Latest spy shots reveal BMW's new M235i coupé in full
The new BMW 2-series coupé has been caught practically undisguised, months ahead of its expected official unveiling later this year.
BMW's 2-series nameplate will be used for replacements for today’s 1-series coupé and cabriolet models. This move, similar to the renaming of the 3-series coupé and cabriolet models as 4-series for their next generation, is part of BMW’s plans to provide greater differentiation between saloons, estates and hatchbacks and their coupé and cabriolet siblings
The 2-series coupé and fabric-roofed cabriolet, codenamed F22 and F23 respectively, have been extensively re-engineered in a move that sees them grow incrementally in size over their predecessors, providing them with increased levels of interior accommodation and luggage capacity together with improved safety credentials.
Latest spy pictures reveal that the coupé retains the almost two-door saloon styling of the 1-series coupé, but with a more rakish profile.
Nods to both the 1-series and the 4-series are visible in 2-series' design: the double kidney grille and the lights are not as narrow and slender as the 4, but the car’s overall proportions give a lower, sleeker effect than the 1-series’ proportions.
The 2-series' wheelbase will be 30mm longer than its 1-series predecessor; supporting front and rear tracks that have been extended by a significant 55mm and 60mm respectively. The new car has also been engineered to support both standard rear- and optional four-wheel drive, as with the latest 1-series hatchback
The model spied here is the range-topping BMW 2-series M235i, essentially a coupé version of the M135i hatchback that’s powered by a turbocharged 315bhp 3.0-litre straight-six engine.
Engines will be carried over from the 1-series range when it goes into production in November. The coupé could also form the basis of a new range-topping M2 derivative, using an even more potent version of the M235i’s engine.
Mark Tisshaw/Greg Kable