BMW 2 Series F22: history, engines, M235i, faults and buying guide
The BMW 2 Series F22 is the first generation of the BMW 2 Series coupé, a compact four-seat, rear-wheel-drive coupé that BMW built at Leipzig from November 2013 until 2021, with the F23 Convertible alongside it from 2014. It replaced the 1 Series Coupé, came with petrol and diesel engines from 136 hp in the 218i to 340 hp in the M240i, and BMW had sold more than 140,000 Coupés and Convertibles by October 2017. In October 2026 the two-door 2 Series advertised on PistonHeads ranged from £4,995 for a 2014 diesel to £28,990 for an M240i.
History and development of the BMW 2 Series F22
The BMW 2 Series was revealed on 25 October 2013, as a coupé. BMW UK's press release of that day said the car would reach the market in March 2014, from £24,265 on the road for the 218d SE, with the 326 hp M235i at the top of the range. Leipzig began series production on 4 November 2013, BMWBLOG reported that day; the line had built the 1 Series Coupé from September 2007 until early October 2013, about 150,000 of them.
Detroit debut and UK on-sale date
The public debut came at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday 13 January 2014, on the same stand as the new M3 saloon and M4 Coupé, according to BMW of North America's release of 12 December 2013. That release called the car "an entirely new model series and successor to the 1 Series Coupe" and priced the US 228i from $33,025 and the M235i from $44,025, the M235i being the first M Performance car BMW sold in America. It promised "unmistakable BMW handling attributes" from rear-wheel drive and near 50:50 weight distribution.
BMW UK expected Britain to take 15% of the coupé's world sales, second only to the United States at 31%, according to the presentation it gave the press at the UK launch in 2014. The same slides record that the 1 Series Coupé had found more than 30,000 UK buyers in six years.
Why it is called the 2 Series
The name followed a new BMW rule: odd numbers for saloons and hatchbacks, even numbers for coupés and convertibles, as Damion Smy explained in CAR magazine's first drive of the M235i in March 2014. BMW tied the number to its past too. Its Convertible release of 9 September 2014 traced the "2" to the 02 range introduced in 1966, whose Baur-built convertibles were made until 1975.
SkiddMark's report of 25 October 2013 pointed to a nearer relative: "BMW would have you believe that the all-new 2 Series is inspired by the BMW 1600-2 from 1966 or the spectacular BMW 2002 turbo [...], but I see a more recent ancestor which coincidentally is exactly the same size – the E36 3 Series coupé."
The 2 Series Convertible (F23)
The F23 Convertible followed in September 2014 and made its debut at the Paris motor show that autumn. It replaced the 1 Series Convertible, of which BMW said more than 130,000 had been sold, and kept a fabric roof that opens or closes in 20 seconds at up to 30 mph (50 km/h), according to the same BMW release. US prices started at $38,850 for the 228i, and BMW UK dates the Convertible's arrival in Britain to early 2015.
New engines and the facelift (LCI)
From the summer of 2016 BMW fitted its new B48 four-cylinder petrol engine to the 220i, renamed the 228i the 230i and replaced the M235i with the M240i, GoAuto reported on 18 August 2016. BMW's UK media information of 10 October 2017 then described the facelift that arrived in July 2017: LED headlights as standard with four LED daytime-running rings, larger kidney grilles, new LED tail lights, a new dashboard and instrument cluster, and the 8.8-inch Professional navigation screen made a touchscreen for the first time.
When did the F22 end?
The F22 Coupé and F23 Convertible went out of production in 2021, and with them rear-wheel-drive cars at Leipzig, BMWBLOG recorded in its history of the plant in February 2025. Its replacement, the G42, the second generation, is built only at San Luis Potosí in Mexico, and there is no convertible.
Design and engineering
The BMW 2 Series F22 is a three-box, two-door body with its engines mounted lengthways, driving the rear wheels, and an even 50:50 weight distribution. BMW's October 2013 release lists a strut front axle and a five-link rear axle with a high aluminium content, electric power steering and BMW's "Hofmeister kink" at the back of the side windows, and says the body is 11 cm longer than the 1 Series hatchback's. SkiddMark called it the 1 Series hatch "transformed into a classic 3-box design", about 30 kg heavier, with a drag coefficient of 0.29.
