Set to arrive in South Africa in September 2018, the new BMW M2 Competition will bring added oomph courtesy of a six-cylinder engine based on that of the M3 and M4. But how much will it cost locally?
Well, we’ve stumbled across some (official) information pointing to a price of R983 030 for the six-speed manual derivative and R1 037 506 for the seven-speed dual-clutch variant.
The maths addicts among you will likely already have calculated that this makes the M2 Competition some R32 736 and R32 483 more expensive, in manual and automatic guise respectively, than the “standard” M2 that it will eventually replace. For that extra cash, of course, you score both more power and a little extra standard kit. Furthermore, expect new colour options in the form of Sunset Orange Metallic and Hockenheim Silver Metallic to be added to the range.
As a reminder, the M2 Competition ditches the original’s N55 engine in favour of a version of the familiar S55 unit. In the M2 Competition, this twin-turbo 3,0-litre straight-six makes 302 kW (up from the standard M2’s 272 kW), while peak torque now comes in at 550 N.m, between 2 350 and 5 200 r/min. The result is a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint in 4,2 seconds in auto guise and 4,4 seconds in manual form (each down one-tenth).
As before, the top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h, although specifying the optional (R29 200) M Driver’s Package raises that figure to 280 km/h (10 km/h more than the outgoing standard M2). A dual exhaust system with an electronically controlled flap is also now included. BMW furthermore says that the M2 Competition adopts the M4 Competition Package’s cooling system “with some adjustments”.
Exterior design tweaks include an enlarged kidney grille and a new front skirt, the latter (along with the side gills and redesigned quartet of tailpipes) finished in high-gloss black paint as standard. A dark M Competition badge is applied to the vehicle’s rump, while BMW claims the design of the new double-arm side-mirrors improves aerodynamics. New standard features include adaptive LED headlamps and park distance control.
Under the bonnet you’ll find a CFRP strut (to increase front-end rigidity) again borrowed from the M3 and M4, while BMW says the curves for the electromechanical power steering, Active M Differential and Dynamic Steering Control system have all been suitably adjusted.
