Elsewhere in Bavaria, let’s hearken back to 2014, when BMW spun off the enthusiast-oriented two-door models of its subcompact 1 Series, thus creating, drum roll, the 2 Series. Built on rear-drive platforms, the @ Series coupes offer some stirring driving in packages that are attainable both spatially and financially. Marketed at the spiritual heir to the New Class models that transformed BMW during the 1960s, beginning with the landmark 1600 sedan, the 2 Series now consists of the 230i and the M240i xDrive, both sport coupes, whose newest generation is being newly introduced as a pair of 2022 models, due in showrooms here in November.
Both new 2 Series from BMW are – let’s hear it – longer, lower, wider, and riding on longer wheelbases than their predecessors. More notably, track is widened by a sorta-kinda two inches across the board, front and rear. The front fenders and hood are stamped from aluminum sheet to save weight. Base turbocharged, four-cylinder power starts at 255 horsepower for the 230i and swings up to 382 horsepower for the all-wheel-drive M240i xDrive, which boasts a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six as standard. An eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission is standard across the 2 Series. Pricing will start at $36,350 for the 230i and $48,550 for its M Sport sibling.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 