See here a car with a visible, vibrant history. A long hood, a short rear, compressed cab, snub nose, wheel arch extensions on its wheel arch extensions. It takes little effort to detect traces of the 2002 Turbo, the 1M and the M2. So as we approach it, we feel the hope bubbling up that we’ll be stepping into a focused, sharp, and slightly sassy toy.
We end up in a really good car – which isn’t all of the above. Instead, it actually feels like an M440i xDrive Coupe. If we had paid a little more attention to the modern application of BMW badges rather than to the BMW model history, that would have been exactly where our expectations had been.
After all, this is the BMW M240i xDrive Coupe. Only the number 4 is exchanged for a 2. It has almost exactly the same engine, drivetrain and suspension. The wheelbase is a bit shorter, but otherwise the overall impression is similar.
The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé has enough power
So it’s a pretty mature machine. The sophistication of the large inline six is the first thing you notice, with its subdued hum and harmonic loop. But if you steer the tachometer needle toward the red, it’s doing some serious work with quite a bit of eagerness. You get 374 horsepower – enough extra power over the old 240i to trump the extra mass of the four-wheel drive.
The steering is also snappy, although you will have to consciously look for that character – the grip is enormous and you approach the limits first via very mild understeer, but the authentic feeling is very subtle. At normal road speeds you won’t easily overwhelm the traction, but it is certainly noticeable that the power flows backwards: the rear half of the car puts its shoulders under it and propels you convincingly out of the corners.
Is this a bouncy car?
Even the spring comfort is pretty civilized, at least if you order the optional adjustable dampers from our test car. The typical dive tendency that sometimes affects cars with a short wheelbase is not noticeable. During your daily mileage, the BMW M240i xDrive Coupé behaves quietly and smoothly.
That can’t be said of the fully grown individuals you insisted on cramming in the back. But this is clearly not a car for people who have even more people at home. In the front you have access to all the usual BMW instruments and controls, including the buttons that will disappear with the next update (see the i4).
The BMW M240i Coupé is only available as an xDrive
The 2-series coupé will be built in Mexico from now on, because the Americans love it. There are also a 220i and a 220d in the price list. Both have rear-wheel drive, while this BMW M240i is only available as an xDrive. Not really an extensive range, but to be honest we can rub our hands that this 2 series is still there at all.
Remember again that this is in fact a sort of smaller 4-series, a traditional BMW on a rear-wheel drive platform with a hefty six-cylinder petrol engine in the longitudinal direction. While everyone else is cutting their offerings to make room for EVs or putting their sporty models on a front-wheel drive platform with transverse engine, BMW still manages to do the right thing with this car.
Specifications BMW M240i xDrive Coupe (2022)
engine
2,998 cc
six-cylinder turbo
374 hp @ 5,500 rpm
500 Nm @ 1,900 rpm
Drive
four wheels
8v automatic
Performance
0-100 km/h in 4.3 s
top 250 km/h
Consumption (average)
8.1 l/100 km
185 g/km CO2 (E-label)
Dimensions
4,548 x 1,838 x 1,404 mm (lxwxh)
2,741mm (wheelbase)
1,765 kg
52 l (petrol)
390 l (luggage)
Prices
€ 77,504 (NL)
€ 57,250 (B)
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