Before the M2 Coupe arrives later this year, the M240i serves as the temporary range topper. It’s not a fully-fat M car, but it is one of the last small cars with an inline-six sans electrification.  A new video reconfirms that BMW underrates the performance capabilities of its cars since the M Performance model is quicker than advertised.
Shot by AutoTopNL on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn, the footage gives us a close look at some hard accelerations. Using a GPS-based smartphone app, the driver pushed the M240i to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 4.07 seconds. As a refresher, the European version of the sports coupe is officially rated by BMW at 4.3s for the sprint.
Speaking of this M240i being built for the Old Continent, it’s worth noting the car is down on power compared to the US model. Finished in Thundernight Metallic, the all-wheel-drive Bavarian compact machine has only 369 hp. Its American cousin packs an extra 13 hp, likely because the Euro model must meet stricter emissions regulations. These also have a negative impact on the engine’s soundtrack, but that’s a story for another day.
A More Affordable, But Slower Rear-Wheel-Drive M240i Is Coming
It goes without saying the impressive acceleration time was obtained using launch control. The M240i went on to complete the 62 to 124 mph (100 to 200 km/h) task in 10.06 seconds. Flat out, the digital speedometer was showing 157 mph (253 km/h), albeit the real speed was 150 mph (241 km/h).
Although a manual gearbox is not on the agenda, BMW will add a rear-wheel-drive variant later this year. It’ll likely end up a tad slower, but on the other hand, it’s going to be more affordable than the xDrive model. The latter begins at $48,550 in the United States, which should mean the RWD M240i will cost around $46,550. The company typically charges $2,000 or a little more for AWD.
[Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube]
