Caught here during testing at the Nurburgring, the BMW M235i will sit atop the 2 Series Coupe range, both of which are due to be revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
The M235i is essentially a two-door coupe version of the M135i five-door hatchback that launched last year – the coupe prototype seen here even shares its 18-inch alloy wheel design.
Through the car bra it is possible to see the sculptured front bumper with honeycomb air intake and missing foglights in the flanks.
The headlights of the BMW 2 Series are slimmer than those in the 1 Series, with a more rounded curve on the grille side replacing the hatchback’s sharp diagonal line.
Split twin exhausts and grey-metallic wing mirrors also signify this prototype as the performance flagship of the forthcoming 2 Series range.
Inside the BMW M235i looks almost exactly like the M135i hatch on which its based, with the same grey alcantara/blue stitch trim.
The six-speed manual 235i prototype also gets a slimmer steering wheel design pinched from the 3 Series M Sport.
Under the bonnet will be the same 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine seen in the M135i. It is unclear whether BMW will offer the same 235kW of power and 450Nm of torque seen in the hatch, or push the coupe to match the 250kW of the outgoing BMW 1 Series M Coupe.
Expect the BMW 2 Series range to arrive in Australia early next year, following its global reveal at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
