No xDrive but manual ‘box and RWD for next BMW M2

Having provided the first official snippets of the all-new 2 Series earlier this month, a new report over the weekend has claimed that the incoming all-new BMW M2 will not only keep the rear-wheel-drive layout, but rely solely on internal combustion power.

Like standard 2 Series, the M2 will move to the CLAR platform and not the front-wheel-drive FAAR currently used by the 1 Series, and derive motivation from the 3.0-litre turbocharged S58 straight-six engine powering the M3 and M4, their Competition offshoots, as well as the X3 M and X4 M and their Competition models.

Set to carry the internal moniker G87, the BMW Blog claims that output could be in the region of 353 kW to 360 kW, a considerable jump over the 313 kW claimed last year.

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The online publication, however, claims that while the M2 will come with rear-wheel-drive, the fitting of the xDrive all-wheel-drive system to the M240i could potentially lead to a future model, possibly the next CS or rumoured CSL, featuring the all-paw gripping in a move that follows the M3 and M4 being offered with both systems.

Also on the cards like its higher-up siblings, and indeed its soon-to-be predecessor, is the possibility of the six-speed manual gearbox being retained along with an automatic, which could come in the form of the eight-speed Steptronic rather than the seven-speed M DCT.

Currently undergoing testing as depicted by the online platform, the M2 is only expected to debut towards the end of next year and end production in 2029, a year before the much reported ban on all internal combustion vehicles in parts of Europe. Before its unveiling though, expect more images and details to be divulged in the form of leaks or officially by BMW.