[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by Brandt51

6MT is cool, as is the DCT, but are there any Bimmers with x-drive and a manual? I thought they were all autos.

Is the ZF8 a better transmission than the DCT the F87s used? It’s gotta be alright since it’s in everything.

Cool project. I’m curious about the coding and TC with the new stuff. Good luck.

Hey, thanks for your feedback. The DCT is definitely a great gearbox without a doubt when it comes to racing. The ZF8 is a very quick and powerful gearbox that can handle all the power we intend to make for the car and seems to work perfectly fine during race events as tested in our current G80 M3. We will keep you updated with the build and appreciate the positive comments.

[Basketcase]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9Uw4...t6ZDF3ajhvejh1

It’s happening

[Tag]

[DutchBoysRacing]

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

[DrewNewM2]

A Manual xdrive g87 would be amazing. Do one of those next.

Save the AWD Manuals!

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DutchBoysRacing

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

Thanks! Hopefully we can get you that comparison soon, there definitely is a huge improvement with starting off the line as opposed to the RWD.

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DutchBoysRacing

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

Check out our road & track test comparison!

[R44 Performance]

Finishing the xDrive conversion:

At the end of the last episode, we had the car fully pulled apart with the engine and gearbox dropped out. We gave the front suspension a complete refresh with brand-new OEM BMW parts. Parts that we needed for the xDrive swap include new front hubs, shocks, suspension arms, drive shafts, a front prop shaft, an xDrive steering rack + arms + track rod ends, steering column, backing plate, front differential, new arch liners with space for the new front driveshafts as well as various sensors and hardware.




The prop shaft was still a big unknown - we’re pleased to say we now have a custom-made rear shaft capable of withstanding of high levels of horsepower alongside an OEM front shaft.

Having ‘xDriven’ the front running gear, it was time to get the engine and transmission back in the car and see if we had all four wheels turning. Carefully and precisely, without any swearing at all, the engine and drivetrain were raised back into the car.




With a correct length front prop shaft installed, the hardware aspect of the conversion was now complete. All that stood in our way was coding the transfer case to the car’s OEM ECU which required specialist help. As we swapped over the G87’s original mechatronics unit to the new xDrive ZF HP76 xDrive 8-speed transmission, no coding was needed there as the mechatronic was pre-coded to the car, Huge thank you to our software team as they altered the coding to ensure the dashboard displays all of the X-drive features in addition to the transfer case..

Also, with the engine having been out of the car, we needed to replenish the fluids and prime everything ready first the first start-up. The M2’s S58 engine fired straight up with every warning light imaginable. Once we’d confirmed there were no leaks, the time had come to test whether the swap was successful.

Was the xDrive swap successful?

The G87 pulled away happily under its own power. On the lift, all four wheels were spinning as we shifted up through the gears which was truly amazing to see - the first BMW G87 M2 xDrive.

With the xDrive conversion complete, R44 Performance founder Rhys went to see the car for the first time since sending it away earlier this year. Make sure to check out the video to see his reaction.

xDrive is complete. What now?

We didn’t swap our G87 to xDrive for no reason. The goal now is to transform the M2 into a fully-stripped drag racer with upwards of 1400 wheel horsepower in time for Texas 2K25.

[R44 Performance]

With an xDrive G87 M2 likely to arrive in 2026, we did a comparison test with our OEM xDrive-converted G87.

WATCH HERE

xDrive vs Rear Wheel Drive Performance

We put British GT4 driver, Tom Wrigley, behind the wheel for some timed laps and to get his thoughts on the new xDrive setup. Tom tunes these cars daily, giving him plenty of seat time in the standard rear-wheel drive model.



Using the Dragy app, the xDrive G87 M2 consistently completed the 0-60 sprint in 3.23 seconds - a whole second faster than we achieved with the 2WD setup.

Tom, who has the job of launching his rear-wheel drive G82 M4 GT4 car, is very aware of the challenges faced by the 2WD setup. “Having driven the rear-wheel drive M2, we know it doesn’t launch that well - especially on the road… and now to have xDrive, it felt absolutely awesome and completely transformed the whole car for me”.

How has xDrive affected the handling?

After taking the car for a hot lap around the circuit, Tom reported the handling “isn’t really affected at all” - something we were a bit surprised to hear.



He notes “In years gone by, older four-wheel drive cars have always had a bad reputation for creating understeer but BMW has got this so right.”

We believe this is thanks to the xDrive setup not adding too much weight and the fact the M2 is biased to the rear.

“It still has a rear-wheel drive feel to it but just a bit of extra grip from the front”.

Should you wait for a potential G87 M2 xDrive or buy the standard rear-wheel drive model today?

The first point to consider is that a G87 M2 xDrive will likely ditch the 6-speed manual gearbox option which is a make or break for many customers with around 50% of USA G87s being specified with this transmission option. It’s also rumoured that BMW may ditch the rear wheel drive option altogether which would be a massive shame for a lot of people.

If you want to stay manual and rear-wheel drive as long as possible, then don’t wait around or you could be limited to buying only used examples. If you’re a G42 M240i xDrive owner, the xDrive M2 could be the next logical step up. Or, if you live in a cold and wet climate, the xDrive model would generally be the one to go for.

Rhys opted for the xDrive setup because the car is now being transformed into a 1500 bhp+ drag monster designed to compete amongst the fastest BMWs in the world.

We asked both Tom & Rhys if they were customers buying a brand new G87 M2 as their personal cars, which drivetrain would they opt for?

