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BMW M235i Sounds Exciting at the Nurburgring, Will Take on CLA 35 from AMG

You could say that this all-new M235i xDrive is trying to copy Mercedes-AMG by offering a 300+ horsepower 2-liter in a small four-door coupe. However, BMW actually came out with the M Performance mildly hot setups first.
BMW M235i Sounds Exciting at the Nurburgring, Will Take on CLA 35 from AMG 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot/Automotive Mike
BMW M235i Sounds Exciting at the Nurburgring, Will Take on CLA 35 from AMGBMW M235i Sounds Exciting at the Nurburgring, Will Take on CLA 35 from AMGBMW M235i Sounds Exciting at the Nurburgring, Will Take on CLA 35 from AMG
The "xDrive" in the name of this car should give you a hint that it's got nothing to do with the old M235i, which was a coupe with rear-wheel-drive and an inline-6 engine. Instead, BMW is starting fresh, using a new FWD platform that's better suited to new technologies. You may have already "seen it" when the 2020 1 Series came out.

Following the example set by its hatchback brother, the M235i will have four cylinders and a twin-scroll turbo helping it deliver 306 HP and 450 Nm of torque. While those numbers sound identical to every other hot hatch on the market, BMW has some new torque vectoring technology to keep things fun.

Obviously, its main rival will be the recently revealed Mercedes-AMG CLA35 4Matic but has also begun work on the next S3 sedan which will put down similar or slightly better numbers (rumors say 330 HP). It's not an M car, but we really like the sound made by this M235i prototype as it leaves the gas station near the Nurburgring. It also has a variety of go-fast design frills, some of which will also be available with the M Sport package.

Considering its underpinnings, we expect the 2 Series Gran Coupe to share its engines with the 1 Series hatchback, as well as MINI models. At launch, the main ones are going to be the 140 horsepower 218i, powered by a 1.5-liter and matched with a 7-speed DCT, as well as the 190 HP 220d. Knowing BMW, about a dozen powertrain configurations will eventually be available.

While the official debut of the baby Gran Coupe is scheduled for November, during the Los Angles Auto Show, we expect some kind of interlude later this month. So stay tuned.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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