New BMW M2 xDrive arrives with the Audi RS 3 in its sights

For the past five years, the BMW M2 has been the only member of the M car family to send all its power exclusively to the rear wheels. But not anymore, because an all-wheel-drive version of Munich's menacing mini muscle car has arrived to challenge the Audi RS 3. 

The new BMW M2 xDrive features a rear-biased, fully variable all-wheel drive system that in normal driving conditions sends the entire 473bhp this car delivers to the back wheels. Only when those can’t put any more power to the road does the electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case get the front wheels in on the action.

Thanks to the extra traction that comes with all-wheel drive, BMW says the new M2 xDrive offers additional assurance in conditions with fluctuating levels of grip – on ice and snow, for example – or driving on the track. Plus it’s helped boost performance, with 0-62mph now taking just 3.7 seconds. 

That’s 0.3 seconds quicker than the rear-drive version with an automatic transmission and 0.1 seconds quicker than the BMW’s chief rival from Audi, which features Quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Meanwhile, the M2 xDrive can do 0-124mph in only 12.8 seconds and, flat out, will hit 177mph if customers specify the optional M Driver’s Package.

The M xDrive system also includes an Active M Differential that splits the torque across the rear axle, helps maximise traction, and includes specifically tuned traction control and stability control settings. 

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Plus, the driver can choose how the all-wheel-drive behaves, with one option being a pure rear-wheel-drive mode that deactivates the stability control. It’s the same as in the bigger BMW M3 and M4.

Fundamentally, the 473bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine and eight-speed automatic transmission in the new M2 xDrive are the same as in the regular model. However, the motor features so-called “BMW M Ignite” technology. This is a new pre-chamber combustion process, patented by the Bavarian automaker, that significantly reduces fuel consumption under high loads and will help its high-performance cars meet the incoming Euro 7 emissions standards.  

The technology has come from BMW’s racing cars and is being added to all the straight-six engines in BMW M cars this year. The company says customers who take their cars on track will be particularly appreciative because it means they can do more laps with the same amount of fuel.

As standard, the M2 xDrive comes with a staggered set of 19-inch wheels up front and 20-inch rims on the back. Track tyres can be fitted as an optional extra, along with upgraded M Compound brakes. Also there’s a new BMW Individual Borusan Turkish Blue paint colour.

The new BMW M2 xDrive will go on sale this summer, priced from £74,255. That means it’s roughly £2,000 more expensive than the regular rear-wheel-drive model with the automatic transmission, or the six-speed manual gearbox that is available for all the driving purists out there. 

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