News/ Industry/ The BMW M2 Is Boots On The Ground | It Is Coming To India!

The BMW M2 Is Boots On The Ground | It Is Coming To India!

It was back in 2018 when the previous-gen M2 got its first taste of Indian asphalt, and in my opinion, that was a good call, BMW!

Almost five years later, BMW is gearing up to bring the latest gen M2 to India. And that day is not far. A price announcement is set for some time in May 2023. Moreover, bookings should be commencing any moment now.

This M2 has caught a lot of flak over its growing size because the basic recipe for an M2 is quite simple, really. A bonkers of an engine with no business being in a car of this size, space to fit a teenage maniac & his girlfriend in the middle, and all their luggage in the back. With their growing size, that space may increase to two and a half people, but…meh! Haters gonna hate.

The new M2 gets an aggressive body kit, including a stylish spoiler. The cherry on top is the low, aggressive diffuser and quad exhaust pipes. Of course, who could forget the definitely rectangular grille up front that looks like they have taken inspiration from one of the designer’s wayfarers?

In a beautiful irony, the curvy grille has become rectangular while the traditional screen has now been curved on the inside.

I get bored while talking about the chassis and components under the skin, so I’ll skip that part because I’m sure those German engineers would have done an excellent job! Let’s say the details sound exciting.

Since the M2 Competition for the latest gen still hasn’t been revealed to us, the “standard” M2 will land in India. But don’t stress. It’s a power bank, nonetheless. This M2 will come as a full CBU import all the way from Uncle Sam’s best friend, the nation that gave us tequila and Tijuana, El Tri! A place also known by members of the free world as Mexico!

Also, I have one good news and one bad news. Which would you like first?

What was I thinking? This is still an article, not a live interaction, so I’ll take my pick. How about the good one first, huh? The good news is that the M2 is a pure-combustion model, meaning it has no hybridisation element. Bad news? It’s that this one is the last M of the kind. All models after this will feature some electrified powertrains. Sheer buzzkill here at the TopGear India HQ, I tell you…

People have claimed the latest M2 to be the true successor to the Mk4 Supra rather than the latest Mk5 Supra because let’s face it, it’s a BMW Z4 in a different skin! So those are some yeti-sized boots to fill for our teeny tiny M2. How does it match up? Enter the BMW R6 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 engine! As I’ve already stated, this nuclear powerplant has no business in a car this size, but who are we to stop pure synergy? The powerplant is suitable to produce 460Hp and 550Nm of torque. All this will reach our lovely Indian asphalt through an 8-speed Steptronic transmission as standard. Or…in true enthusiast fashion, thank the gods for nailing some sense into BMW’s India execs because the new M2 will come with an optional 6-speed manual stick shifter. Now that is some exciting news. Innit?

The new M2 should reach Indian shores in five flavours: Alpine White, Brooklyn Grey, Black Sapphire, Toronto Red and Zandvoort Blue. As for the inside, choose between black or cognac for the BMW M Sport seats that’ll come standard.

The M2 will get comfort access, powered seats with memory, Harmon Kardon speakers, BMW connected package, wireless charging, 19 & 20-inch alloys for the front and rear, respectively, M seat belts and the whole Jing bang as standard. But it’s the options list that really gets me aroused.

 

2023 BMW M2 India Options & Pricing

2023 BMW M2 (Estimated Ex-Showroom Price)

INR 1 Crore (Ex-Showroom)

Options
Price

6-Speed MT

INR 1 Lakh

M Carbon Roof

INR 4.8 Lakh

M Lights Shadow line

INR 50,000

M Compound Brakes (Red Callipers)

INR 60,000

Jet Black Wheels (19/20-Inch F/R)

INR 50,000

M Carbon Bucket Seats

INR 8.3 Lakh

Full Leather Merino Upholstery

INR 3.6 Lakh

M Carbon Fibre Trim

INR 90,000

Remote Engine Start

INR 70,000

Active Cruse Control

INR 1.1 Lakh

Driving Assistant

INR 1.4 Lakh

M Smart Pro Driving Package

INR 6.5 Lakh

M Drivers’ Package

INR 4.5 Lakh

 

To conclude, the new M2 should go on sale in India from May 2023 onwards, with bookings expected to start super soon. Expected ex-showroom pricing for the 2023 BMW M2 should be around INR 1 Crore (ex-showroom). As for my final word, it comes with a manual stick shifter, and I want it that way!

PS: A big apology to the web team for so many pictures. I couldn’t get over the excitement this beautiful machine would bring to our otherwise dull and crowded roads. 

Words: Sresht Garg

TopGear Magazine February 2024