DRIVEN: 2020 BMW 2 Series M235i Gran Coupe - A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing?

There's an M badge on the back and a suitably weighty number next to it, but the M235i Gran Coupe is not what could be termed a traditionalist's choice.

Like the M135i it has been switched to BMW's FAAR natively front-driven architecture with power coming from a four-cylinder engine in place of the sonorous straight-six that still propels the M240i Coupe. Which means lifting the bonnet produces the incongruous sight of a short engine sitting across the bay and mounted entirely ahead of the front axle line.

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dlin - 2/19/2020 11:12:37 AM

0 Boost

Don't get me going on the design @#%!

xjug1987a - 2/19/2020 4:37:15 PM

-1 Boost

looks like a Corolla...

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 2/19/2020 6:47:37 PM

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Cancel all the Grand Coupes except for the 8 series and bring in a wagon or two (3,5) with X-Drive.

MDarringer - 2/19/2020 9:27:10 PM

-2 Boost

BMW has needed this product for 10 years though this is an ugly execution.

A front-wheel-drive BMW sedan below the 3 Series makes sense, but perhaps this needs to replace the 3 Series. Then combine the 3/4/5 Series into one "tweener" sedan in size, and finally replace the 7 Series with an EV.

BMW has a glut of sedans given that the GCs are just sedans too.

qweasdzxc - 2/20/2020 11:35:13 AM

+3 Boost

Ze mos fuk'n nunsens evaaaaaaar heard

valhallakey - 2/20/2020 1:01:38 AM

+1 Boost

Posted this to cnet - Personally I think this is a minor disaster for BMW that could portend major disasters in the future. Moving to a fwd platform upsets the balance by placing the engine in front of the front axle resulting in a higher polar moment of inertia (think of spinning back and forth in your hand a 10lb dumbbell vs a 10lb ball. The dumbbell is harder to stop and spin the other way than the ball would be). BMWs in the past have focused on reducing that by locating the engine behind the front axle for a more centralized mass resulting in nimbler handling and quicker responses. In addition to this mistake they are also degrading or abandoning altogether the iconic styling touches that have made BMWs instantly recognizable for decades. The main two being that kidney grill and the iconic hoffmeister kink. Any company would love to have iconic identifiers like that and BMW is throwing it away. This is a significant move to a low margin mass quantities manufacturer... moving to be the European Toyota. BMW would be smarter staying at lower volume of higher margin cars that are worth the premium to the buyer based on numerous factors including engineering with the ultimate driving machine in mind, iconic looks, racing history etc...

2ndbimmer - 2/22/2020 1:03:45 PM

+1 Boost

But have you driven it?

MDarringer - 2/22/2020 1:50:47 PM

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@valhallakey this "...Moving to a fwd platform upsets the balance by placing the engine in front of the front axle resulting in a higher polar moment of inertia..." is true BUT it does not absolutely mean that an FWD car is at an extreme disadvantage.

A GTI will bitch slap a GT86 around Willow.

Driving an FWD vehicle at the limit requires some unorthodox techniques, but they are absolutely easy to drive fast around a track if you've had any training.