We all know that the BMW M2 Competition is coming in April. We also know that BMW M has high hopes for the performance coupé. Now we get to see what it looks like, or at least a part of what it looks like. Ahead of its April debut, a leaked image of the M2 surfaced on Instagram. The image doesn’t show much of the car — only a portion of the front end — but it does reveal enough to get us up from our seats. Look at the photo closer, and you’ll notice the coupé wearing a Hockenheim Silver body paint and features a revised front section and an M side mirror.

The mentioned upgrades are only a few of what we can expect from the BMW M2 Competition. There are more to notice once the car makes its debut. Sources also confirmed to BMW Blog that the M2 Competition will also get a one-piece front grille as opposed to the two-kidney grille that we’ve come to know over the years. If that’s the case, the M2 could sport a grille that connects the two kidney-shaped grilles together. It’s a very different interpretation of an iconic BMW design. That’s one thing we can look forward to seeing. The size of the M2 Competition has also been a source of great discussion, specifically that it will be slightly wider than the current M2. Should that be true, we can add larger fenders to the list of M components that the sports coupé is wearing. The interior is also getting its own share of trim updates to go with M Sport Seats.

Note: BMW M3 CS engine pictured here

Under its hood, the M2 Competition will use a detuned version of the S55 engine that’s currently being used in the M3 and M4. The expected output has been tagged at 405 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque, 50 ponies and almost 40 pound-feet of torque more than the standard M2. The six-cylinder will be mated to either a seven-speed M-DCT transmission or a six-speed manual transmission.

The arrival of the BMW M2 Competition shouldn’t be understated, specifically because of what it represents in Bimmer’s current M2 lineup. An M2 Competition is going to be faster and more powerful than its standard counterpart, but it also serves an important purpose as a bridge of sorts between the standard M2 and possible hardcore versions. Granted, BMW has made no mention of variants like the M2 CS or the M2 GTS, but the arrival of the M2 Competition opens the door for those models to follow in the near future.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the BMW M2 Competition. It’s scheduled to debut in April 2018 will sales following shortly, possibly as early as the summertime of this year.

References

BMW M2

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 BMW M2 CSL.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M2.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW 2 Series.

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