Lifted sports cars have become a niche du jour in recent years. Brands like Porsche and Lamborghini have invested significant amounts of money into producing high-riding versions of their existing speed machines. BMW even teased a Dakar-style concept version of the M2 back in April 2025, although the Bavarian automaker never followed through on their April Fool's joke.
But Zeus Off-Road, a Euro-centric off-road shop in Dubai, couldn't get the idea of a lifted 2-Series out of their heads. So, the team set to work building what appears to be the most adventure-capable BMW M240i ever.
The M240i stops short of M2 levels of performance, but its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six offers a healthy 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. In stock form, the M240i rides low, but the folks at Zeus Off-Road decided to scrap the electronically adjusting adaptive M suspension for something more rugged. Thus, three-way adjustable Flatout coilovers give the BMW coupe a three-inch lift, bringing total ground clearance to around eight inches.
View Price on AmazonBut proper Dakar-style sports cars require more engineering than just throwing on a set of lifted coilovers. BMW's stock bumper setup had to go, so Zeus Off-Road fabricated new bumpers front and rear in order to improve approach and departure angles. The BMW's dual-tip exhaust was similarly relocated from the edges of the bumper to the center in the name of ground clearance.
A new set of 17-inch wheels and all-terrain tires was essential for the M240i's new mission. Other notable improvements include an aluminum skid plate, recovery points in the front bumper, and wider fender flares. The sports coupe even has a tow hitch receiver.
And not only was all of the BMW's new bodywork fabricated in-house at Zeus Off-Road, but the shop claims to be putting its money where its mouth is by using the lifted M240i as a desert dune rig. That's the kind of oddball adventure we can definitely get behind.
Source: roadandtrack.com
