AC Schnitzer BMW M240i Debuts for the 2022 Essen Motor Show

AC Schnitzer is bringing its BMW M240i to the 2022 Essen Motor Show, to prove that BMW’s smallest sports car can be all you need. The M240i is a good car right out of the box but it needs a bit of help to truly be fun. From the factory, it’s seriously quicker, just about as quick as the last-gen M2 Competition. But it lacks drama and personality. That’s where AC Schnitzer comes in.

For starters it bumps the M240i’s already impressive power output. So instead of making 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the AC Schnitzer M240i makes 420 horsepower and 442 lb-ft. For the record, that’s more power and more torque than an M2 Competition. It’s also more torque than the new BMW M2. The powerband seems to stay about the same, too. So don’t expect it to become a tire-shredding torque monster, as the power charts suggest that its delivery should feel similar, just faster. All while having all-wheel drive. It also gets a new stainless steel exhaust that improves the sound and makes it more exciting.

It wouldn’t be an AC Schnitzer BMW M240i without new suspension, so it gets a full coilover set. It isn’t an adjustable set, though. Instead, it’s a fixed coilover set with lowering springs that drop the ride height approximately 20-25mm, both front and rear. Interestingly, AC Schnitzer is also offering just a set of lowering springs for four-cylinder 2 Series models, which drop the ride height the same 20-25mm.

Of course, being an AC Schnitzer-tuned car, it looks more aggressive as well. However, this M240i is actually quite tame by their standards. Its five fork-like spoke wheels are simple but cool and all of its extra carbon fiber aero bits; such as the front lip and rear spoiler, are pretty subtle.

The idea of this AC Schnitzer tune is to awaken the hooligan inside the BMW M240i, without making it too aggressive. There’s so much potential for the M240i to be a truly special sports car but it’s buried beneath layers of refinement. Hopefully the AC Schnitzer tune wakes the car up and unlocks what we all know BMW’s smallest sports car is capable of.