Article Summary
- M CEO Frank van Meel explains why the M2 xDrive had to happen, and it ultimately came down to customer demand.
- Many enthusiasts across the Snowbelt asked BMW to build an all-wheel-drive M2 they could enjoy year-round.
- BMW also received similar requests from customers in Switzerland, where harsh winters make AWD a far more practical choice.
BMW has an ear for what its customers want. While it can’t fulfill every request due to cost constraints, it tries to accommodate as many as possible within reason. A few years ago, we explained how the M3 Touring ended up spawning a right-hand-drive version. That’s despite originally being engineered only in left-hand drive. The change was prompted by strong demand from the UK, Japan, and Australia. Now, we’re learning why the M2 xDrive had to happen.
In an interview with our German pals at Bimmer Today during the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel explained how the story unfolded. The M2 xDrive was green-lighted for production for the same reason as the RHD super wagon: customer demand. More specifically, the push came from enthusiasts across the Snowbelt.
They had been asking for a G87 they could drive year-round, and now BMW is granting that wish. The head of the M division went on to say that people living in the northern United States typically prefer to use all-season tires year-round, making the rear-wheel-drive M2 “simply not feasible there.” The M boss is happy to report there’s “a lot of demand” in the region, hence why it made sense to rework the car for AWD.
While buyers in the northern U.S. were the driving force behind the decision, the xDrive was also requested in Switzerland. Offered exclusively with an automatic transmission, the newest member of the G87 family expands the lineup rather than replacing an existing model. The rear-wheel-drive variant soldiers on, and for purists who scoff at the idea of a two-pedal, all-wheel-drive M2, the manual gearbox and RWD combination remains available.
The BMW M2 Also Gets An Updated Engine, But Not Everywhere
As a refresher, xDrive is not the only change BMW has made to the M2. The second-generation sports coupe had to pause production for three months to make the switch to an updated engine. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six now uses new pre-chamber ignition technology to bring the “S58” into compliance with the Euro 7 standard. However, the so-called “M Ignite” technology is not coming to US-spec cars, at least not for now.
Production of the M2 with the updated six-cylinder engine begins next month at the San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico. Output remains unchanged, but BMW claims fuel consumption is lower and the soundtrack is slightly better than before. European M3 and M4 models built from this month onward are also receiving the revised engine.
Source: Bimmer Today
