2023 BMW M2 reveal timing confirmed! Baby Mercedes-AMG C63 and Audi RS5 rival to stick with rear-wheel drive, manual option and twin-turbo power

BMW may have only just revealed the second-generation 2 Series Coupe, but it’s already let slip when the new sports car’s high-performance flagship, the M2, will be unveiled.

In a bullet point in a press release regarding the 2 Series Coupe, the German premium brand confirmed a “high-performance model from BMW M division (will) launch in 2022”, so we won’t have to wait too much longer to see what the M2 has in store.

Speaking of which, the rumour mill has been going to overdrive over the past few months, with BMWBLOG, in particular, making a series of claims, including that the M2 series will retain its exclusively rear-wheel-drive (RWD) layout and optional manual transmission.

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That, of course, is music to the ears of enthusiasts, with it all made possible by the new-generation M3 and M4, which will share their platform with the M2, just like the current 3 Series and 4 Series do with the fresh 2 Series Coupe.

Questions were asked over whether the M2 would turn to BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system for its second generation, like the M240i Coupe has, although BMWBLOG reports the latter will get a cheaper RWD option in some markets either late this year or early next.

2022 BMW 2 Series Coupe sketch

And while the 2 Series Coupe range will likely go without a manual option for the rest of time, with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission now standard fit, the M2 is expected to offer the latter and a six-speed three-pedal set-up.

Engine-wise, the M2 is set to borrow the M3 and M4’s new 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol inline six-cylinder unit, codenamed S58, although how potent its version will be is still the subject of much debate.

At one point, BMWBLOG said the M2 would develop about 336kW of power and 550Nm of torque, although it later added about 358-365kW of punch could be in store instead. In the end, though, these figures may be for its ‘regular’ and Competition variants.

For reference, the regular M3 and M4 produce 353kW/550Nm, while their Competition versions serve up 375kW/650Nm, so expect the M2 to keep the peace and undercut the corresponding variants when it comes to power and/or torque.

Either way, for fans of the baby Mercedes-AMG C63 and Audi RS5 rival, there’s a lot to look forward to, so buckle in, because the countdown is officially on.