Video: 2023 BMW M2 walkaround, in showrooms in April

The second-generation BMW M2 is due to arrive in Australian showrooms from April.

Speaking with Drive, a BMW Australia spokesperson said “we are doing everything we can to get the new M2 into dealerships from April, with customers able to order a car now.”

The G87-generation 2023 BMW M2 is powered by a ‘S58’ 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder twin-turbocharged petrol engine, which is the same unit found in the current BMW M3 and M4 – albeit with slightly lower outputs in the M2.

The M2 offers 338kW and 550Nm, which is lower than the manual M3’s 353kW and 550Nm, but higher than the previous range-topping F87-generation M2 CS at 331kW and 550Nm.

The new car’s added size and weight improve its power-to-weight ratio over the previous F87-generation M2, but still gives the M3 and M4 the edge.

Based on BMW’s ‘CLAR’ architecture – which underpins nearly all of its models, including the larger 3 Series – the new M2 is bigger than the old car in every way except height, where it sits 7mm lower.

As well as being the last BMW M-car to be developed without hybrid or electric power, the G87 M2 is expected to be the last M-car engineered with a manual transmission.

While buyer interest has been strong for the new car, there is no indication of how many customers have ordered a three-pedal car.

To add some context, a BMW Australia spokesperson noted “the take-up for a manual transmission on the previous-generation M2 was around 30 per cent.”