(December 18, 2015) BMW is set to enter its anniversary year of 2016 on a powerful note. With the centenary of its founding just around the corner, the company is using the North American International Auto Show in Detroit from Jan. 11 – 24 to host the world premieres of the new BMW M2 and BMW X4 M40i performance models.

Joining the two new cars at the stand will be the trailblazing BMW i models and innovative services covering every aspect of electric mobility. BMW ConnectedDrive, meanwhile, is showcasing its latest range of applications and systems, such as Remote Control Parking.



The BMW Group’s successful involvement in North America dates back more than 40 years. Bayerische Motorenwerke has been represented in the U.S. by its subsidiary BMW of North America since 1975, and the company went on to build its own production facility in Spartanburg, S.C., in 1992. Model variants designed specifically for the US market and BMW’s commitment to motor racing series stateside, such as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (in which the newly developed BMW M6 GTLM will compete in 2016), underline the significance of the BMW Group’s second-largest sales market, which also serves as an important ideas factory for new developments.

The U.S. has thus become a second home for the BMW Group, and more than 70,000 people are now employed in the country by BMW and its partner companies.

This is a success story with no end in sight. Investment worth one billion dollars is currently being channelled into BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina to increase capacity, which will see the facility playing an even more important role within the BMW Group production network in the future. Plant Spartanburg builds BMW X models for customers around the world and has enabled BMW to become the largest car exporter in the U.S. by value.

The new BMW M2 Coupe: a high-performance sports car with spine-tingling performance

Back in the early 1970s, the BMW 2002 turbo was already causing heads to turn and hearts to flutter. Indeed, the compact high-performance sports car perfectly encapsulated BMW’s resolution to deliver outstanding dynamics, agility and car control.

And now, over 40 years on, BMW is unveiling the new BMW M2, as if to demonstrate once again that this commitment is alive and well. With its high-performance six-cylinder in-line engine, rear-wheel-drive agility, lightweight aluminum M Sport suspension and extrovert styling, the new BMW M2 Coupe has all the ingredients to deliver the last word in driving pleasure.

The newly developed three-liter six-cylinder in-line unit powering the BMW M2 uses state-of-the-art M TwinPower Turbo technology to develop 370 hp at 6,500 rpm and, in so doing, lays down a marker in the high-performance compact sports car segment. The same applies to power delivery. Peak torque of 343 lb-ft can be increased to as much as 369 lb-ft in short bursts under overboost, all of which enables the new BMW M2 with optional seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission and Launch Control to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, or 168 mph if the M Driver’s Package is specified.



The new BMW X4 M40i: Setting the benchmark in its segment for outstanding driving dynamics

The successful BMW X4 range has gained a new flagship model with the arrival of the BMW X4 M40i. Offering even sharper dynamics, distinctive looks and exclusive equipment details, BMW moves the game on once again in the Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) segment. A newly developed M Performance TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line gas engine celebrates its world premiere under the bonnet of the BMW X4 M40i.

The three-liter unit produces an output of 360 hp between 5,800 and 6,000 rpm and generates peak torque of 343 lb-ft. Armed with this high-performance engine and leading-edge M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology, the BMW X4 M40i sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds and reaches an electronically governed top speed of 155 mph.