Tag Archives: BMW M2

News

BMW will not give up the manual gearbox

Last year, Mercedes announced that they would gradually stop offering cars with manual transmission in Europe, which definitely disappointed a number of their customers. However, another German brand, BMW, has announced that it will not stop offering a manual gearbox, but will charge an extra €500 for it. It was a good business move, because according to sales data for the last 12 months, 50 percent of BMW M2 buyers opted for a manual transmission, while 20 percent of M3 and M4 buyers chose the same option.

The manual gearbox definitely loses the battle against the automatic transmission. The reason is the costs. In September, CEO at BMW M GmbH Frank van Meel said: “The vast majority of BMW cars are now offered exclusively with an automatic transmission, as few buyers are looking for a manual transmission. It would be easier if only automatic cars came off the assembly line. Instead we have a small number of customers looking for a manual transmission in the M2 series which creates additional complications and increases costs.”

“A manual gearbox is slower, results in higher fuel consumption and sometimes affects the top speed, so from an engineering point of view this type of gearbox no longer really makes sense,” said van Meel.

Also, BMW announces the imminent arrival of a new generation M5 model that will be powered by a plug-in hybrid engine. This means that the Bavarian brand will not give up the V6 engine in the near future, as AMG did.

Source: BMW

Tuning

ACS2 Sport based on the BMW M2

In its 36 years of tuning BMW cars, the German company AC Schnitzer has improved some of the best models of this German brand. Now, the tuner has introduced the ACS2 Sport based on the new generation BMW M2 G87.

The car is equipped with several carbon body components based on a modular principle, which means that you can opt for a complete conversion or select individual parts. Among them, the newly designed front spoiler stands out, which Aachen points out significantly improves the car’s aerodynamics.

The adaptive suspension has been improved, which allows the front part to be closer to the ground by an additional 35 mm, and the rear by 30 mm. There’s also an adaptive exhaust system with carbon tips, a set of black or gold 20 and 21-inch AC4 Lightweight wheels wrapped in 285/30/20 front and 295/25/21 tires, while the brakes have not been changed.

Under the hood is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine with 453 hp (333 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. The engine is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. It reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.3 seconds (4.1 seconds with the 8-speed automatic transmission) with a top limited speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Source: AC Schnitzer

Gallery:

ACS2 Sport based on the BMW M2
News

BMW charges an extra 500 euros for the manual gearbox

Automakers are trying to squeeze more money out of their customers in various ways, like BMW which has started charging extra for the manual gearbox on the BMW M2.

“The vast majority of BMW cars are now offered exclusively with an automatic transmission, as few buyers are looking for a manual transmission. It would be easier if only automatic cars came off the assembly line. Instead we have a small number of customers looking for a manual transmission in the M2 series which creates additional complications and increases costs,” said CEO at BMW M GmbH Frank van Meel.

In the UK, buyers pay an extra £545 for the manual gearbox, while in Germany it’s €500. Frank van Meel justifies this by the fact that automatic transmissions are more practical, but that the manual gearbox will remain in the offer because it is more like a matter of tradition. “A manual gearbox is slower, results in higher fuel consumption and sometimes affects the top speed, so from an engineering point of view this type of gearbox no longer really makes sense,” said van Meel. He also admits that there are still a decent number of people looking for a manual gearbox, because that’s the only way they can experience the full potential of the car.

As automakers increasingly embrace automatic transmissions, it wouldn’t be a surprise if BMW’s manual transmission surcharge system became an industry-wide practice.

Source: BMW