Why Is BMW Teasing The Tesla Model S In This M2 Video?

Last week, we talked about why the new BMW M2 Teaser video confused us. Much of that was down to the gauge cluster that was featured in the trailer. In it, we saw a physical needle sweep across the tachometer. This is puzzling, given that we know the new M2 gets BMW’s iDrive 8 system, which includes a digital gauge cluster. At the end of it all, it only muddied the waters when it comes to what we can expect from the new BMW M2.

So, in the spirit of that, let’s muddy the waters more. Why the heck is there what appears to be a Tesla Model S from around the 20-second mark in the same teaser video? Moreover, why does there appear to be one drifting around in a teaser video for a gas-powered sports car?

Let’s start with the headlight. Scroll through the images above and tell us that isn’t a Model S headlight. Go on. Note this isn’t a current Model S, which has a different lower fascia. The alleged Model S in the video is a couple of years old. This brings us to theory number one: BMW bought one to benchmark and had one lying around to use for B-roll, thinking no one would notice. It makes sense a car like the BMW i4 would benchmark one of the most popular EVs out there.

Or, theory number two: Someone royally screwed up.

BMW paid an ad agency (or worse, one of its employees) to make this video, and they had some B-roll laying around on the internet of a Model S headlight looking all mysterious on its own.

With the real M2 still under a camo wrap, who was to be the wiser? Obviously, a bunch of car nerds with literally every reason to critique every minute detail of BMW’s new sports car during its most controversial design change in the model’s history.

The drifting shot leaves us with much the same questions. Why would BMW show what is pretty clearly a Model S in the video for its new sports car? More to the point, why do that when you can see a very distinctly BMW lower fascia in the prior drifting shot, not seconds before?

It’s all very puzzling, and we’ve reached out to BMW for comment to confirm or dispel our suspicions. For now, feel free to lose your mind, thinking BMW has fooled us all along; secretly benchmarking a Tesla Model S for the production of its new BMW M2 electric sports car.