We’ve been looking forward to the M2 as this lightweight, nimble little monster of an M car for some time. However we may not be getting as much of the light weight as we had hoped.

BMW M looks for clear differentiators within it’s products. One of those is where and how it uses carbon fiber or CFRP. It’s an expensive material but has excellent weight saving properties. However sources are reporting that, due to cost and a need to separate the M2 from the M4, BMW M has nixed the carbon roof for the M2 along with other M4 like weight savings measures. What does that mean for curb weight? Given that the M2 will have extended bodywork, extra M specific plumbing and a much more robust suspension, outright weight reduction will be hard. In fact sources are telling us to expect a curb weight around 30 lbs lighter than the M4 which would bring it to 3,500 lbs exactly.

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That figure would make the M2 204 lbs heavier than the 1M – a noticeable weight gain. Could that be right? Or could the final figure be closer to the relationship between the 1M and the 135i where BMW did shed some weight. More specifically BMWM stripped down the 1M to only 3,296 shaving off 77 lbs without the use of CF or CFRP. If they could match that in the M2 we’d be looking at a weight close to 3,423 and a full 100 lbs lighter than the 3,530 lbs M4.

Here’s the problem with that theory. The E82 1 Series chassis was designed in the early 2000s and didn’t have the weight savings techniques the F22 does today. The E82’s inefficiencies allowed M engineers to strip weight (a lot of it) out of the E82 before adding a bunch back in the form of the E92’s sub-frame, brakes diff and that wild body work. All of that work netted out with a 77 lbs weight loss. With the F22 2 Series employing more weight savings materials and design techniques it would be surprising if M could find that much weight to lose. In fact the more we think about that 3,500 lbs figure it makes sense. M would still be dropping a healthy amount of weight before adding all the components that will make the F22 an M car. The net of that could very well be basically a wash with the M235i’s curb weight.

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Is that a bad thing? If you were hoping for 1M type of figures perhaps. There is simply no way the M2 will not weigh more than the 1M. And that difference could be substantial.

Still overall performance will undoubtedly be better. Extra power and torque (rumored to be around 365 hp and 380lb ft for the US) should more than make up the difference in final performance figures. And a stiffer chassis should help it at the track.

The potential concern we have is the extra weight combined to the EPS steering and larger size could make the M2 a more grown up version of the 1M. Or perhaps more a true junior M4. Is that a good thing or is that getting away from the original baby M car brief? Let us know in the comments below.