BMW M has unveiled the 2026 M2 Turbo Design Version, a limited-run mannequin that attracts 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 completely in Alpine White, every automotive receives hand-painted BMW Motorsport stripes that hint the hood, roof, and decklid. The reversed “turbo” lettering on the hood, a devoted 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 in addition restrained—evoking heritage reasonably than recreating it wholesale.
The Echo of 1973
The unique 2002 turbo was Europe’s first manufacturing automotive 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 severe intent. It additionally established the visible cues—the graphics, the stance, the purposeful aggression—that may outline the model’s sporting id for many years.
Half a century later, the M2 Turbo Design Version channels that very same DNA, albeit by a recent lens. Beneath the hood is the acquainted 3.0-liter S58 inline-six producing 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired completely with a six-speed handbook transmission. There aren’t any mechanical upgrades, and that feels deliberate. This version is about design and sentiment, not lap occasions.
A Rigorously Curated Spec Sheet
BMW’s configuration decisions listed below 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 might 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, particularly, flirt with nostalgia however really feel trendy 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 aim. That is BMW’s means of connecting its turbocharged previous to its current, reminding fans the place the M lineage began whereas acknowledging how far the model has advanced.
Just like the 2002 turbo, it’s expressive reasonably than extreme, a automotive that leans on id and historical past greater than outright innovation. It could not push the M2 story ahead, however it frames the lineage with care—and in an period of fixed reinvention, that’s an announcement of its personal.
Our Take
Lately BMW M has proven a rising willingness to create particular version fashions to introduce fascinating design particulars. What makes this one fascinating is its concentrate on M’s historical past and particularly one of many automobiles that laid the groundwork for your entire 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 automotive that adopted—compact proportions, direct steering, and a barely unruly character. The M2 Turbo Design Version might by no means totally seize that rawness, however it does one thing few trendy automobiles try: it connects right this moment’s efficiency tradition again to the experimental spirit that outlined BMW’s rise. In an period when M’s id is being stretched by electrification and luxurious, that reflection feels each well timed and vital.
Govt 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
Prime pace: 155 mph (177 mph with M Driver’s Bundle)
Commonplace 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
Reside Cockpit Skilled with Head-Up Show
Wi-fi system 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
