The ACL2 was never built to be sold. AC Schnitzer created the concept car as a technology carrier for its own product development, using the BMW M235i as its starting point. The M badge was gone, replaced by the letters AC, a name that BMW drivers with a passion for motorsport had known for almost 30 years as a byword for engineering beyond the M range.
At the heart of the car was an engine swap. The standard unit made way for an M4 engine with an AC Schnitzer power upgrade, delivering 570 hp. The speed limiter was removed through control unit programming, the standard axles were replaced with M4 technology, and a rear limited slip differential with 25 to 95 percent locking kept the power usable through fast corners.
The L in the name stood for lightness. Under the motto "less is more", the Aachen engineers fitted parts such as a carbon intake system and a lightweight battery. The result was 2.59 kg per hp, a figure that put the ACL2 ahead of cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It reached 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 330 km/h.
The body was just as uncompromising. Front and rear wing extensions with air vents widened the car by 140 mm, and carbon appeared everywhere: front spoiler elements, splitter, side wings, a bonnet with vents, a rear diffuser and a Racing rear wing with Gurney flap. Classic Racing Green paint and lightweight forged AC1 BiColor wheels on 20 inch Michelin tyres completed the look.
Inside, a complete conversion replaced the rear seats. Carbon racing bucket seats in black and green Nappa leather, black suede with green stitching and trim in matt Classic Racing Green carried the theme through. The adjustable Clubsport suspension was tested on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and on public roads. BMW car magazine wrote in 2016 that the ACL2 took off "like the proverbial bat out of hell".
Key facts
- 570 hp M4 engine with AC Schnitzer upgrade
- 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds
- Top speed 330 km/h
- 2.59 kg per hp
- Body widened by 140 mm
- Built as a technology carrier, never for sale
