The BMW M2 with rear-wheel drive is still available, but now buyers can now get an all-wheel drive version.
In the decade you’ve been able to buy one, the BMW M2 coupe has always been a rear-wheel drive pocket rocket of a car. Now, though, the current G87 model is now available with the automaker’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, completing the circle of every M car now having the option to send its power to all four wheels.
The 2027 BMW M2 with M xDrive, to reference its full name, does exactly what that name suggests. You still get a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six, and you still get 473 horsepower on tap. Power just makes its way to both axles, cutting the car’s 0-60 time down by 0.3 seconds from the rear-wheel drive model, to an extremely quick 3.3 seconds.
BMW notes the power still mainly goes to the rear wheels in normal driving, with the system only shoving power forward when it’s needed to optimize traction. The Active M Differential is also on deck in this M2, shifting power between the rear wheels to, in BMW’s words, deliver the same sort of driving dynamics enthusiasts associate with the rear-drive version. The transfer case uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch to smoothly vary power where it needs to go, with this M2 getting a specific control unit and integrated wheel slip limitation (hence the ‘M’ part of the M xDrive, as opposed to your standard AWD BMW models).
Otherwise, the 2027 BMW M2 with M xDrive offers up the same look, interior packaging and equipment as the standard car. Because it brings in all-wheel drive, though, this car is 4,111 pounds, or about 150 pounds heavier than the rear-wheel drive variant. Indeed, getting all that power and 443 lb-ft of torque down does help its straight-line acceleration, but it’s definitely on the heavy side, at least compared to previous M cars.
Unlike the rear-wheel drive model, this M2 is only available with the 8-speed automatic transmission (again, much like the other M cars). Top speed is pegged at 155 mph by default, though you can get that raised to 177 mph by going for the M Driver’s Package.
Production of the 2027 BMW M2 with M xDrive will kick off later this summer. While we don’t have specific pricing just yet, it will cost at least a couple thousand more than the $69,550 M2 packing rear-wheel drive. There’s not much wiggle room in the range before pricing smacks up against the M3, so it won’t be that much more expensive. Nevertheless, expect somewhere in the low-to-mid-$70K range, depending on your other options.