How big is the BMW 2 Series F22?
The F22 is 4,432 mm long, 1,774 mm wide and 1,418 mm high on a 2,690 mm wheelbase. Against the 1 Series Coupé it replaced, BMW gives an extra 72 mm of length, 26 mm of width, 30 mm of wheelbase, 41 mm of front track and 43 mm of rear track, 19 mm more front headroom, 21 mm more rear legroom and 20 litres more boot space, now 390 litres. SkiddMark's 2013 comparison with the E36 3 Series Coupé:
| Dimension | 2 Series Coupé (F22) | 3 Series Coupé (E36) |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4,432 mm | 4,432 mm |
| Width | 1,774 mm | 1,709 mm |
| Height | 1,418 mm | 1,336 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,690 mm | 2,700 mm |
The Convertible is 4,454 mm long and 1,403 mm high on the same wheelbase, with 280 to 335 litres of boot depending on whether the roof is up, according to BMW's specification sheet for the M240i Convertible, valid from July 2016.
Chassis, steering and brakes
Driving Performance Control, the switch for the car's driving modes, was standard. The options in 2013 were Servotronic speed-sensitive steering, Variable Sport Steering, Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers, M Sport suspension (both 10 mm lower) and the M Performance sports suspension, 20 mm lower with red coil springs. M Sport cars could have the M Sport brakes, with four-piston front and two-piston rear fixed callipers.
Cabin, equipment and trim levels
The UK car came in SE, Sport, Modern and M Sport trim. Every UK BMW 2 Series had 17-inch alloys, automatic climate control, DAB radio, Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, a 6.5-inch screen for the iDrive system and a 60:40 split folding rear seat; Sport added sports seats, Modern part-leather and M Sport 18-inch wheels, a body kit and a 10 mm lower ride height. A 40:20:40 three-way folding rear seat and Dakota leather were options.
BMW 2 Series F22 specifications and performance
In Britain the BMW 2 Series came with petrol and diesel engines from 136 hp to 340 hp, all turbocharged, all meeting the Euro 6 emissions standard. The launch range was the 220i, 220d and M235i, built from November 2013, with the 218d and the automatic-only 225d from March 2014.
| Model | Engine | Power | 0–62 mph | CO2 g/km | UK price at launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218d SE | 2.0 diesel, 4 cyl | 143 hp | 8.9 s (8.6) | 119 (125) | £24,265 |
| 220i SE | 2.0 petrol, 4 cyl | 184 hp | 7.0 s (7.0) | 148 (139) | £25,040 |
| 220d SE | 2.0 diesel, 4 cyl | 184 hp | 7.2 s (7.1) | 125 (117) | £25,865 |
| 225d M Sport | 2.0 diesel, 4 cyl | 218 hp | auto only: 6.3 s | auto only: 124 | £32,095 |
| M235i | 3.0 petrol, 6 cyl | 326 hp | 5.0 s (4.8) | 189 (176) | £34,250 |
SkiddMark's 2013 report converted the same outputs to brake horsepower: 141 bhp for the 218d, 181 bhp for the 220i and 220d, 215 bhp for the 225d and 321 bhp for the M235i. It also set the weights against BMW's Z4 roadster: the 220i at 1,350 kg was 45 kg lighter than a Z4 sDrive20i, and the M235i at 1,470 kg was 55 kg lighter than a Z4 sDrive35is.
Which engines did the BMW 2 Series F22 use?
The six-cylinder cars are the easiest to tell apart by engine code: the M235i has BMW's N55 and the M240i the B58, evo's 2025 review says. In March 2015 the 218i arrived with the 136 hp B38 1.5-litre three-cylinder shared with the MINI Cooper, BMWBLOG reported in January 2015, and from the summer of 2016 the 220i and the new 230i used the B48 2.0-litre four, according to GoAuto. BMW's official figures for the 218i Coupé were 52.3 mpg and 125 g/km, at a price from £22,355, CarEnthusiast reported on 26 March 2015.
