The BMW 2 Series Coupe is aimed at keen drivers – and the line-up includes a four-wheel drive, straight-six-engined M240i model
The new BMW 2 Series Coupe has been revealed. Unlike the four-door 2 Series Gran Coupe, which is based on the brand’s UKL platform, the two-door Coupe is built on the same platform as the 3 Series and 4 Series, so rear and four-wheel drive are offered, while six-cylinder power features in the range-topping M240i.
You can read Automotive Daily’s new BMW M240i prototype review here.
The new car is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor, while its weight has been trimmed down thanks to the use of more aluminium in its construction. Unlike the larger 4 Series, the 2 Series Coupe also has a more conventional front end, with a shallower kidney grille design.
This features BMW’s active air control flaps, which automatically open and close subject to the needs of cooling or greater aerodynamic efficiency. The lower air intakes pair off with triangular air curtains, while the LED headlights are said to be inspired by BMW’s 02 series of small cars.
The entry-level 220i is priced from $59,900 plus on-roads and the much hotter BMW M240i is priced from $89,990 plus on-road costs. Both will be available only in M Sport trim, which adds a sporty looking front apron, dark gloss exterior trim and dark metallic finishes on the lower sections of the skirts and rear diffuser, while 18-inch wheels will be standard. The M240i version and will look sportier still, with more aggressive bodywork, a rear lip spoiler, 19-inch wheels and a dual-exit exhaust.
Inside, M Sport cars come with Alcantara and Sensatec man-made leather upholstery, which is black as standard, but is available in three further colours. There’s also plusher Vernasca leather offered as an optional extra.
The dashboard shares much with the 4 Series, with buyers getting the same 12.3-inch central screen and 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, which has been loaded with specific M Sport graphics. Elsewhere in the cabin, there’s M-branded treadplates, pedals and floor mats, as well as an M-specific anthracite headliner.
2021 BMW 2 Series Coupe: engines and drivetrains
The 2 Series Coupe range kicks off with the petrol-powered 220i. It uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit, which develops 135kW and 300Nm, and achieves 0–100km/h in 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 235km/h.
Diesel power remains in the line-up with the 220d model but it has not been slated for Australia’s launch later this year. It gets 140kW and 400Nm courtesy of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine. The extra torque cuts the car’s 0–100km/h time to 6.9 seconds, although top speed stays roughly the same at 236km/h.
With the absence of an M2 version for now, the range-topping model from launch is the almost $90k M240i xDrive. It’s powered by the same turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine found in the BMW M440i, which has an identical output of 275kW and 500Nm. Like its larger sibling, it’ll send drive to all four wheels through BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
BMW says the powertrain has enough grunt to shove the coupe from 0–100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, before it runs into an electronic buffer at 250km/h.
Purists needn’t fret about the new four-wheel drive system, either, as BMW has stressed that the M240i’s drivetrain will be heavily rear-biased. It also comes with an electronically locking M Sport differential on the rear axle, which the firm says will allow for “easily controllable drift manoeuvres.”
To cope with the extra power, the M240i gets a few more chassis tweaks, such as M Sport brakes, extra chassis bracing and a wider front and rear track. Adaptive M suspension and electronically controlled dampers are on the list.
Luke Wilkinson