Just a few days ago, we were in Germany test driving the first ever 2 Series with a front-wheel drive architecture. The 2 Series Gran Coupe is the first ever four-door coupe for the popular 2 Series family, which will be accompanied in the near future by a “regular” 2 Series Coupe. Over the last few years there have been several contradictory reports that either placed the 2er Coupe in the FWD or RWD column.
But we came back from Munich with some good news. Several BMW sources, including a statement by BMW CTO Klaus Fröhlich, state that the next year’s 2 Series Coupe will retain its beloved rear-wheel drive platform and will continue to give you fans a dynamic and spirited driving experience.
“This is our Flexible Cluster Architecture. This is in our rear-wheel drive cars; from the 2 successor up to the X7,” Fröhlich said.
Since the BMW 2 Series Coupe retains the rear-wheel drive, the future of the M240i and M2 sports models is also secured. It is also clear that BMW will emphasize the special role of the coupe regardless of the engine.
But the biggest rumor comes from the apparent cancelation of the BMW 2 Series Convertible. The open version of the 2 Series, which was previously offered as the coupe with a rear-wheel drive, is rumored to be omitted from the next generation of 2 Series cars. The role of the open compact is apparently taken over by BMW Z4 Roadster and the larger BMW 4 Series Convertible. The lack of any 2 Series Convertible prototype being tested this year sustains that theory.
