We’ve seen the spy shots, but it appears that an image of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe has leaked online ahead of its official reveal later this week. Is it real?

The image above, shared by Instagram account @wilcoblok,is reportedly a video screenshot of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe which is due to be officially revealed later this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.Note that the new BMW 2 Series won’t adopt the oversize kidney grille seen on the M3 and M4 duo.

Earlier this year, adisguised prototype of a next-generation BMW 2Series Coupe was filmed undergoing testing on a Californian highway. The clip, which includes tantalisingclose-up tracking footage, revealsa few interestingtidbits (and one or two possible red herrings) about the upcoming model’s design.

Now that the fanfare about the low-volume local introduction of the BMW M2 CS (of which almost the entire consignment of units weresold via an auction) hasblown over, enthusiasts have all eyes on the new-generation 2 Series.

What to expect from the new BMW 2 Series Coupe

Picture credit:S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer’s request, have watermarked them.​

Without a doubt, the 2nd-generation 2 Series 2-door is eagerly anticipated, because, unlike its predecessor, it won’t be based on the hatchback’s front-wheel-drive platform (as is the case with the 2 Series Gran Coupe)…Instead of beingbased on BMW’s Front Architecture platform, the Coupe will adopt an evolution of the brand’sCluster Architecture (CLAR) platform and be closely based on theZ4 Roadster. This means the compact 2-door coupe will be rear-wheel driven, which will please purists whohave been less than convinced by the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol andall-wheel-driveM135i–and M235i xDrive.

The wait for the 2er Coupe has been drawn out; in April last year, apair of leaked images of (what appearedto be) the upcoming model wasposted on a fanforum. The partly obscured silver-greycar in those images drew instant comparisons with the aforementionedroadster, which was famously co-developed with Toyota, especially by virtue of itsbroad, slim kidney grille and the shape of the tail-light cluster(s).

The BMW 2-Series was leaked earlier in 2020, giving us a glimpse of the new face.

Then, in September, our spy photographer shota heavily-camouflaged test unit endowedwith a pair oftwo large exhausts.It was undoubtedlya pre-production version of a2 Series Coupe, however, because it was clearly smaller than the recently-launched 4 Series, but had far more elegantproportions (long nose, cab-rearward configuration and a short, kicked-up boot section) than its FWD/AWD siblings.

The video you see here, published byKindelTechAuto,shows a photographer’s car cruiseup to a 2 Series Coupe prototype while it’s travelling on a highway somewhere in the Golden State. Judging from the footage, it’s not the exact same car as we photographed last year. The headlamps indeed look teardrop-shaped and the car’s bonnet features a pronounced power dome, but the videographernoted that the car had retro-looking recessed door handles and that the famous Hofmeister kink in the rear window(which is so subtle in the 4er that you could miss it) hadbeen disguised withpadding.

As for which version of the 2 Series Coupe it might be, the chances are that it is, at best, an M Sport or M-flavoured derivative. If the new range carries over the Z4’s powertrains, there should be 145-kW 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol (220i),a 285-kW 3.0-litre inline-6 turbopetrol(M240i) and probably the 190-kW2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol that does duty in the 330is Edition…

As for the mighty M2, that should only be revealed during 2022. It’s unlikely to be as potent as the M3/M4‘s 353 kW/375 kW twin-turbo 3-litre inline-6, but expect a peak output of well above300 kW.

Official details for the new BMW 2 Series Coupe (G42) are expected this week, 8 July 2021, following the reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed;we expect it to arrive in SA next year. The arrival of the new 2 Series can be expected next year with exact launch dates still to be confirmed.

Further Reading:

Diesel BMW M2 M50d with NOS Video

It’s okay to desire a 4-cylinder BMW

BMW M235i Gran Coupe (2020) Review

BMW 4 Series (2020) Launch Review

BMW M135i xDrive (2020) Review