Updated 2.25.16 with official details from AC Schnitzer — who is emphatic about the lightness of the vehicle!  Our silly Maus Panzer headline speaks more to this ‘mouse’ of a 2-series that packs a punch like GTR battle tank…

Will ACL2 become as fearsome a badge as GT-R?  Panzer Maus?  M2?

PERHAPS!

AC Schnitzer has been working its magic brilliantly on the smallest BMWs for years now. 1 series became 2 series, and the team was on it instantly!  What they have created is nothing short of the Panzer VIII ‘Maus’ supertank….  at least in its fearsome spirit, if not scale.

The ‘ACS2’ upgrade is certainly tempting, but now we have a look at what the crew has been doing since last summer.  A car to emasculate the M2, and threaten Porsches for autobahn supremacy?

THat will take a whole new name, and a whole lot of power.  Dubbed the ACL2, this upgrade is a deep and intensive take on a supercar-killing 2 series.

The F22 BMW model is dramatically changed from all sides, inside and out. Widebody fender flares, track-attack aero wings front and rear, plus a monster rubber upgrade to put all that power to the ground….   All delicious!

We have no actual details on the upgrade yet. But we do have all the photos to share… perhaps exclusively! [Drat: Carscoops has this too.]

The .tiff files on the AC Schnitzer press area take Photoshop or something else high-powered to open and convert to jpegs.  

37 images, 1.62GB?  Yes, that is how these started life….

We’ll update this post pronto when the official details are out.  Until then, get an earful of this beast via the video teaser below!  And, of course, all the high-res studio images that will accompany that official debut next week.

 

 

AC Schnitzer BMW M235i – ACL2

http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/bmw-cars/products-models/2-series/f22-coupef23-cabrio-since-2014/general-info/

 

 

 

Lightweight on the Racetrack
The AC Schnitzer ACL2 impresses with its reduced weight and tremendous power

 

 

 

M – you can always recognise a true sports car from this letter. Based on the BMW M 235i, a sports car will now be presented at the Geneva International Motor Show from 3 to 13 March 2016 which no longer has the letter M but instead bears the letters AC in its name. This letter combination is well known to all motorsport-loving BMW drivers: the tuning company AC Schnitzer has been synonymous with vehicle technology beyond the M-standard for almost 30 years.

With the ACL2, the BMW tuning experts present a vehicle which delivers 570hp to the road. This is possible thanks to the replacement of the standard engine by an M4 power plant with an AC Schnitzer performance upgrade, and by eliminating the Vmax limit via control unit programming. The rear limited slip differential with Drexler diff lock from 25 to 95 percent allows extremely quick cornering. The optimised carbon intake tract and lightweight battery further illustrate the meaning of the letter “L” in the name of the concept vehicle (not available for sale). Under the motto “Less is more”, the Aachen-based engineers have designed the ACL2 so light that, with 2.54 kg per hp, it puts vehicles like the Ferrari 458 Italia or the Porsche 911 GT3 RS in the shade.

 

The speedo needle of this exceptional vehicle can be held safely in check thanks to 6-pot fixed caliper brakes on the front with 400 x 38 mm carbon ceramic brake discs (drilled) and 4-pot brakes on the rear with 380 x 28 mm carbon ceramic discs (drilled).

More power under the bonnet is also ensured by the AC Schnitzer downpipe, which further boosts power and torque. The AC Schnitzer sports exhaust system with special catalytic converter (200 cpsi) combined with AC Schnitzer “Racing EVO Carbon” tailpipes in right/left combination provides breath-taking acoustic performance – not only at the Geneva International Motor Show.

 

When AC Schnitzer gets hold of a vehicle of the M-series, motorsport fans rub their hands together with glee. This is partly because the Aachen company always pulls out all the stops when it comes to suspension and bodywork. The replacement of the standard axles on the M 235i and the upgrade to M4 technology, together with the fully height-adjustable AC Schnitzer Clubsport suspension which also offers full adjustment of compression and rebound stages, mean that you can sense the thrust of the ACL2 even at a standstill. AC Schnitzer support bearings and the bodywork-stiffening M4 carbon strut braces bring motorsport uncompromisingly onto the road.

The sportingly set suspension is supported aerodynamically by a skirt to optimise air flow, with AC Schnitzer carbon front spoiler elements, AC Schnitzer front splitter and carbon front side wings (two per side).

 

 The rear of the ACL2 also appears beyond the M-standard: AC Schnitzer carbon rear diffuser, carbon “Racing“ rear wing with Gurney flap and special fixing feet (250 mm clear of the boot) demonstrate that less weight really can be more – without having to sacrifice impressive aesthetics.

 

The AC Schnitzer wheelarch extensions on the front, with air outlet openings in the wheelarch and three air deflector wings on each side also enhance the powerful look. This is further reinforced by the AC Schnitzer rear wheelarch extensions with air inlet opening and two air outlet openings on the wheelarch, together with two air deflector wings on each side. These conversions add 140 mm to the width of the standard vehicle, 70 mm on each side.

 

The AC Schnitzer carbon bonnet with Bonnet Vents in black, and special features such as the special paintwork in Classic Racing Green and the AC Schnitzer special “Racing” sports mirrors, visually complete the extensive tuning package for the bodywork.

Tuning fans invited to take a seat inside will be inspired by the interior which has been completely restyled, making the heart of every individualist beat faster. BiColor leather interior (green and perforated Nappa leather) in combination with black suede with green stitching, and interior trim strips in matt Classic Racing Green, continue the extreme performance of the ACL2 in the interior. AC Schnitzer Carbon racing bucket seats in BiColor, with black/green Nappa leather and carbon look leather with ACL2 logo, the AC Schnitzer “Evo” 3-spoke sports airbag steering wheel in Nappa and perforated leather, green suede indicator, and carbon door handles and centre console, show that design and aesthetics are another key area of competence for the AC Schnitzer experts.

 

The new AC Schnitzer control display, showing e.g. oil temperature, intake air temperature, boost pressure etc., and an AC Schnitzer combi-instrument with speed display up to 330 km/h (in preparation) visually disclose the technical finesse of the concept vehicle in the interior. Naturally, the familiar but extraordinary tuning components for the interior are not lacking: AC Schnitzer keyholder, aluminium pedal set, aluminium foot rests with illuminated AC Schnitzer logo, “Black Line” aluminium gear knob and “Black Line” aluminium handbrake handle, together with velours foot mats with AC Schnitzer logo, are supplemented in the ACL2 with door sill strips showing the ACL2 logo.

 

The ACL2 takes just 3.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, and reaches a top speed of 330 km/h on wheelsets of AC Schnitzer AC1 forged alloys in BiColor (red anodised/polished) shod with 20″ 285/25 ZR 20 Michelin PSS tyres on the front and rear.

 

Although the AC Schnitzer ACL2 is a concept vehicle, many of the conversions presented are available in the original or in modified versions for the BMW 2-series models from over 40
AC support point dealers in Germany and 55 selected importers worldwide. And at every BMW Partner, tuning fans can rely on eleven letters: AC Schnitzer.