The range after the facelift
By the facelift a 136 hp 218i petrol had joined the range and the diesels had been uprated. BMW UK's October 2017 price list for the Coupé:
| Model | Power | Torque | 0–62 mph | Top speed | Combined mpg | From (OTR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218i | 136 hp | 220 Nm | 8.8 s (8.9) | 130 mph | 52.3 (53.3) | £24,300 |
| 220i | 184 hp | 270 Nm | (7.2 s) | 143 mph | (48.7) | £29,715 |
| 230i | 252 hp | 350 Nm | (5.6 s) | 155 mph | (47.9) | £32,145 |
| M240i | 340 hp | 500 Nm | 4.8 s (4.6) | 155 mph | 36.2 (39.8) | £36,415 |
| 218d | 150 hp | 320 Nm | 8.4 s (8.2) | 132 mph | 65.7 (68.9) | £26,390 |
| 220d | 190 hp | 400 Nm | 7.1 s (7.0) | 143 mph | 65.7 (68.9) | £29,070 |
| 220d xDrive | 190 hp | 400 Nm | (6.9 s) | 140 mph | (62.8) | £32,170 |
| 225d | 224 hp | 450 Nm | (6.2 s) | 155 mph | (61.4) | £34,465 |
The Convertibles cost £2,570 to £3,500 more than the equivalent Coupé in that list and were 0.1 to 0.7 seconds slower to 62 mph; the M240i Convertible started at £39,615.
How fast are the M235i and M240i?
The M235i reaches 62 mph in 5.0 seconds with the manual and 4.8 seconds with the eight-speed Sport automatic and its launch control, and its top speed is limited to 155 mph. The M240i's 3.0-litre six makes 340 hp at 5,500 rpm and 500 Nm from 1,520 to 4,500 rpm, the BMW specification sheet shows, and the Coupé reaches 62 mph in 4.8 seconds as a manual, 4.6 as an automatic and 4.4 with xDrive four-wheel drive, BMWBLOG reported at its unveiling on 16 May 2016.
Gearboxes and xDrive
At launch a six-speed manual was standard on every engine except the 225d, which came only with the eight-speed Sport automatic; CAR and evo name ZF as the maker of that transmission. Four-wheel drive, which BMW calls xDrive, arrived in the US with the 228i xDrive and M235i xDrive Coupés, priced from $34,850 and $45,850 in BMW of North America's model-year 2015 update of 4 June 2014, and in Britain with the 220d xDrive Coupé in March 2015, automatic only, from £30,065, CarEnthusiast reported. BMWBLOG noted in 2016 that the M240i xDrive was automatic only too.
BMW 2 Series F22 variants
The two-door BMW 2 Series had three performance variants above the everyday cars: the M235i (2014 to 2016), the M240i (2016 to 2021) and the separate M2, which has its own section below.
M235i
The M235i was an M Performance model, tuned by BMW M GmbH but sold as a 2 Series, and BMW's first M Performance car in the US. Its 3.0-litre straight six made 326 hp and 450 Nm; it came with the M Sport brakes, Variable Sport Steering, Xenon headlights, Dakota leather and its own 18-inch wheels, BMW UK's launch slides list. A limited-slip differential and a sports exhaust were dealer-fit M Performance parts from March 2014.
M240i
The M240i, the fastest variant short of the M2, replaced it in July 2016 with BMW's newer 2,998 cc six, 14 hp stronger and with 50 Nm more torque, and evo's Will Beaumont found in 2016 that the engine "is a real joy to rev right to its 7000rpm rev limit". evo's used-car review of 13 March 2025 notes that the facelift changed little on the M240i beyond the LED lights and the new dashboard.
BMW 2 Series Convertible variants
The Convertible came with most of the Coupé's engines, including an M235i and later M240i, and its fabric roof came in black as standard, or in anthracite or brown with a silver effect. evo's 2025 review found the open M235i and M240i "lacked the chassis rigidity that made the coupes such fun", with the steering wheel and mirror shaking over bumps as the body flexed.
