The new BMW M2 CS could be another all-time great M car

It all started with the perfectly formed, navy blue E46 M3 CS that danced and slithered its way through the Scottish Borders at evo Car of the Year 2005. This was the first time BMW applied the CS badge to an M car, and the formula was simple: take the best bits of the CSL and apply them to a less hardcore and more rounded package, while retaining the option of a manual gearbox. The result was the sweetest E46 of them all, with newfound polish and precision to take on the very best – in the real-world, UK portion of that 2005 test it was second only to the Clio 182 Trophy, beating the likes of the Lotus Exige 240R and Caterham CSR. Our reverence for the CS badge was cemented. 

But it would be 15 years before a CS would take our breath away again, this time in emphatic style when the original M2 CS took overall victory at eCoty 2020. It was the first BMW to take top honours, and a year later the sublime M5 CS became the second, outpointing full-blown supercars in the process. Clearly there’s some magic in the CS formula, and the latest addition in the lineage – the G87-gen M2 CS – would do well to capture some of it. 

Expectations are high for the new M2 CS, and not just because of its esteemed predecessors. The base M2 is a car we’ve warmed to over time, packing ingredients from the brilliant M3/4 into a shorter, stockier, lighter package and offering a manual option where its bigger brothers are auto only. Yet while it’s full of muscle and attitude, it doesn’t feel as honed as an all-out sports car, lacking some connection and ultimate control. You sense that dialling in more focus would bring the package to life, and that’s exactly what the CS aims to do. 

It starts with an upgraded engine. For its recent facelift the standard M2 was boosted up to 473bhp with 442lb ft of torque (for the auto; the manual stayed on 406lb ft). For the CS, the 3-litre straight-six now produces an M3-matching 523bhp and 479lb ft. That torque figure is produced from 2650 to 5730rpm, with peak power coming in at 6250rpm before the red line at 7200rpm. 

These new figures are produced with the aid of a pair of mono-scroll turbochargers, a 350-bar injection system and variable valve and camshaft timing. For durability’s sake, the straight-six gets a sleeve-free, closed-deck crankcase and a forged crank, and there’s an iron coating on the cylinder bores. The cylinder head, meanwhile, has a 3D-printed core, and the oil system has been designed to work with the high cornering and acceleration loads the CS can generate. There’s also unique throttle mapping across all the drive modes.

The next bit is controversial: the M2 CS is auto only. The previous version came with the option of three pedals or a DCT, and though it wasn’t the slickest shift, the manual made for a more absorbing drive. It’s a shame to lose it here, especially since it would’ve been a key point of difference against the M3/4 CS, but the manual ’box would have precluded the substantial torque increase. So auto it is, with BMW’s familiar eight-speed M Steptronic torque converter controlled by carbonfibre paddles behind the wheel or the shift lever on the centre console. 

The CS remains rear-drive, so though it’s as powerful as the xDrive M3 and lighter than it too, it’s three-tenths slower to 62mph with a time of 3.8sec. That’s still a couple of tenths quicker than the auto-equipped base car, and the CS will run on to a limited top speed of 188mph. The delivery should be more exciting too, with firmer engine mounts improving response and a more aggressive-sounding, lightweight titanium exhaust available via BMW’s M Performance parts catalogue.

The chassis has also been reworked to give the CS extra edge. It sits 8mm lower on specially tuned springs and dampers, with revised control systems tying things together. The M2’s M Servotronic steering, Active M Differential and braking system have also been recalibrated, with carbon-ceramic brake discs now an option. The stability control and halfway-house M Dynamic Mode have been optimised for track use, and there are other toys to play with if you find yourself on a circuit, such as a ten-stage M Traction Control system and a Drift Analyser, both previously unavailable on an M2.

Weight has been trimmed, but a 30kg saving over the standard auto M2 still leaves the CS on the chunky side at 1700kg. Weight-saving parts include a new carbonfibre bootlid with an integrated ducktail, a carbon diffuser and a carbon roof, as well as forged 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels finished in matt Gold Bronze. These come with a choice of high-performance road or track tyres, with even more extreme rubber – such as Michelin’s Cup 2 R or Pirelli’s P Zero Trofeo RS – optionally available. The lightweighting continues inside, with carbon used for the centre console and electric, heated bucket seats. Ahead you’ll find a flat-bottomed wheel trimmed in Alcantara, and behind that BMW’s latest curved, dual-screen infotainment system. 

The CS will be produced in a limited run, for a very punchy price – £86,800, compared to £69k for the base M2. That’s a huge sum, but we said the same about the original M2 CS at £75k, and the M5 CS at £140k. It turns out they were worth every penny, and we wouldn’t bet against this being another world-beating M car.