under the hood lies a modified version of the same S55 engine that’s found in the BMW M3 and M4. The engine codename for the M2 Competition and the upcoming X3 M and X4 M is S58. So it’s a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine that makes 410 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Therefore, it makes a bit less power than the standard M3 but the same amount of torque.
That twin-turbo engine is mated to a six-speed manual as-standard. However, a seven-speed DCT is available if you can’t be bothered to use your left leg. Either transmission sends its power to the rear wheels, with an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential dividing up the power between each rear wheel. That electronic M Differential is the same basic unit you’ll find in the M3/M4 but it’s been tweaked for M2 Competition duty.
According to BMW, the BMW M2 Competition will get from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds with the rapid-shifting DCT. If you want to row your own gears, you’ll have to wait an extra two-tenths to get to sixty, as BMW claims a 4.4 second time. However, we think it will be quicker than that, being that the standard M2 does about those times. So adding a lot more torque should only drop the time it takes to reach highway speeds. It also has a limited top speed of 155 mph but that can be increased to 174 mph with the optional M Driver’s Pack.
The images from Beijing give us a closer look under the hood of the M2 Competition, but also at the engine displayed at the BMW stand.
For more information on the M2 Competition, follow our coverage here.