The M235i Racing in competition
BMW Motorsport built the M235i Racing as a cheap customer race car, priced at €59,500 plus VAT, with 333 hp from a 2,979 cc straight six. The first 15 went to teams including Walkenhorst Motorsport, Adrenalin Motorsport and Sorg Rennsport at the Nürburgring in March 2014, BMWBLOG reported on 26 March 2014, to race in the VLN Endurance Championship, the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the RCN series. BMW UK's 2014 slides said more than 50 had been ordered.
The cars raced in their own M235i Racing Cup class; in May 2014 Daniel Zils, Norbert Fischer and Uwe Ebertz won the third round for Adrenalin Motorsport, BMW's race report of 17 May 2014 records. In September 2018 BMW renamed the class the M240i Racing Cup for 2019, with an Evo package of new engine software and €100,000 in team prize money. Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport's director, said in that announcement that it had for years been the strongest Cup class in the VLN, "with a field of roughly 20 cars".
The BMW M2 (F87), the M version of the 2 Series
The M2 is BMW M's own version of the BMW 2 Series, code F87, revealed in October 2015 and built only as a coupé. BMW's October 2015 media information called it the direct successor to the 1 Series M Coupé: a 3.0-litre six with 370 hp at 6,500 rpm and 465 Nm, 500 Nm on overboost, front and rear axles from the M3 and M4, 0–62 mph in 4.3 seconds with the seven-speed M DCT gearbox (4.5 with the manual) and a top speed limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).
M2 Competition
The M2 Competition arrived in 2018 with an engine based on the M3 and M4's: 410 hp from 5,250 to 7,000 rpm and 550 Nm, BMW announced on 19 April 2018.
M2 CS
The M2 CS had 450 hp, a carbon-fibre roof and bonnet, 0–62 mph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph, on sale in Britain from spring 2020 at £75,320, according to BMW UK's press kit of 6 November 2019.
How many BMW 2 Series F22 were made?
The last sales figure BMW gave for the F22 and F23 was more than 140,000 Coupés and Convertibles sold from 2014 to October 2017, in its UK media information of that month. For comparison, Leipzig built about 150,000 of the previous 1 Series Coupé in six years, and BMW put sales of the 1 Series Convertible at more than 130,000.
What is a BMW 2 Series F22 worth today?
A BMW 2 Series F22 or F23 costs from about £5,000 to £29,000 in Britain, and an M2 from about £22,000. SkiddMark read the first page of PistonHeads' used listings for each registration year on 28 October 2026 (all M235i and M240i listings, about 20 per year for the other models), keeping only two-door cars registered from 2014 to 2020.
| Group | Cars | Asking prices | Median price | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All F22/F23, 2014–2020 | 123 | £4,995 to £28,990 | £13,995 | 66,000 |
| Registered 2014–2016 | 54 | £4,995 to £18,495 | £11,245 | 77,000 |
| Registered 2017–2020 | 69 | £7,250 to £28,990 | £16,350 | 53,000 |
| Diesels (218d, 220d, 225d) | 28 | £4,995 to £16,569 | £8,750 | 80,714 |
| Convertibles | 10 | £5,995 to £18,995 | £10,942 | 49,083 |
| M235i | 26 | £9,495 to £18,495 | £14,345 | 73,763 |
| M240i | 38 | £13,000 to £28,990 | £18,688 | 49,068 |
| M2 (F87), 2016–2021 | 73 | £21,690 to £69,950 | £31,995 | 42,947 |
| M2 Competition | 43 | £24,994 to £40,000 | £33,995 | 39,000 |
| M2 CS | 3 | £63,950 to £69,950 | £64,990 | 15,000 |
evo's 2025 review put the M235i and M240i at about £7,500 for an early, high-mileage M235i to £25,000 for a late, low-mileage M240i, and found automatics far commoner than manuals.
Buying a BMW 2 Series F22: faults, recalls and running costs
evo's 2025 review and the DVSA's recall file point to engine oil and coolant leaks, the M235i's charge pipe and, on diesels, the recalled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler. Two airbag recalls reach the cars themselves: R/2023/016 covers about 19,000 Coupés and Convertibles built up to June 2017, and R/2024/403 checks about 10,800 built up to 8 November 2017.
