Well, we knew it was going to happen anyway, but the unveiling of the new BMW M2 CS was nonetheless still a pleasant surprise. Continuing a racing-inspired heritage that stretches back all the way to the iconic 2002 Turbo, the new M2 CS distils everything we love about BMW M and its motorsports programme into a compact, lovable package. Underneath, the CS retains the oh-so-familiar 3.0-litre inline-6 twin-turbo engine that we had in the regular BMW M2. Yet, it’s been beefed up to crank out more power, now at 530 hp, which is 50 hp more than the M2.
Additionally, the new BMW M2 CS puts out 650 Nm of torque, which is a 50 Nm increase over the regular M2. In particular, peak torque is available from a pretty broad 2,650 to 5,730 rpm power band, with peak power at 6,250 rpm and a 7,200 rpm redline. These are rather healthy figures for such a compact sports car, and doubly so having all that go-faster juice sent to the rear wheels exclusively, via an 8-speed automatic transmission. You could even press a button on the M2 CS’s gear lever to further tweak the gearbox’s programming and your shift speeds.
Sharpest, Speediest, Most Agile Little BMW
Best of all, in contrast to the fairly significant power bump, the new BMW M2 C2 has had one very drastic diet, shaving off 30 kg from the base M2. As a result, this enables the new M2 CS to leap from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds (which is 0.2 seconds faster than the regular M2), and most shockingly of all, a mid-range sprint from 50 to 75 mph takes a mere 3.4 seconds. In addition to that, with the M Driver’s Package included as standard, this brings up the M2 CS’s top speed to an electronically limited 188 mph. So, how did BMW shave off this much weight?
Most notably, the M2 CS has a bevvy of CFRP components, which include the boot lid, the roof, the centre console, and huge chunks of interior trim. Plus, you get a set of forged alloy wheels as standard, and altogether, this makes the M2 CS the most lightweight member of the BMW M2 line-up of today. For added agility and responsiveness, BMW then fitted the M2 CS with a lower suspension (down by 8 mm), which features bespoke spring and damper settings, along with CS-specific chassis tuning that ought to sharpen your car’s turn-in and feedback, too.
BMW M Putting Their Best Foot Forward
Other neat goodies as part of the CS include a variable-ratio steering, an M Sport differential, and a recalibrated DSC/M Dynamic Mode to further maximise your on-track performance. It’s filled to the brim with aerodynamics too, as this new BMW M2 CS comes with a CFRP ducktail rear spoiler, an aggressive front splitter, as well as a gigantic rear diffuser, and besides offering a more unique look to the CS, they should also boost your downforce and high-speed stability. It has huge brakes as standard, but you could even upgrade to carbon-ceramic rotors, if needed.
Speed and sportiness are great and all, but I quite love how the new BMW M2 CS looks, too. It’s available with a range of distinct paint options, exclusive matte-finished alloy wheels, and the interior is a sea of carbon fibre, Alcantara, BMW M badges, and a vast display panel with one of the best infotainment and digital instrument cluster combos on the market. If you want the new BMW M2 CS, and you can afford the eye-wateringly expensive £86,800 price tag, it might be worth being quick about it, as it will be built on a (very) strictly limited production run.
