Despite some rumors claiming that the M2 Coupe might
be joined by a Cabriolet version, BMW has ruled out making one. Still, a tuner
did exactly that, and it looks like it just rolled off the assembly lines in
Leipzig.
Dubbed the LW M2 Convertible, it’s the work of
Lightweight Performance, a company known for modifying quite a few cars over
the years, including an M2 Coupe with M4 GTS overtones. This isn’t a case of
chopping the roof off an M2 Coupe; the tuner actually used an F23 2-Series
Convertible, to which it added the M2’s axles, transmission, differential and,
of course, engine.
These join the exterior work, which copies the look
of the compact performance coupe faithfully and brings some carbon fiber
inserts, too. Also, it sits on 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels wrapped in
265/30 and 305/35 tires, respectively, that fill the wheel arches like a glove.
Moving on to the interior and we notice yet more M2
features, from the carbon fiber trim to the perforated Alcantara and Nappa
leather. Even the specific contrast stitching is there, in addition to the M
badges fitted to the gearshift lever, steering wheel and analogue dials.
The N55 engine is now putting out 428 PS and 600 Nm of torque to the rear wheels through a 7-speed
transmission. That’s more than the 410 PS and 550 Nm of torque M2 Competition, while Lightweight Performance’s M2 can also
reach a top speed of 300 km/h.
The car isn’t built for show purposes, as anyone
with € 75,000 (US$ 89,692) to spare can buy it. That’s about € 15,000 (US$ 17,939) more
than the base M2 Coupe in Germany.
