AC Schnitzer’s 414-HP BMW M240i Closes The Gap On the M2

We’re still a few months out from BMW’s full reveal of the new M2, but AC Schnitzer’s tuning package for the M240i might have a few people wondering if the M-car is worth the wait.

Because by the end of the summer – months before the U.S. gets its M2 allocation – you’ll be able to dip into Schnitzer’s box of tricks and kit a G42 M240i out with 414 hp (420 PS) and a bunch of styling upgrades that’ll snap necks as hard as those extra horses.

That power figure represents a healthy 45 hp increase over the stock M240i, while the torque gains are even better, Schnitzer’s work on the B58 3.0-liter inline six adding 74 lb-ft (100 Nm) for a thumping 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) total. The Aachen-based company doesn’t specify how much faster the auto-only M240i is, but given that Car & Driver recorded an impressive 3.6-seconds to 60 mph (97 km/h) in a stock version, we can be sure that it’s going to be blisteringly rapid.

Those C&D figures were achieved with the xDrive all-wheel transmission, which was the only way you could buy an M240i when it launched last year. But Schnitzer’s engine tune can also be applied to the new rear-wheel drive version of the M240i, which would surely bring the modified car very close to the real M2.

Related: Have You Ever Seen A BMW M2 That Looks As Mean As This?

Complementing the power upgrade is a expansive list of other tuning parts including a stainless steel exhaust with carbon tailpipes, a sports suspension kit that lowers the 2-Series by 20-25 mm, plus 19- and 20-in wheels that are pushed to the edge of the wheel arches via a 12 mm spacer kit. Who knows how much the optional aero parts, including a subtle roof spoiler and two cool trunk-lid wings, really improve the roadholding, but they look damn cool, so we’d have to consider them an essential purchase, along with the extended gearshift paddles.

Schnitzer’s changes sadly don’t include a manual transmission option, though we’re willing to bet the guys there could make it happen if you threw enough money at them. But if you’re happy with two pedals, this modded M240i has serious appeal, particularly since Schnitzer provides a warranty for the engine.

Would you be happy to take Schnizter’s tuned M240i this summer rather than wait six months for an M2? Leave a comment and let us know.