Engine: 3,0-litre, 6-cyl, turbopetrol
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 285 kW@ 5 500 r/min
Torque: 500 N.m@ 1 900-5 500 r/min
0-100 km/h: 4,3 seconds*
Fuel consumption: 8,10 L/100 km *
Top speed: 250 km/h
CO²: 185 g/km
Rivals: Mercedes-AMG A45 S, Toyota GR Supra, Ford Mustang GT
For many, 2002 Turbo, E30 M3, 1M Coupé and E85 135i are not merely letters and numbers, but vital nomenclature pointing to BMW’s back catalogue of driving thrills. At their core, the recipe comprised a powerful engine (preferably six-cylinder) and rear-wheel drive. In 2022, BMW has deviated from that recipe and equipped the second iteration of the M240i – a car it says is part of the esteemed lineage we mentioned – with xDrive. It worked brilliantly in the M340i xDrive (tested May 2020), but will it dilute the identity of the new compact coupé?
There’s no denying it. A car like the M240i gets petrolheads and aficionados of the Bavarian carmaker going. Now in its second-generation G42 iteration, it is headed to South Africa in the first quarter of 2022. Following in its predecessor’s footsteps, it remains something of a driver-focused black sheep in the 1 and 2 Series compact family as the only model still built around a rear-wheel-drive platform.
This story is from the January 2022 edition of CAR.
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This story is from the January 2022 edition of CAR.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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