Photo: Andrei Nedelea/BMW for autoevolution
BMW has been adding more and more front-wheel drive models into its lineup. At first it added the 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer, then the new X1 and X2, and it didn’t stop there.
Now it even made its new 1 Series hatchback a front-wheel drive vehicle, so that it directly competes with the Mercedes A-Class. But Mercedes also sells a sleeker version of the A-Class sedan which it calls the CLA, so BMW straight up copied the formula and launched its most recent front-wheel drive model, the 2 Series Gran Coupe.
To me this was all very sad news, because I quite fancied the idea that the 1 Series was the only vehicle in its size range that had rear-wheel drive. And this made the 1 Series a hoot to drive, even in its most basic engine versions.
With the second generation 1 Series, BMW decided to call the cute 1 Series Coupe the 2 Series, to better differentiate it from the 1 (and to bring it in line with the company’s new naming scheme where even-numbered cars are coupes).
But then the shift to front-wheel drive came and I was honestly expecting the 2 Series Coupe to either be completely discontinued, or made into a front-wheel drive car. My worries increased as the automaker recently lifted the veil off the front-wheel drive 2 Series Gran Coupe.
Thankfully, the automaker will keep the 2 Series Coupe in its lineup as a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In fact, work is already well underway on the new 2, a vehicle that shares its Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform with all larger BMWs, from the 3 Series all the way up to the 7 Series and X7.
According to this article on AutoExpress, which quotes official sources, the next 2 Series will officially be kept rear-wheel drive and whereas the new crop of front-wheel drive BMWs only come with four-cylinder engines, the new 2 will have six-pot power plants too.
The 2 Series convertible will be axed, though, as BMW decided there was no need for it since it sells the new Z4.
Specifics are scarce right now, but to me this sounds like very good news, especially since that means we’re going to see a new M2. That’s big news because the current M2 is definitely the keen driver’s pick out of BMW’s entire range.
The M2 is light, nimble and powerful, and it’s just more chuckable than the larger M3 and M4 models (the V8-powered M5 and M6 feel like tanks compared to it). So the fact that a new M2 will at some point be unveiled can’t but bring some extra joy into car enthusiasts’ lives.
BMW quite clearly knows that there are still many drivers who prefer rear-wheel drive cars and who would have liked it the Bavarian automaker kept making rear-driven 1 and 2 Series models. And it could have also made the 2 Series Coupe on the same platform, yet the fact that it didn't definitely brings joy to those for whom the 4 Series was too big a car.
Now we’ll have to wait and see how long it takes BMW to finish the new 2 and reveal it, but this will most likely take place in 2021, maybe 2022. The current 2 Series was refreshed in 2018 and BMW will keep selling it for at least three (maybe four) years before launching an all-new model.
But having observed the automaker’s recent history, it will quite likely be previewed by a concept or design study of some sort. This concept will be shown around one year before the actual production model is unveiled.
Now only one question remains: will it come with the new gaping grille that BMW is giving its sporty models? Hopefully not, as I’ve tried to illustrate in the rendering posted above.
To me this was all very sad news, because I quite fancied the idea that the 1 Series was the only vehicle in its size range that had rear-wheel drive. And this made the 1 Series a hoot to drive, even in its most basic engine versions.
With the second generation 1 Series, BMW decided to call the cute 1 Series Coupe the 2 Series, to better differentiate it from the 1 (and to bring it in line with the company’s new naming scheme where even-numbered cars are coupes).
But then the shift to front-wheel drive came and I was honestly expecting the 2 Series Coupe to either be completely discontinued, or made into a front-wheel drive car. My worries increased as the automaker recently lifted the veil off the front-wheel drive 2 Series Gran Coupe.
Thankfully, the automaker will keep the 2 Series Coupe in its lineup as a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In fact, work is already well underway on the new 2, a vehicle that shares its Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform with all larger BMWs, from the 3 Series all the way up to the 7 Series and X7.
According to this article on AutoExpress, which quotes official sources, the next 2 Series will officially be kept rear-wheel drive and whereas the new crop of front-wheel drive BMWs only come with four-cylinder engines, the new 2 will have six-pot power plants too.
The 2 Series convertible will be axed, though, as BMW decided there was no need for it since it sells the new Z4.
Specifics are scarce right now, but to me this sounds like very good news, especially since that means we’re going to see a new M2. That’s big news because the current M2 is definitely the keen driver’s pick out of BMW’s entire range.
The M2 is light, nimble and powerful, and it’s just more chuckable than the larger M3 and M4 models (the V8-powered M5 and M6 feel like tanks compared to it). So the fact that a new M2 will at some point be unveiled can’t but bring some extra joy into car enthusiasts’ lives.
BMW quite clearly knows that there are still many drivers who prefer rear-wheel drive cars and who would have liked it the Bavarian automaker kept making rear-driven 1 and 2 Series models. And it could have also made the 2 Series Coupe on the same platform, yet the fact that it didn't definitely brings joy to those for whom the 4 Series was too big a car.
Now we’ll have to wait and see how long it takes BMW to finish the new 2 and reveal it, but this will most likely take place in 2021, maybe 2022. The current 2 Series was refreshed in 2018 and BMW will keep selling it for at least three (maybe four) years before launching an all-new model.
But having observed the automaker’s recent history, it will quite likely be previewed by a concept or design study of some sort. This concept will be shown around one year before the actual production model is unveiled.
Now only one question remains: will it come with the new gaping grille that BMW is giving its sporty models? Hopefully not, as I’ve tried to illustrate in the rendering posted above.
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