The much-rumored BMW M2 Competition was finally unveiled following a leak on the company's Australian website earlier this month. The newest member of the M family is just as we expected: it's mean, powerful, exclusive, and ready to take on the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS on both the road and the track. Heck, it's so good that it might even pose a threat to the BMW M4.

Blacked-out, Exclusive Look

With exterior updates of the "club sport" variety, the M2 Competition isn't all that different when compared to the standard M2. But look closer, and you'll notice larger intakes in the front bumper, a high-gloss grille, and new mirrors taken from the bigger M4. The standard Shadow Line package removes all the chrome, while the black exhaust pipes and the new rear diffuser give the coupe a sportier stance around back. The Sunset Orange and Hockenheim Silver exterior colors, available for the first time on the M2, round out the Competition upgrade.

Carbon-fiber Trim

The interior also boasts a few exclusive touches, starting with a redesigned instrument cluster with Black Panel technology. The dashboard trim in carbon-fiber sets the Competition further apart from the regular M2, as do the custom door sills. The revised M Sport seats have illuminated "M2" badges and can be had in black leather with either blue or orange inserts. The usual M features, including the leather-wrapped steering wheel and the red engine start/stop button, are still there.

M4 Engine with 400+ Horsepower

Bigger news comes from under the hood, where BMW stuffed a 3.0-liter six-cylinder based on the power unit from the M3 and M4. The twin-turbo mill cranks out 410 PS and 550 Nm of torque, which converts to 404 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of twist. That's 39 horses and 62 pound-feet more than the standard M2 and only 16 horsepower short compared to the M4. Impressive! Transmission choices include both the six-speed manual and the M dual-clutch automatic. The latter is obviously the quicker choice, as it can hit 62 mph in 4.2 seconds. The benchmark drops to 4.4 clicks with the manual. Top speed is limited to the usual 155 mph as standard, but the M Driver's Package raises the limit to 174 mph.

Direct Replacement

In a somewhat surprising move by BMW, the M2 Competition won't be sold alongside the M2 as a limited-edition model. The Competition actually replaces the M2, acting like a mid-cycle facelift. That's good news for the nameplate, but it takes the M2 way too much into M4 territory. Hopefully, BMW has a plan to prevent cannibalization.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M2.

Read our full speculative review 2019 BMW M2 Competition.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M4.

Read our full review on the 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS.

Read more 2018 Beijing Auto Show news.

Read more BMW news.