This Is Probably The Next BMW 2 Series And It Looks Nothing Like The Grand Coupe — What Do You Think Of It?

Don't expect a new 2 Series to hit showrooms for awhile

After a decade of fairly conservative styling changes on BMW’s part, the company appears to be heading in a different direction. The new 4 Series Coupe is the most radical shift with its massive kidney grille, but even this car — which is most likely the next 2 Series — pushes the envelope more than we’re accustomed to with its chiseled, more aggressive front and rear fascia.

These photos cropped up on photographer Wilco Blok’s Instagram (for which he gets full credit).

It’s a different animal

Up front, BMW squared off both the grille and headlights. The lower fascia has also been dramatically redesigned, to the point where this does look like one mean little coupe. If you’re not a big fan of the huge kidney grilles — we don’t blame you — you’ll be happy to know that, while they are wider here, they are narrower vertically than the current 2 Series. They do actually look more like nostrils here, and that may be just right. If BMW’s going for a pissed off coupe look for the next M2, I could totally get behind that.

Around the back, the old L-shaped taillights are gone. Instead, this car appears to get smoked lenses, with the turn signals and reverse lights integrated into the center of the light cluster, with the brake lights wrapping around the outside. The rear diffuser is also substantially larger here, as are the wider exhaust outlets. That lip spoiler on the trunk and the lower fascia suggests this may not be a full on M2 prototype, but it may be a replacement for the current M240i coupe.

What’s notable here as well is that, if this is the next BMW 2 Series coupe, it looks nothing like the Gran Coupe that just emerged for the 2020 model year. That takes on more 3 Series-like styling, complete with a more rounded front end and slim taillights. In a world where automakers are taking a more homogenized approach to design, it’s interesting to see the coupe and sedan versions of the 2 series may actually continue along separate paths, at least for the next few years.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, shown above, is based on the overseas 1 Series, complete with a front-wheel drive design.

No other details on the new 2 Series (at the moment)

While it seems the 2 Series coupe will look different than its four-door cousin, there’s reason to assume its layout will be different as well. After all, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is a front-wheel drive and related to the 1 Series hatchback. This new 2 Series — which may emerge sometime in the next 12 to 18 months — will likely stay pretty similar to what we know now. That is, you’ll have the option of a four-cylinder or straight-six engine, with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive variants.

After the standard 2 Series launches, it’s a reasonable bet that the next-generation M2 will make its appearance as well. The M2 has been a fan favorite among enthusiasts, with its small form factor and rear-wheel drive layout.