Slightly less than a year after the presentation of the 315/1 sports car, BMW placed a model with a displacement of 1.9 litres alongside it in order to become competitive in the 2 litre class of motor sport. However, the engine had to undergo a fundamental redesign in order to achieve this. Nevertheless, the output of 55 hp achieved was a value that was without parallel. Moreover, the visual appearance scarcely differed from its smaller sister model. Only three chrome trims on the side of the engine hood and disc wheels with central locking nuts provided an indication of the more powerful engine.