BMW Gives 2017 M240i And M140i A 15HP Boost To 335HP, 230i Gets 248HP


BMW is refreshing its North American 2-Series range for 2017 with the new and more powerful M240i and 230i Coupes and Convertibles, while Europe and other international markets are also getting the M140i hatch. 

The M140i and M240i models make use of a new 3.0-liter straight-six featuring the latest TwinPower Turbo technology to gain 15hp (14PS) and 39 lb-ft (53Nm) over the previous M235i and M135i cars, delivering 335hp (340PS) and 369 lb-ft (500Nm) of peak torque. The new engine helps the 2017 models trim their 0-100km/h (62mph) time by up to 0.3 seconds while also lowering their fuel consumption by as much as 7 percent. 

Among other improvements made to the new straight-six are a new coolant pump that operates only as necessary and a map-controlled oil pump, while the cars get a stop/start system and brake energy regeneration technology too.

The rear-wheel drive M140i 3-door and 5-door complete the dash from 0 to  100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds with the standard six-speed manual, or 4.6 seconds with the optional eight-speed automatic, while their xDrive siblings that come with a standard 8sp auto, do the same in 4.4 seconds. All these figures represent a 0.3 second improvement over the previous models. 

The M240i Coupe powers from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds (automatic: 4.6 seconds) – or 4.4 seconds in all-wheel-drive guise (0-60mph in 4.2 seconds), an improvement of 0.2 seconds in both cases.

BMW highlights the fact that the M240i and M140i offer the same output and performance levels as the 2011-2012 1 Series M Coupe. What it doesn’t say is just how close they come to the new 365hp (370PS) M2 Coupe that hits 100km/h (62mph) in 4.5 seconds with a manual and 4.3 seconds with the automatic, which makes us wonder if a power boost is in the horizon for the next model year. 

Further improvements were made to the M Performance models six-speed manual gearbox that now features a rev matching function. The newer 8-speed automatic gets a wider gear spread for better internal efficiency while also allowing multiple downshifts at a time. Automatic models are equipped with a new Launch Control function that offers predictive shift strategy by working in conjunction with the GPS to deliver the best traction on different surfaces. 

The M240i and 230i models will go on sale in the USA this summer with prices to be announced closer to their launch date. 




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