BMW M has unveiled the 2026 M2 Turbo Design Version, a limited-run mannequin that pulls its inspiration from the 1974–75 BMW 2002 turbo. Revealed at Highway 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 solely 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 additionally restrained—evoking heritage slightly 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 putting determine for its time, and made clear that BMW’s small sedans may carry critical intent. It additionally established the visible cues—the graphics, the stance, the purposeful aggression—that will 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 means of a recent lens. Underneath the hood is the acquainted 3.0-liter S58 inline-six producing 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired solely 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 instances.
A Rigorously Curated Spec Sheet
BMW’s configuration decisions listed below are telling. The Turbo Design Version arrives properly geared up 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 many who desire a sharper edge, M Carbon bucket seats will 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, specifically, flirt with nostalgia however really feel fashionable in execution—much less 1973, extra 2026 showroom centerpiece.
Between Heritage and Advertising
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 objective. That is BMW’s method of connecting its turbocharged previous to its current, reminding fans the place the M lineage began whereas acknowledging how far the model has developed.
Just like the 2002 turbo, it’s expressive slightly than extreme, a automotive that leans on id and historical past greater than outright innovation. It might not push the M2 story ahead, however it frames the lineage with care—and in an period of fixed reinvention, that’s a press release of its personal.
Our Take
In recent times BMW M has proven a rising willingness to create particular version fashions to introduce attention-grabbing design particulars. What makes this one attention-grabbing is its give attention to M’s historical past and particularly one of many vehicles that laid the groundwork for your complete 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 may by no means totally seize that rawness, however it does one thing few fashionable vehicles try: it connects right now’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 obligatory.
Government 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)
Customary 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
