With rumours of an all-wheel drive switch having been around for nearly six years, BMW has officially debuted the xDrive-equipped M2 it will offer in South Africa this year.
It has happened…
Back in 2020, Britain’s Autocar reported that the then still-born G87 M2, based on the G42 2 Series coupe, will continue to be based on the rear-wheel drive CLAR platform rather than moving to the front-wheel drive UKL2 that underpins the 2 Series Gran Coupe and 1 Series.
By extension, this also meant the M2, which would eschew the xDrive system and any hybrid assistance for the rumoured M Performance M140e that ultimately become the four-cylinder non-electrified M135.
“It’s part of what makes the M2 unique in its market segment. It also what our customers have come to expect from BMW M: a pure and undiluted driving experience,” an unnamed BMW insider told the publication a year later when asked about a possible move to all-wheel drive.
Debuting in the European summer, the xDrive M2 has now become a reality, and will, seemingly, be marketed alongside the rear-wheel drive variant.
All changes underneath
Visually, the xDrive is identical to the rear-wheel drive as BMW opted against including xDrive badges on either the bootlid or front wings.
The same also applies to the interior that remains unchanged from the “normal” M2.
Adding to the xDrive system has, however, required a series of dynamic changes to the CLAR platform.
These include a recalibrated Active M Differential and the inclusion of a new electronically controlled multi-plate clutch.
As with most other xDrive system, the M2’s is rear-wheel biased, with all four only gripping when a lose of traction is detected.
Similar to the M5, though, the M2’s Dynamic Stability Control can be switched off entirely and drive routed to the rear wheels only by pressing the 2WD button.
Same power but faster
The variant that now essentially plugs the gap between the normal M2 and M2 CS, the inclusion of all-wheel drive hasn’t resulted in any power or torque decreases.
As a result, the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre S58 straight-six still develops 353kW/600Nm, now delivered to all four corners through the eight-speed Steptronic gearbox.
Unlike the normal M2, the xDrive system hasn’t been developed to work in conjunction with the six-speed manual gearbox.
The claimed top speed is 250 km/h, or 285 km/h with the optional M Driver’s Package included, with 0-100 km/h taking 3.7 seconds, three-tenths faster than the rear-wheel drive Steptronic-equipped M2 and five-tenths quicker than the manual.
Likely price?
Made at the San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, the M2 xDrive will make its South African market debut in the fourth quarter of this year.
Excluding the CS, which carries a price tag of R2 291 047, expect pricing around the R1.8-million or R1.9-million mark based on the rear-wheel drive Steptronic’s R1 597 988 sticker and the R1 608 334 asking price of the manual.
