BMW M has unveiled the 2026 M2 Turbo Design Version, a limited-run mannequin that pulls its inspiration from the 1974–75 BMW 2002 turbo. Revealed at Street Atlanta throughout Motul Petit Le Mans, that is much less about chasing new efficiency information and extra about reinterpreting a pivotal second in BMW’s historical past.
Completed solely in Alpine White, every automobile receives hand-painted BMW Motorsport stripes that hint the hood, roof, and decklid. The reversed “turbo” lettering on the hood, a trustworthy nod to the 2002 turbo, stays the visible centerpiece. A carbon fiber roof panel with built-in M tricolor stripes and a carbon M Efficiency rear spoiler full the look. It’s retro with precision, but additionally restrained—evoking heritage slightly than recreating it wholesale.
The Echo of 1973
The unique 2002 turbo was Europe’s first manufacturing automobile to function turbocharging when it debuted on the 1973 Frankfurt Auto Present. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder produced 170 horsepower, a placing determine for its time, and made clear that BMW’s small sedans might carry critical intent. It additionally established the visible cues—the graphics, the stance, the purposeful aggression—that may outline the model’s sporting identification for many years.
Half a century later, the M2 Turbo Design Version channels that very same DNA, albeit via a up to date lens. Underneath the hood is the acquainted 3.0-liter S58 inline-six producing 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired solely with a six-speed handbook transmission. There are not any mechanical upgrades, and that feels deliberate. This version is about design and sentiment, not lap instances.
A Fastidiously Curated Spec Sheet
BMW’s configuration selections listed here are telling. The Turbo Design Version arrives nicely outfitted with M Sport seats trimmed in black Vernasca leather-based with refined M-color highlights, carbon fiber inside trim, Adaptive Full LED lights with Shadowline accents, and a heated Alcantara M steering wheel.
For individuals who desire a sharper edge, M Carbon bucket seats could be added for $4,500, together with Matte Gold Bronze 1000M wheels for $6,266, and the M Driver’s Bundle for $2,500. These choices are visually dramatic however arguably extra about theater than authenticity. The gold wheels, specifically, flirt with nostalgia however really feel fashionable in execution—much less 1973, extra 2026 showroom centerpiece.
Between Heritage and Advertising and marketing
Priced at $82,900 plus $1,175 vacation spot, the M2 Turbo Design Version doesn’t transfer the efficiency needle, however that isn’t its purpose. That is BMW’s means of connecting its turbocharged previous to its current, reminding lovers the place the M lineage began whereas acknowledging how far the model has advanced.
Just like the 2002 turbo, it’s expressive slightly than extreme, a automobile that leans on identification and historical past greater than outright innovation. It might not push the M2 story ahead, nevertheless it frames the lineage with care—and in an period of fixed reinvention, that’s a press release of its personal.
Our Take
In recent times BMW M has proven a rising willingness to create particular version fashions to introduce attention-grabbing design particulars. What makes this one attention-grabbing is its give attention to M’s historical past and particularly one of many automobiles that laid the groundwork for the complete M philosophy. They usually’re doing it not on a $150,000 mannequin however on M’s most attainable product.
The 2002 turbo predated M Division itself, but its affect is seen in each M automobile that adopted—compact proportions, direct steering, and a barely unruly character. The M2 Turbo Design Version might by no means absolutely seize that rawness, nevertheless it does one thing few fashionable automobiles try: it connects as we speak’s efficiency tradition again to the experimental spirit that outlined BMW’s rise. In an period when M’s identification is being stretched by electrification and luxurious, that reflection feels each well timed and essential.
Government Abstract
Mannequin: 2026 BMW M2 Turbo Design Version
Manufacturing begin: January 2026
Deliveries: Early Q2 2026
Value: $82,900 + $1,175 vacation spot
Engine: 3.0L S58 inline-six
Energy: 473 hp / 406 lb-ft
Transmission: 6-speed handbook solely
0–60 mph: 4.1 seconds
High velocity: 155 mph (177 mph with M Driver’s Bundle)
Customary options:
Alpine White paint with hand-painted 2002 turbo-inspired graphics
Carbon fiber roof with built-in M striping
Carbon M Efficiency rear spoiler
Adaptive Full LED lighting with Shadowline accents
Carbon fiber inside trim
M Sport seats in black Vernasca leather-based with M-color highlights
Heated Alcantara M steering wheel
Dwell Cockpit Skilled with Head-Up Show
Wi-fi gadget charging
Choices:
M Carbon bucket seats ($4,500)
M Driver’s Bundle ($2,500)
19/20-inch Matte Gold Bronze 1000M wheels ($6,266)
BMW M2 Turbo Version Gallery
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