Scorching 315kW BMW M2 replacement coming

BMW has green lit a replacement for the current M2 Coupe and, to the delight of M purists, it will remain rear-wheel drive.

Secretly being developed under the 'G87' codename, sources have told

When it arrives, it will come powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder lifted from the M3 and M4, except for the M2 it will be detuned to around 315kW – around 12kW more than the M2 Competition.

Churning out around 550Nm of torque from low-down in the rev range, the M2 sequel will be capable of a 0-100km/h time of around 4.2sec and a top speed of 280km/h, if the 250km/h limited is removed.

Beneath the skin, the next BMW M2 will actually be based on a heavily updated version of the next 2 Series CLAR rear-drive platform that also provided the basis for the Toyota GR Supra and BMW Z4.

Thanks to its new architecture, the M2 will come with much lower emissions as the CLAR platform supports 48-volt mild hybrid tech, although from launch the baby M car will lack electrification.

Available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic, the M2 bags the M division's trick active differential.

Once launched, the M2 will then be joined by an AWD M2 Gran Coupe that will be powered by a 300kW, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder.

Based around BMW's front architecture platform (FAAR), the fast four-door coupe will get all-wheel drive and could be quicker than the six-cylinder M2 coupe to 100km/h.

The same high-power four-cylinder turbo is also tipped to be heading to power a flagship 1 Series hatch – although that car will miss out on the legendary 'M1' nameplate, previously reserved for the brand's mid-engine six-cylinder sports car of the late 1970s.

Instead, the fastest-ever 1 Series hatch is set to be called the '1M', adopting the nickname from the unhinged 1 Series M Coupe that was last on sale in 2011.

All of the small M models are set to benefit from bespoke chassis tunes and weight-saving measures that could see the M2 coupe adopt a carbon-fibre roof.

Bigger brakes, extra aero elements and wider wheel arches are also on the menu.

It's thought the M2 Coupe should be available in Australia around the same time it's launched, in early 2021, in Europe.