BMW Upgrades M235i, Gets New M240i Moniker
BMW is set to update the six-cylinder M235i coupe and its convertible sibling for the year 2017. It will reportedly receive an upgrade of a 15-horsepower increase through an all-new turbocharged inline-six engine.
And since BMW is at the habit of changing their vehicles’ names once it adopted a new engine, the M235i is expected to be called the M240i once it gets fitted with the 3.0-liter inline-six engine that debuted in 2016.
We don’t have much information about the coupe, but we’ve got a couple of expectations about the convertible, which will have a new infotainment system and slightly revised exterior.
For the most part, the BMW M240i should look like the outgoing M235i, especially on its sexy waistline, the signature kidney beam grille, the aggressive air dam, and corner air inlets.
Expected changes, however, would include slightly reshaped headlights, taillights, and the front and rear fascias. On the side, BMW might tweak the side skirts a little.
The convertible will most probably sit a little lower (by half an inch) because of the M Sport suspension, and it will ride on 18-inch M light-alloy wheels with double-spoke design.
For the interior, we shouldn’t be expecting too much. It will have the usual three-spoke M-branded steering wheel, as well as brushed metal inserts on door pull handles, trim inserts on steering wheel spokes, and trim on the center console and dashboard. If you don’t like metal inserts, you can opt for the wood and carbon fiber inserts.
The seats would be finished in Alcantara with blue contrast stitching, the same used on the leather wrapped around the steering wheel.
The M240i is rumored to have a new infotainment technology. The screen size would be the same, but it should come with a Wi-Fi hotspot, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
The M240i will have a starting price at around $50,000, a mild increase from the M235i.