Who is the most qualified person to talk about the new BMW M2 if not the M division’s boss himself? Franciscus van Meel, the mayor of M Town, takes us on an in-depth tour of a G87 painted in M Toronto Red metallic. The compact sports coupe looks a lot boxier than its predecessor and can be seen here with the optional carbon bucket seats borrowed from the M4.

The rear-wheel-drive-only machine is featured in the adjacent video with a carbon fiber roof and Jet Black alloy wheels measuring 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear. Behind them are compound brakes as a ceramic set won’t be available upon launch but could arrive later in the life cycle. We’re fairly certain those square air intakes are the most polarizing design details of the 2023 M2 and you’ll notice the kidney grille is also more rectangular than on any other 2 Series version.

The wider body is most noticeable from the rear where the fender flares lend the M2 Coupe a more muscular appearance enhanced by the typical M quad exhaust tips. The trunk lid spoiler is just as subtle as the one you’ll find on the M240i, but rest assured there will be an upgrade from the M Performance Parts catalog for a more shouty look. Those vertical reflectors are mounted within a large glossy black frame that host two of the parking sensors.

The 2023 2 Series Coupe in normal and M Performance flavors has already switched to the Operating System 8, so it comes as no surprise the range-topping model also gets the latest iDrive. The car presented by the M CEO has a six-speed manual, which will actually be optional in certain countries such as Germany. In the model’s domestic market, the variant with the clutch pedal costs an extra €500 over the eight-speed auto model.

The last series production M car to avoid electrification comes to celebrate 50 years of BMW’s performance division. It’ll be built exclusively in Mexico at the San Luis Potosi plant and is scheduled to hit the market globally in April 2023. Prices start at $62,000 (plus $995 for destination and handling) in the US where the six-speed manual will be standard.

Source: BMW M / YouTube