BMW launches output of new sports car in Mexico after plant expansion

MEXICO CITY -- German automaker BMW kicked off a new production line on Thursday for its 2-Series compact sports car at the company's two-year-old factory in central Mexico, doubling down on its Mexican operations in a push to accelerate global sales.

The coupe is expected to arrive in U.S. showrooms in November, with European sales set to start in early 2022, the company said in a statement.

According to BMW's U.S. web page, the 2022 model's starting price will start at $37,345, including transportation.

BMW invested $125 million in the new production line for its San Luis Potosi factory, expanding its capacity beyond assembly of its initial model, the 3-Series sedan.

The Mexican investment comes as fears that global demand for such high-end goods could slow as new variants of the coronavirus spread and the auto industry continues to struggle with a semiconductor chip shortage.

BMW did not say in the statement how many units of the new 2-Series coupe it plans to produce at its Mexican plant, the carmaker's only facility that will assemble the model.