BMW has been promoting the second-generation M2 for a few years now, nevertheless it has solely not too long ago acquired the total race automobile therapy. A lot to the dismay of purists, although, the brand new M2 Racing swaps its inline-six for a smaller four-cylinder engine. Which may sound backward, particularly since track-only automobiles sometimes acquire energy over their street-legal siblings, however BMW has its causes.
We requested BMW why the M2 Racing ditches the beloved six-cylinder. Laura Claesgens from BMW M Motorsport’s communications workforce defined that the choice comes all the way down to price and ease. The lighter 2.0-liter engine places much less pressure on elements, permitting the usage of current M2 avenue automobile components, such because the brakes and cooling system. That interprets to decrease operating prices for beginner racers, which symbolize the automobile’s audience.
Picture by: BMW
The M2 Racing makes use of a tuned model of BMW’s acquainted B48 engine, borrowed from the 230i however massaged to make 308 horsepower and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. That’s 53 hp and 15 lb-ft (20 Nm) greater than the usual 2 Sequence Coupe. Whereas that’s a far cry from the 473 hp supplied by the road-going M2’s S58 engine, BMW says the efficiency is excellent for an entry-level race automobile tailor-made to freshmen.
The M2 Racing is an entry-level racing automobile that focuses on studying to drive. The efficiency of the four-cylinder engine is ample for this objective. As well as, we wish to scale back the operating prices of the M2 Racing, with the burden and efficiency of a four-cylinder engine, prices for brakes and cooling are diminished through the use of customary elements.
That downsizing and fat-cutting technique pays off. The M2 Racing weighs simply 3,302 kilos (1,498 kg), shedding a big 512 lbs (232 kg) in comparison with the manufacturing mannequin. The usual M2 provides each a six-speed guide and an eight-speed automated, however the race model will get a seven-speed ZF automated transmission.
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Supply: BMW
Curiously, the M2 Racing is inbuilt the identical Mexican plant that assembles the common M2. Nevertheless it receives a number of motorsport upgrades, together with an M4 GT4-derived exhaust with a racing catalytic converter, adjustable anti-roll bars, and stuck KW shocks impressed by BMW’s GT3 program. Regardless of its stripped-out inside, it nonetheless provides air con. And sure, you may even spec a passenger seat.
At €98,000, the M2 Racing is considerably extra inexpensive than its bigger siblings, the €219,000 M4 GT4 EVO and the €578,000 M4 GT3 EVO. Consumers can even select from a number of upgrades, together with a rear wing, racing brake pads, a flap-controlled exhaust, and an air jack system. Gross sales are set to start in June, with the primary deliveries scheduled for later this 12 months, simply in time to organize for the 2026 motorsport season.
If you happen to’re frightened the street-approved M2 may also lose two cylinders, don’t be. The “G87” will maintain the three.0-liter, six-cylinder mill for a few years to come back. A warmer Competition Sport (CS) is anticipated to interrupt cowl quickly, with studies stating BMW can be getting ready an xDrive variant for later this decade.