Tom’s decision is clear: “It would be xDrive for me all day. I like to use my cars on the road and a tuned G87 M2 xDrive is the perfect car that you’d be hard-pushed to beat”.

We want to know what you think. Which would you rather have? Rear-wheel drive or xDrive? Manual or ZF? Let us know!

What’s next for the car?

Our G87 M2 is now off to SW Motorsports for a fully bespoke roll cage. Meanwhile, the engine is being stripped down and forged to be capable of some serious power.

[DrewNewM2]

I would 100% trade my 24 for an XDrive if BMW paired it with a manual like the olden days lol. Porsche Turbos, Gallardos, R8s. Grip and driver engagement! As good as new autos are they’re just missing something ….a 3rd pedal, hand shifter. I personally struggle with the idea that the sports car experience has become just putting your right foot down. I think an AWD manual might get some trade ups from those with Golf Rs, STis, Focus RS and other AWD manuals.

[BroDoze]

Never gon’ happen with the manual. BMW bailed on us for a proper manual.

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DrewNewM2

I personally struggle with the idea that the sports car experience has become just putting your right foot down.

It's unfortunately what the mass market seems to demand. People want cars to be fast, easy to drive, comfortable and it compromises the sports car experience. The only way around it is to inject some more personality into the car with an aftermarket exhaust/intake or just make it extremely fast.

When the M2 was previously Stage 2, the whoosh sounds from the Ramair intake, the tone from the single midpipe and the speed from the tune added the drama the G87 was missing.

[DrewNewM2]

Someone should do an XDrive conversion on a manual, upgraded clutch etc, etc. Surely it can be done and whoever does it now, will be the first so none of the BS back and forth on who was first.

[R44 Performance]

The M2 Goes on a Diet

With the xDrive conversion now complete, the next stage of the project is to put the M2 on a serious diet. The G87 weighs in at 1805 kg (3981 lbs) from the factory, meaning she needs to lose over 300 kg to achieve our 1500 kg goal. The xDrive conversion added some weight on top of that figure so the odds are very much stacked against us.

(Once the build is complete, we’ll put it on the scales to confirm the exact number we were able to achieve).

Stripping the Interior

The headlining had already been removed whilst we installed a new xDrive wiring harness but the rest of the interior has to go!

Stripping the interior also makes space for our bespoke SW Motorsports roll cage - an essential for a competition-spec drag car and also to keep us safe when traveling in excess of 200 mph over the half mile. SW Motorsports also installed a few other surprises that we’ll touch on shortly.

*Queue the music*






After a couple of hours, the interior was fully stripped. Seats, seatbelts, door cards, centre console, carpets and more all in the bin. Well… on eBay as we need to make some money back somehow. The factory carbon bucket seats, for example, sold for around £5,000 which really helps towards the cost of the project.

Installing the Roll Cage

We threw one spare M140i seat we found lying around and drove the car around 2 hours north up to the SW Motorsports HQ. We needed a roll cage and we needed it fast. This project is really against the clock with the car leaving for America in early December. Getting a brand new bespoke cage developed and manufactured up to spec can be a very time-consuming process.



Tom Wrigley, who needed the car back for the 1500+ bhp engine build wasn’t very pleased with us for delaying the project.

Fortunately, SW Motorsports are very experienced in the design & manufacture of roll cages and, within moments of arriving at their HQ, the engineers got to work 3D scanning the M2’s interior.




Having previously installed their half cage & rear seat delete kit to our F80 M3 track car, we knew they’d be up to the task. However, a 7-day turnaround would still be a lot to ask for.

Within a week, the cage was inside the car, fully painted & ready to go.





There were a few concerns going in that SW was able to address. Thankfully, the G87 had enough access behind the dashboard to allow them to install the cage without needing to remove it.

Essential for legality, the cage meets regulations with its FIA-specified mountings. The cage uses flush connectors which are as close to a weld as possible without actually welding the cage to the car. This meant it could be painted outside the car as well as removed and reinstalled at any time.

SW added a set-back halo bar toward the rear of the cage to serve as the attachment point for the required racing harnesses.

AST Air Jacks

Midway through the cage development, we received a package from AST Suspension. They sent us their incredible 55mm air jacks and safety stands. This is a really cool modification that would allow us to jack up the car in seconds, negating the need to carry a heavy floor jack with us across America.

Track-side maintenance would be made much easier and well… they’re just cool.



Installing the air jacks wasn’t without its issues. SW had to move the car’s throttle pedal over slightly to accommodate the driver’s side mounting point. And let me remind you, this was all accomplished within a week of dropping off the car. Incredible work.



The Parachute

One of the final drag racing features is the crash bar-mounted parachute. SW Motorsports swapped the extremely heavy OEM rear crash bar with a lightweight titanium version modified with a parachute mounting point.



The M2 is beginning to look very serious and we cannot wait for you to see the final product. What do you guys think?

[TargaM2]

Fantastic project. Are you planning on any circuit use also or is it purely for the 1/4 mile ?.
As someone who’s built dedicated track cars i can appreciate the difficulty in chasing down kg’s. Making power is a much easier task by comparison. 1500bhp & 1500kg is one hell of a target.
I’d guess the cage, awd & air jacks would have added similar weight to what you removed by gutting the interior.
Then there’s surplus electronics, wiring, aircon, stereo/infotainment, airbags, deadener etc to go plus the obvious replacements like battery, exhaust, wheels, suspension etc but without stuff like composite body panels & lexan for glass i can’t see where your getting another 300kg out of it.
Anyway im subscribed. Great to see someone pushing the boundries with the G87 platform. Love the colour choice too.👍