Official pics of BMW M235i surface ahead of coupe's debut

Thu, 24 Oct 2013

BMW isn't supposed to debut the 2 Series until tomorrow, according to Carscoops, but that hasn't stopped these photos of the 1 Series Coupe replacement from leaking onto the web. First picked up by a BMW 2 Series enthusiast site, the photos eventually found their way around the web, and complement the spy images we showed you of the uncovered 2 Series from almost six months ago.

This particular car is the M235i, and will serve as the range-topping 2 Series. As the number "35" is affixed to this car's tail, there's no question that the engine powering this example is BMW's turbocharged, 3.0-liter six-cylinder. As we reported earlier this month, power for the M235i should sit around 320 horsepower, blessing the 3,240-pound coupe with a 4.8-second sprint to 60 miles per hour when equipped with an eight-speed automatic (a six-speed manual is also available, but drops the time down to an even five seconds).

While this isn't a full-bore M car like the 1 Series M Coupe, it has been touched by the company's in-house tuning division, which means it sports a racier body kit, blacked out grilles and M-labeled interior items, like the steering wheel.

The M235i will lord over four other, lesser 2 Series models, including three diesels - the 218d, 220d and 225d - and one gasoline unit, the 220i. Expect the 220i to use the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder found in the 320i. As for the diesels, well, we wouldn't count on any of them arriving in the US market. That said, BMW's expanding diesel range, with the 328d and 535d joining the X5 xDrive35d, might make the idea of a smaller, more affordable diesel offering appealing to the minds in Munich.

We'll hopefully have a lot more details for you tomorrow, when the 2 Series is expected to make its official debut. Until then, we've attached the new images up top and the older 2 Series spy photos down below.

By Brandon Turkus