C&D: Next BMW 2-Series Coupe Coming in 2021, and It's Exactly What We Want

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...onfirmed-2022/

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Next BMW 2-Series Coupe Coming in 2021, and It's Exactly What We Want The new generation will keep its RWD layout and remain very much an enthusiast's car. By Jens Meiners Mar 18, 2020 BMW will launch a new 2-series coupe next fall. It will keep its rear-wheel-drive layout and continue to offer inline-six engines. M240i and M2 versions will remain part of the lineup, but the convertible model will disappear. If you were concerned the next-gen BMW 2-series coupe would go the way of the 2-series Gran Coupe, which shares a front-wheel-drive platform with Mini and the X1, we have great news: The upcoming model, slated for a late 2021 launch as a 2022 model, will very much keep its current configuration—and appeal. Company sources confirm to us that the next 2-series Coupe will share its rear-wheel-drive platform with BMW's more upscale models, its closest relatives being the 3- and 4-series. Comprehensively redesigned, it will feature new sheetmetal and a new, unique interior that won't be shared with other models. Power will come from turbocharged four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, likely continuing the current portfolio of a 2.0-liter four in the 230i and a 3.0-liter six in the M240i. We are told the inline-six in the upscale versions remains a staple of performance-oriented BMWs. All-wheel drive will remain an option. We expect BMW to continue offering a manual gearbox, at least in the next-generation M2. It is not clear whether BMW will continue to offer a manual in the next M240i; though a stick-shift currently an option on the U.S.-market M240i, this version has already been killed in Europe. With a shrinking market for convertibles, there won't be another 2-Series droptop. BMW hopes to draw most customers to the next-gen 4-series convertible, which—unlike the current model—will feature a fabric top that will position it closer to the current 2-series convertible. Seen by many as the quintessential BMW, and arguably the spiritual successor of the legendary 2002, the next 2-series coupe won't have much natural competition. The closest, in our view, is the two-seater Porsche Cayman. But there will be some cross-shopping with sporty imports based on front-wheel-drive architectures, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the Audi S3 and RS3, and even BMW's own 2-series Gran Coupe. Prices will remain close to the current model.