As part of a wider summer update announced last month, BMW disclosed plans for two significant novelties for the 2 Series Coupe only about a year after its reveal. One refers to the introduction of a rear-wheel-drive M240i version and the other about the switch to iDrive 8, which you can see in the adjacent image we took from the German configurator.
We were curious to find out how much weight the RWD model shaves off compared to the xDrive. The difference is not negligible. According to the official technical specifications sheet for the M240i xDrive, the all-paw sports coupe for European markets tips the scales at 1,690 kilograms (3,726 pounds) without a driver. Lose the extra hardware required to send the engine’s power to the front axle and the vehicle cuts 55 kg (121 lbs) of fat, thus bringing down the total weight to 1,635 kg (3,604 lbs).
The main reason we decided to highlight this difference is that the rear-wheel-drive M2 G87 is right around the corner. With BMW presumably throwing in some carbon fiber upgrades, especially for a (finger crossed) M2 CS and/or CSL, we could see that number going down even further.
That being said, if accelerating in a straight line is a top priority, you’ll want the M240i xDrive over its cheaper tail-happy sibling. When the power goes to all four wheels, the sports coupe takes 4.3 seconds until 62 mph (100 km/h) whereas the RWD variant is a significant 0.4s slower. Of course, having AWD makes the 2 Series M Performance model more of an all-season car.
From our understanding, BMW will sell the new M2 exclusively with rear-wheel drive rather than going down the M4’s route by offering optional AWD. How much is it going to cost? Prepare to pony up some serious dough over the M240i RWD, available at home in Germany from €56,000 or €2,000 less than the equivalent xDrive derivative.
Needless to say, the new M2 won’t step on the base M4’s toes as it will significantly undercut the €87,300 manual-equipped standard model.
Source: BMW
