BMW M2

A report out of Germany asserts that the long-awaited BMW M2 Competition will premiere on April 25, ahead of the Beijing Motor Show.

Bimmer Post suggests that the M2 Competition, set to replace the existing M2 and act as the entry-level model, will feature a variant of the inline-six S55 engine from the larger M4. While this engine delivers 425 hp in the M4, it will be detuned to roughly 410 PS (404 hp) for use in the M2 Competition. Given the model’s compact size, however, this slightly lower power figure won’t be an issue.

It’s unknown if the manual transmission of the regular model will remain an option but the seven-speed dual-clutch is a certainty for use in the M2 Competition. It should also help reduce the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time from the current car’s 4.3 seconds, to roughly 4 seconds flat. Due to an electronic limiter, the top speed will remain unchanged at 250 km/h.

Despite what you may be thinking, the images you see here aren’t real and are instead realistic renderings we published in November last year. Nevertheless, they provide what should be an accurate look at the vehicle’s tweaked exterior design, which will include carbon fiber front and rear aprons, a more pronounced diffuser and a lip spoiler on the trunklid.

Given its added power, it is all but inevitable that the M2 Competition will be slightly more expensive than the current model. In 2019, a hardcore M2 GTS could follow suit.