The German car manufacturer was going to surprise us today with its brand new Motorsport-branded machine, but the highly-anticipated M2 broke cover a little earlier than expected.

The photos of the angry-looking Bavarian sports car that might very well revive the spirit of the original E30 M3 are apparently leaked form a copy of Auto Express magazine, and according to the publication, the compact M2 packs a lot of punch.

The smallest M BMW draws its power from the M235i’s 3.0-litre inline-six unit that was beefed up with 370 PS (364 hp) and 465 Nm (343 lb-ft) of torque. Moreover, the car also has an overboost function that increases the torque by 33 Nm (25 lb-ft).

Naturally, it’s bedizen with a lot of M expertise taken from its bigger siblings (the M3 and the M4), such as gearboxes (yes, it includes a manual tranny too), brakes, front and rear axles, crankshaft, and pistons. It even has an extra water cooler in order to tame the powerplant under the hood and it weighs 35 kg (78 pounds) less than the more mundane M235i.

Design-wise, the M wide-body kit will presumably offer better aerodynamics and a wider track (besides looking stellar). It does appear reminiscent to the now-legendary 1 M, but it also sports undoubtedly modern M style cues. The automobile’s compact proportions make it seem more muscular and bloated, especially when compared to its higher-ranked, but not that powerful counterparts.

H/T to Jalopnik!

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