Is the BMW 2 Series F22 reliable?
evo's March 2025 review covers only the six-cylinder M235i and M240i, and says the N55's problems "tend to be blown out of proportion on the internet". It lists the M235i's known problems as splits in the plastic charge pipe between the intercooler and throttle body, rocker-cover oil leaks, expensive electric water pumps, VANOS solenoid failures and carbon build-up in the inlet manifold, "a relatively simple fix" by walnut blasting. The M240i's B58 engine has a better reputation for reliability than the N55, the review says, but can also leak oil from the rocker cover, lose coolant (often at the expansion tank cap) and suffer faulty crankcase ventilation valves and injectors. evo adds iDrive glitches, often cured by a software update, and a known issue with the rear lights.
In the United States, a federal court in New Jersey approved BMW of North America's settlement over timing and oil-pump chain assemblies in its N20 and N26 four-cylinder engines in February 2021, Bloomberg Law reported; it reimburses US owners for repairs and gives an extended warranty.
UK recalls
The DVSA's recall file, read on 27 October 2026, lists these among its recalls filed under the 2 Series Coupé, 2 Series Convertible and M2. The EGR recalls cover many other BMW vehicles too.
- EGR cooler leaks on diesels, a fire risk: R/2022/206 (Coupés built from July 2013 to September 2020 and Convertibles from November 2017, cooler replaced) and R/2022/255 (Coupés and Convertibles, engine software).
- Takata airbags: R/2024/403 checks 7,851 Coupés built from July 2013 to 8 November 2017 and 2,964 Convertibles built from November 2014, in case a recalled airbag was fitted in a repair; R/2025/349 covers 221 Coupés, 62 Convertibles and 48 M2s imported from other markets.
- Driver's airbag propellant, R/2023/016: 14,210 Coupés built from September 2013 to June 2017, 5,009 Convertibles built from November 2014 to June 2017 and 1,509 M2s built from December 2015 to June 2017.
Road tax and running costs
UK road tax depends on when the car was first registered, under GOV.UK's rate tables read on 28 October 2026. A car registered before April 2017 is taxed on its CO2: a manual 220d (125 g/km) is in band D at £170 a year, a manual 220i (148 g/km) in band F at £225 and an automatic M235i (176 g/km) in band I at £360. A car registered from April 2017 pays the standard £200, plus £440 a year for five years from its second tax payment if its list price was over £40,000. BMW UK's 2014 slides quoted company-car tax of 18% for the automatic 220d at launch.
BMW 2 Series F22 rivals
BMW UK called the F22's rear-wheel-drive platform "unique-in-class" in 2017. CAR magazine set the M235i against the Volkswagen Golf R, Audi S3 and Mercedes A45 AMG hatchbacks in 2014, and noted the M135i hatchback with the same engine cost £3,615 less. evo's 2025 review compared the M235i and M240i with Porsche's 981 and 718 Cayman (better chassis, less room, and a Cayman S cost more) and the Audi TTS (less power, higher price). BMW UK's own launch slides compared the boot with the Audi TT Coupé's: 390 litres against 290.
Reception
CAR magazine gave the M235i four stars after its first drive, in Las Vegas, and Damion Smy wrote that it "could be the performance bargain of the year". In the US, Car and Driver put the M235i on its 10Best list for 2015, the only BMW on it, BMWBLOG reported in November 2014. Looking back in 2025, evo called the M235i and M240i "high points in the BMW range back in the mid-2010s", with an agile, well-balanced chassis and a strong, responsive six.
SkiddMark's October 2013 report, written from the specification: "It's a thoroughly grown-up package which turns the 1 Series platform into a genuinely desirable sports saloon. Think of it as a 1990s 3 Series Coupé brought bang up to date."
Questions
What does F22 mean on a BMW?
F22 is BMW's model code for the first-generation 2 Series Coupé, built from 2013 to 2021. The Convertible is the F23 and the M2 is the F87.
Is the BMW 2 Series F22 rear-wheel drive?
Yes. The F22 drives its rear wheels as standard; some versions, such as the 220d xDrive and M240i xDrive, have xDrive four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox.
