All-new BMW M2 won't be made in Germany

Last week, BMW revealed the all-new 7 Series. Featuring a new split headlight design and a heavily redesigned interior, BMW's flagship luxury sedan signals the brand's new direction in the age of electrification. Not only that, but the automaker also launched an electric version of the sedan called the i7.

Despite BMW embracing electrification, it hasn't forgotten about building cars that deliver “sheer driving pleasure”. To that, they recently released a teaser image of the 2023 BMW M2. Still covered in heavy camouflage, the automaker is not quite ready to reveal the second-generation high-performance coupe to the public.

But unlike the outgoing generation that's built at the company's factory in Leipzig, Germany, the all-new M2 will be produced at the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico. You read right, the next-generation M2 will be made outside of Germany.

The 2023 M2 is scheduled to hit the assembly lines by the end of 2022 and will serve as the third BMW vehicle that will be produced in the Mexico plant. It will join the likes of the 3 Series which has been produced there since 2019, as well as the 2 Series Coupe which is also currently being manufactured in Mexico.

With the production of the M2 slated for later this year, BMW said that they are looking to hire an additional 800 employees and start a second production shift.

“We are very excited to be part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of M, now that our Mexican plant will build M vehicles for the whole world,” said Harald Gottsche, president and CEO of BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant.

The exact specifications of the 2023 BMW M2 are not yet available. But based on preliminary details, the all-new M2 will only be available in rear-wheel drive and could come with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

A 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six derived from the M4 CS might serve as the beating heart of the 2023 M2. It's expected to crank out 450 PS with 550 Nm of torque, although a more powerful version is supposedly in the works as well. With that, we won't be surprised if the all-new M2 CS might produce well over 500 PS once it's revealed.

With the production of the all-new M2 set to begin later this year, it won't be long before BMW officially reveals it to the world.