M cars used to be so simple: drop sublime straight-six (or maybe V8) into BMW saloon (or estate, if you were really lucky), tighten up the chassis a tad, put on a sexy set of wheels and watch the competition attempt to keep up for four years. But times change, and so do M cars, with Gran Coupes, SUVs and more cabrios joining the line up in recent years. And sales continuing to flood in. So now prepare yourself, if Autocar is to be believed, for the M car hatchback.
See, lurking at the bottom of the new M2 story - same as before, really, with straight-six, rear-drive, manual gearbox and probably loads of fun - is news about the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Now, confusingly, the Gran Coupe that's now on sale (and scaring local schoolchildren) is based on a different platform to the upcoming 2 Series Coupe. One is CLAR, and one is FAAR. No, really. It means that GC (the FAAR car) is predominantly front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive possible in certain models, and the Coupe will stay RWD but with the possibility of electrified models thanks to the new platform.
Understood? Now, the current rumours are that the M2 Gran Coupe is back on, having been shelved a little while back. That car would use an evolution of the M235i powertrain - 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo, all-wheel drive, eight-speed auto, because it's on the FAAR platform - to take on the next RS3 four-door and the Mercedes-AMG CLA45. Therefore, expect in the region of 400hp, more tricks from the four-wheel drive system and snappier responses from the automatic gearbox.
Arguably, however, that car will play second fiddle (in terms of UK buyer interest) to a hatch equivalent, which it's also suggested will happen. An, er, M1 if you will, though it seems unlikely that that name will be used, given its place in the annals of M car folklore and legend. Perhaps it'll be 1M. Whatever the case, expect something a lot more serious than the current M135i, or any of the previous six-cylinder 1 Series hatchbacks for that matter. BMW surely won't let AMG win a hot hatch power war, so "in the region" of 400hp must be more than the A45's 421hp, and they surely won't let their arch rivals win on skiddability, either - so the larger M car's rear-drive modes could make an appearance.
And while the new M135i hasn't exactly been met with a rapturous reception thus far, the prospect of M Division working its magic on a 400hp hot hatch remains an enticing one. Don't forget that M2, as mentioned, if your M car tastes are more traditional. And the Gran Coupe. So while the M recipe might not be simple anymore, it's certainly catering for more appetites than ever - and it'll be time for another M3 soon, too...
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