BMW is Surprised by the Intense Demand for the M2
BMW will build more GTS and CSL badged models after being caught off guard by intense demand for the M2 and its other driver’s cars.
Speaking to Autocar, vice president of BMW’s M division, Dirk Hacker, said the automaker was surprised at the demand for the M2, and was also shocked to see that many of them were being ordered with the six-speed manual transmission. This unexpected demand for the M2, arguably BMW’s purest sports model, has convinced BMW that there’s a business case for making more models akin to the M4 GTS and M4 CS.
“The M2 is tracking at 40-50% above our expectation in terms of sales, with almost half of buyers specifying a manual,” Hacker told Autocar. “Demand for cars like the M2, which is probably our purest M product today, has surprised us, and that opens opportunities for building more extreme cars, in the vein of GTS and CSL heritage models.”
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BMW is rumored to have an M2 CSL in the works, with prototypes for the performance-focused two door having already been spied testing. The regular M2 is due to receive a facelift next year, after which the 400 horsepower CSL variant will arrive. Unfortunately, the M2 will probably be the last M car offered with a manual transmission. in Hacker’s words, “the take up rate (for manuals) from customers on cars other than the M2 is just going down.”
“The fact is that a double clutch gearbox delivers better performance and efficiency,” he said.
[Source: Autocar]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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i'm surprised too. i thought people wanted light and sporty cars