BMW Defends the M2 Race Automotive's 4-Cylinder Engine

BMW has been promoting the second-generation M2 for a few years now, but it surely has solely lately acquired the complete race automobile remedy. A lot to the dismay of purists, although, the brand new M2 Racing swaps its inline-six for a smaller four-cylinder engine. That may sound backward, particularly since track-only vehicles sometimes achieve 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 crew defined that the choice comes all the way down to price and ease. The lighter 2.0-liter engine places much less pressure on parts, permitting the usage of present M2 road automobile components, such because the brakes and cooling system. That interprets to decrease working prices for beginner racers, which characterize 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 of torque. That’s 53 hp and 15 lb-ft 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 rookies.

‘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 goal. As well as, we need to scale back the working prices of the M2 Racing, with the load and efficiency of a four-cylinder engine, prices for brakes and cooling are lowered through the use of commonplace parts.’

That downsizing and fat-cutting technique pays off. The M2 Racing weighs simply 3,302 kilos, shedding a major 512 lbs in comparison with the manufacturing mannequin. The usual M2 gives each a six-speed guide and an eight-speed computerized, however the race model will get a seven-speed ZF computerized transmission.

Curiously, the M2 Racing is in-built 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 gives air con. And sure, you may even spec a passenger seat.

At €98,000, the M2 Racing is considerably extra reasonably priced than its bigger siblings, the €219,000 M4 GT4 EVO and the €578,000 M4 GT3 EVO. Consumers may 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 arrange for the 2026 motorsport season.

In the event you’re fearful the street-approved M2 can even lose two cylinders, don’t be. The “G87” will preserve the three.0-liter, six-cylinder mill for a few years to return. A warmer Competitors Sport (CS) is predicted to interrupt cowl quickly, with reviews stating BMW can be making ready an xDrive variant for later this decade.