RUMOR: BMW M2 xDrive Coming In 2026

A new report from BMW Blog has claimed that the G87 BMW M2 will soon be offered with M xDrive (all-wheel drive), and it could happen in just a couple of years.

Citing unnamed sources, the publication says that an AWD M2 will arrive on the market in 2026. This follows a report from a year ago (just before the current M2 was unveiled) that claimed the rear-driven sports coupe would be offered with M xDrive as an option sometime in the future. This was based on a leaked service information manual, so it seemed legitimate. Now that another outlet has suggested the same thing, we have even more reason to believe it's true.

So what are the benefits and drawbacks if this does happen?

The biggest drawback is obviously weight. BMW's xDrive systems typically add around 110-165 pounds to a car's curb weight, and the M2 is already a rather portly thing, just 16 lbs shy of the M4.

We have no doubt that BMW will be able to make this feel lighter and more agile than the figures suggest, particularly since M xDrive can facilitate the disconnection of the front axle from the powertrain to enable rear-driven handling behavior. But purists will still object, and we don't blame them. Besides the issue of additional heft, xDrive with a manual transmission is not a common combo.

The M2 is a fantastic car compared to its current rivals, but the F87 predecessor was lauded for its edgier, more playful demeanor. The new one is less visceral, and adding AWD while deleting the stick shift will surely exacerbate the issue.

The solution? More power, of course.

Several reports have suggested that the regular M2 will see a power bump next year, increasing from 453 horsepower to 475 hp. That would bring it very close to the figures of the 473-hp M4 (in non-Competition guise), but that car is also rumored to be in line for a boost in output. The regular M4 will likely get the Competition model's 503 hp. If not, we suspect the base M3 and M4 will be dropped, and Competition variants will be the only ones on offer.

Either way, an increase for the M4 gives the M2 more room to flex its muscles, and those muscles will bulge to the tune of 500-plus horsepower with a CS version slated for a 2025 release.

Will the regular M2 become a Competition-only model too? If so, will this be offered exclusively with AWD, or will that be optional? Hopefully, we won't have to wait for 2026 to find out.