Beijing Motor Show 2018: BMW reveals 404bhp M2 Competition

BMW has taken the wraps off its long-awaited M2 Competition, a week after images of the hardcore coupe were leaked online.

Due to make its public debut at the Beijing Motor Show on 25 April, the M2 Competition is packed with performance upgrades that bring a significant boost in power, and tweaks to the exhaust system.

The new model is almost identical to the regular M2 in design, but boasts a new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine derived from the German carmaker’s M3 saloon, reports Auto Express.

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Power has been upped by 39bhp and 37lb-ft of torque over the standard M2, bringing the total output to 404bhp and 406lb-ft. This helps the M2 Competition achieve 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of 155mph.

To cater for the added power, BMW has fitted a row of small openings along the bottom of the front bumper in order to improve cooling, says website Motoring Research. The car giant’s iconic “kidney grille” is also bigger on the M2 Competition than on the standard M2 to help prevent the engine from overheating.

Along with the new power unit, the new car gets an upgraded exhaust system to make the sound of the engine more “exciting”, Motor1 says.

This quad-exhaust system features electronically-controlled flaps that can be open, or closed, from the cockpit to alter the volume of the engine, the website reports.

Other improvements over the standard M2 include a particulate filter fitted to the engine, in a bid to comply with increasing emission regulations across Europe, says Autocar.

BMW has kept its lips sealed about the hot coupe until now, but PistonHeads reported last week that an image of the car and its performance specs had been leaked online.

Now that the details have been confirmed, BMW says it will open orders for the M2 Competition in mid-May, with prices kicking off at £49,285.