What is the difference between the BMW M235i and M240i?
The engine. The M235i (2014 to 2016) has a 326 hp, 450 Nm 3.0-litre six; the M240i, from July 2016, has BMW's newer 2,998 cc six with 340 hp and 500 Nm.
How many seats does a BMW 2 Series Coupé have?
Four: two in the front and two in the back, with a 60:40 split folding rear seat and a 390-litre boot.
Where was the BMW 2 Series F22 built?
At BMW's Leipzig plant in Germany, from November 2013 until 2021.
What replaced the BMW 2 Series F22?
The second-generation 2 Series Coupé, the G42, built only at San Luis Potosí in Mexico from 2021. There is no G42 convertible.
Does the BMW 2 Series Convertible have a fabric roof?
Yes. The F23's electric fabric roof opens or closes in 20 seconds and works at up to 30 mph (50 km/h).
Sources
- BMW UK, "The new BMW 2 Series Coupé", press release, 25 October 2013: launch range, trims, dimensions against the 1 Series Coupé, chassis, equipment, prices.
- BMW UK, "The new BMW 2 Series Coupé and BMW 4 Series Convertible", UK launch presentation, 2014: launch technical data, start of production dates, prices, market forecast, M Performance parts, M235i Racing orders.
- BMW of North America, release of 12 December 2013: Detroit debut, US prices.
- BMWBLOG, "BMW 2 Series Coupe production starts today", 4 November 2013: Leipzig production start, 1 Series Coupé total.
- BMW of North America, "Model Year 2015 update information", 4 June 2014: xDrive Coupés in the US.
- BMW of North America, "The new BMW 2 Series Convertible", 9 September 2014: Convertible, roof, 02 heritage.
- BMW, M240i Convertible specifications, media information 5/2016: M240i engine, Convertible dimensions and boot.
- BMWBLOG, "Three-cylinder BMW 218i Coupe and 218i Convertible coming March 2015", 14 January 2015: the B38 218i.
- CarEnthusiast, "2 Series Coupé updates", 26 March 2015: 218i figures, 220d xDrive Coupé.
- BMWBLOG, "World premiere: BMW M240i Coupe and Convertible", 16 May 2016: M240i performance, gearboxes.
- Tim Nicholson, GoAuto, "BMW drops diesel 2 Series Coupe", 18 August 2016: the 2016 engine change and renaming.
- BMW UK, "BMW 1 Series and 2 Series Coupé and Convertible updates", 10 October 2017, with its price list: facelift, 2017 range, sales total.
- BMWBLOG, history of BMW Plant Leipzig, 28 February 2025: end of F22/F23 production in 2021.
- BMW, media information on the BMW M2 Coupé, October 2015 (French edition): M2.
- BMW, "The new BMW M2 Competition", 19 April 2018; BMW UK, "The new BMW M2 CS", 6 November 2019.
- BMWBLOG, first 15 M235i Racings handed over, 26 March 2014; BMW, VLN race report, 17 May 2014; BMW, M240i Racing Cup announcement, 20 September 2018: racing.
- Damion Smy, CAR magazine, "BMW M235i (2014) review", March 2014: naming, rivals, verdict.
- evo, "Used BMW M235i and M240i Coupe (F22, 2014–2021): review and specs", 13 March 2025: faults, prices, rivals, Convertible, verdict.
- BMWBLOG, "BMW M235i named 10Best cars 2015", 22 November 2014: Car and Driver 10Best.
- Bloomberg Law, "BMW timing chain reimbursement, warranty deal gets final nod", 18 February 2021: N20/N26 settlement.
- DVSA, vehicle recalls file, read 27 October 2026: UK recalls.
- GOV.UK, "Vehicle tax rates: cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017" and "Vehicle tax rate tables", read 28 October 2026: road tax.
- PistonHeads, used BMW 2 Series, M235i, M240i and M2 listings by registration year, counted by SkiddMark on 28 October 2026: asking prices.
- SkiddMark, "All-new BMW 2 Series Coupé harks back to an iconic period in BMW's history", 25 October 2013: E36 comparison, weights, bhp figures, verdict.