Quote:
Originally Posted by lakylester
There will be no M2.
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Rumors this and rumors that. Don't rule it out.
For what it's worth (interested to know whether the "insider info" is backed up by a reliable source):
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http://www.autocars2015.com/2015-bmw-m2/
2015 BMW M2
Saturday, August 3rd 2013 | BMW
The ambitious plans will help BMW take the fight to the quattro GmbH performance arm which makes S and RS-badged Audis, plus the R8.
The M2 will be based on the firm’s F21 platform – also set to underpin the 2 Series, due early in 2014 – and has a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels.
One BMW insider has told us the newcomer, a direct descendent of the 1 Series Coupe, will be instantly recognizable from the entry-level car with its bold look.
Our source also explained that BMW will not copy Audi’s “sausage factory” approach to design. This means the racy new 2 Series will get unique front and rear end styling, as our exclusive images reveal.
One of the most innovative features of the upcoming M2 will be the intense use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics first used in the M3 CRT and also announced for the upcoming BMW i8.
In an interview with the British magazine, the M Division’s new managing director, Dr Friedrich Nitschke said: “In the 1M Coupe, we have a starter car for the M Division, and we are continuing to develop this project. Such models must be sporty, and offer extraordinarily low fuel consumption. This is something we could achieve with the M2. I think the 1M Coupe proves there is room for an M2, a coupe.”
Although BMW feels there is room for an M2 model, don’t expect it to arrive until late 2015. At that point, models like the Porsche Cayman and the Audi TT RS may need a little jump-start to deal with the added competition.
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http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/b...-m4-2013-07-19
New BMW M2, M3 and M4: more details
Paul Horrell | 19 July 2013
TG catches up with the boss of BMW's M Division to talk about the upcoming turbocharged stars...
[...] Then he drops another bombshell. "I absolutely want to develop a successor model to the 1-series M Coupe. I have all the components I need - the powertrain, chassis. In the near future you will know. We can't call it the M1, because that number is for the special mid-engined car, but there is M2 isn't there?" There certainly is M2, especially as the new-gen two-door version of the 1-series will be called 2-series.
The powertrain and chassis he refers to are overwhelmingly likely to be the straight-six and gearbox and chassis from the 1-series M Coupe, which had a criminally short production run. That'd position it about 100bhp under the new M3 and M4.
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