With the 2 Series, BMW is once again taking it seriously and is putting an active coupé on its wheels that can do everything better than its predecessor. And we’re not even talking about the thoroughbred M version.
The approach in the automotive industry in 2021 can be so different. While Audi, with a former BMW manager Markus Duesmann at the helm, is announcing the exit from the combustion engine era, BMW is once again beating the classic mobility drum. After the 4 Series, its little brother, the BMW 2 Series Coupé, will inspire fans of the brand, especially in the USA next year. After all, two thirds of the sporty runabouts are sold in North America. So it’s no great wonder that the BMW 2 Series Coupé rolls off the assembly line at the BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí in Mexico.
“We asked die-hard BMW fans what they wanted,” says project manager Martin Gruber. The answer was particularly clear on the other side of the Atlantic: An agile vehicle that can do everything better than its predecessor. Since the plebiscite is binding in a classic basic democracy, the BMW engineers have put an imposing coupé on the wheels that is diligently used in the technology shelf of its big brother, the BMW 4 Series. But not visually: The Easter eggs stay in the net, so the kidney is flat and wide.
The same also applies to the entire 2 Series Coupé, which is 1.39 meters high, 2.8 centimeters lower and, at 1.838 meters, 6.4 centimeters wider than its predecessor. Overall, the G42 (according to the internal code) has increased by 10.5 centimeters with a length of 4.537 meters and is therefore almost a class larger. The curve artist cannot do without a gain in efficiency. The new BMW 2 Series Coupé has a Cd value of 0.26 and undercuts its predecessor by 0.02 points. A whole range of measures contribute to this value: including a ten-stage air flap control in the kidney and the air inlet below the front apron. There are also “air resistance classics” such as air curtains, flush “recessed” door handles, an almost complete covering of the underbody and of course the rim design.
At the start, the Munich-based car maker is offering two petrol and one diesel. The BMW 220d Coupé is equipped with the well-known two-liter in-line four-cylinder diesel engine including the 48-volt mild hybrid that develops 140 kW / 190 hp. The petrol counterpart is the BMW 220i Coupé with 135 kW / 184 PS. The entry-level version should cost less than 40,000 euros and offer more features than before, including a two-zone air conditioning system. With the series chassis, BMW has added more and installed the stroke-dependent shock absorbers, which prevent the car from immersing too much and at the same time increase comfort.
The preliminary peak in performance is the BMW M240i xDrive Coupé with a three-liter in-line six-cylinder with an output of 275 kW / 374 hp. This variant of the coupé is dynamically very close to the current M2 and meets one of the clientele’s requirements. To achieve this, the 4 Series is once again the inspiration with its stiffening measures and targeted struts: hydraulically damped tension strut bearings reduce the vibrations and oscillations, axle links and swivel bearings made of aluminum reduce the unsprung masses and a particularly torsion-resistant five-link rear axle helps with driving precision in bends. The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé is about agile substance, which is why both the small Gurney flap and the power dome are not design elements, but rather serve a functional purpose.
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
