New BMW M2 Leaks: It Sure Looks Mean, But Does It Look Good?

We haven’t had much praise for BMW’s designers recently – especially not for the XM and iX SUVs – but is this new BMW M2 a better look for the brand? It may be a controversial opinion, and please tell us we’re wrong in the comments, but we think this M2 works a lot better than the standard 2 Series coupe.

In a now-deleted forum post, the G87 BMW M2 leaked before its official unveiling. This car – expected to be a late prototype – features different headlights to the common-or-garden 2 Series, plus wide nostrils and a bumper that wouldn’t look out of place on a Need For Speed game. We’re here for it. The rear end we’re not quite so sure about, and there are definitely some odd details here and there, but there’s no debating the aggressive stance.

The colour is also an interesting choice. It looks like a new shade, rather than using some leftover Yas Marina Blue from the G80 M3, but there’s definitely a hint of Hyundai Performance Blue in there. Is BMW’s M division missing Albert Biermann, its former boss who moved to the Korean manufacturer in 2014…?

However, it’s not all good news, as the leaked image coincides with some bad news for ICE purists. CEO of BMW’s M division, Frank van Meel, recently confirmed that the upcoming BMW M2 would be the last M car to use a pure internal combustion engine.

“We will see increasing electrification in other vehicles, of course in different forms, starting with the 48-volt electrical system and plug-in hybrids to fully electric drives. Seen in this way, the M2 will be the last M with a pure combustion engine drive and also without electrification scope such as a 48-volt on-board network” van Meel told Germany’s Bimmer Today, .

The upcoming M2 is expected to use a detuned version of the ‘S58’ engine found in the X3 M, X4 M, M3 and M4 models. That power unit puts out a potent 503bhp in the current M3 Competition, while the outgoing BMW M2 Competition produces 404bhp from its twin-turbocharged inline-six ‘S55’ unit. The current special-edition M2 CS puts out 444bhp with the help of some performance upgrades, so don’t be surprised if the upcoming M2 is in this ballpark in terms of power.

If van Meel’s statement is anything to go by, the upcoming M2 could be one of the last great BMW M cars, and you might want to contact your local BMW dealership pretty quickly if an electrified M model doesn’t float your boat. Lucky buyers can specify the upcoming M2 with a six-speed manual gearbox, so it has all the makings for a proper enthusiast driving machine - a dying breed in today’s world.