2016 BMW M2 OFFICIAL: Gets 365bhp and costs £44,070

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The new BMW M2 has been officially revealed – to take on the latest Mercedes-AMG A45 – with 365bhp and 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds. On sale UK April 2016.

We’ve waited a while for BMW to produce a successor to the 1-Series M Coupe, but now it’s here – the 2016 BMW M2 – with enough get up and go to give the latest Mercedes-AMG A45 a run for its money, but with a price tag that’s a bit on the hefty side – £44,070.

Looking a bit like a shrunken M4, the M2 gets big wheel arches, big air intakes at the front, bigger sills, bigger alloys and a tweaked back end which, say BMW, adds up to a reduction in lift of 35 per cent compared to a regular 2-Series.

Under the skin, the M2 gets a tweaked version of the 3.0 litre straight-six from the M235i with 364bhp, the gearbox, brakes and axles from the M4 and an electronic limited slip diff.

Weight has been reduced by 35kg thanks to use of more aluminium, which helps the M2’s performance – 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds with the manual and 4.3s with the seven-speed DCT – and economy (35.8 mpg for the manual and 33.2mpg for the auto).

Inside, BMW hasn’t gone overboard with shouting that this is an M2, but it does get Dakota leather, M logos, BMW Professional Nav and Bluetooth.

The 2016 BMW M2 will debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January and go on sale in the UK in April 2016, costing from £44,070.