The BMW M2 gained the one feature fans knew would make it quicker and feared might make it softer – xDrive. For 2027, BMW will offer its compact M coupe with all-wheel drive for the first time, pairing the familiar 473-hp twin-turbo inline-six with a rear-biased system built to add grip without turning the M2 into a tiny luxury sled. Sales begin in late summer 2026, and BMW will start production in August at its San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico. Prices kick off at $73,600 before destination and handling taxes. BMW Finally Lets The M2 Use All Four Tires BMWLet’s start with the big number – 3.6 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. That makes the new M2 with M xDrive three-tenths quicker than the rear-drive automatic version. Use BMW’s one-foot rollout method, and the sprint drops to 3.3 seconds. That is properly quick for a car that still lives in the “small coupe with a bad attitude” corner of the market.The 3.0-liter S58 inline-six under the hood still makes 473 hp. The real change sits underneath, where M xDrive decides how much power goes to each axle. In normal driving, the car sends its power to the rear wheels. The front axle joins the party only when the rear tires run out of answers.BMWThe M2 has always sold itself as the playful one in the M family. Add too much front-axle help, and the car could lose the loose, punchy feel that makes people forgive its stiff ride and angry face. BMW seems to know this, thankfully. The system works with the Active M Differential, which shuffles torque across the rear axle, and it keeps the car’s natural rear-drive character at the center.Drivers can also choose a 2WD mode through the M Setup menu, but there is a catch – DSC must come off. BMW will still let drivers do silly things, but it wants them to admit they meant it. More Grip, Same M2 Mischief BMWBMW pairs the xDrive M2 only with the 8-speed M Steptronic automatic. Manual fans will need to stay with the rear-drive car, which may actually help keep both camps calm. The all-wheel-drive model becomes the point-and-shoot weapon, while the rear-drive manual remains the analog-ish troublemaker.The hardware list stays serious. BMW gives the xDrive car staggered wheels, with 19-inch alloys up front and 20-inch alloys at the rear. Buyers can add track tires, and M Compound brakes come standard, with six-piston front calipers and single-piston rear calipers. Top speed sits at 155 mph, or 177 mph with the optional M Driver’s Package.BMWBMW also gives the transfer case its own control unit and integrated wheel slip limitation. That means it can react to speed differences between the front and rear wheels without waiting for the main stability-control brain to step in. This means the car should feel less like it saves itself and more like it never lost the plot in the first place. HotCars Take BMWThe M2 with M xDrive sounds like the car many owners were already building in their heads – more launch grip, more foul-weather confidence, and fewer excuses when the road turns cold or wet. Purists will still want the rear-drive manual, and that is fair. But this version does not erase the old M2 recipe. It simply adds a faster, more usable flavor.Source: BMW