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BMW’ M Division has gone and done it again… the new BMW M2 CS, due to go into production in August, now has 50 more horses in the tank compared to the standard, run-of-the-mill M2, taking the total tally to 523 hp. It has also managed to save 0.2 seconds off the 0-60 mph time. Top speed? Limited to 188 mph. Spicy.

This is the story of the latest BMW M2 CS, due to start rolling off the production line at BMW Group’s Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico later this year. The new CS has an expected MSRP of $98,600.

Here are 10 things that make it so, so special.

10

It Went On A Diet!

BMW managed to shave nearly 100 pounds off the standard M2’s weight. This was achieved through the extensive use of lightweight materials for interior and exterior components, made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The rather spectacular rear spoiler, integrated into the rear boot, is a thing of beauty, and lightness.

As the man behind the legendary Lotus brand, Colin Chapman, always used to proclaim: “Simplify, and add lightness.” BMW has taken great heed, and added lightness.

Other details include the M exterior mirror caps, a standard M Carbon roof, a rear diffuser that is specific and unique to the CS model, crafted from exposed carbon fiber. The net result is a hot performance car weighing 3,770 pounds.

9

It’s Got Fancy Wheels

The carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) may have added a good measure of lightness, but BMW’s M Division took the weight-saving measures one step further by replacing the stock M2 wheels with the M Division’s Style 827M forged alloy wheels with a double-spoke design and a distinct and striking Gold Bronze finish. They are some of the coolest OEM wheels ever. The rear wheels are 20-inches wide, while the front wheels are 19-inches. The rims are shod with high-performance tires to the tune of 275/35ZR19 at the front and 285/30ZR20 at the rear.

If you aim to use your new M2 CS exclusively for track days, you can specify the optional track tires, available at no additional cost (in place of the original tires).

8

Feel The Heat In the M Carbon Seats

The BMW M2 CS is equipped with lightweight, M Carbon bucket seats, decked out in Alcántara and exclusive Black Merino leather, finished off with M Color highlights and an illuminated ‘CS’ logo. The seats are also heated, and are just the ticket for those early track day starts. Talking about track days, M2 CS was designed specifically with track days in mind. So the integrated head restraints are removable for helmet clearance. The seats can also integrate a multipoint racing harness.

7

The Interior Comes With Cool Carbon Bits

The M2 CS driving fun starts with the steering wheel. The flat-bottomed rim, the gearshift paddles, the red center marker at the top of the wheel, and two ‘M’ buttons (for pre-selected vehicle set-up modes), the traditional three-spoke steering wheel, decked out in Alcántara, not only adds to the driving experience, but also looks like a million bucks.

There is also a carbon fiber finish for the instrument panel and center console, as well as a red ‘CS’ logo on the carbon fiber center console. You also get ‘M’ seat belts, black threshold plates with the ‘M2 CS’ logo, and an M Anthracite headlining.

6

The Bag Full Of Dynamic Tricks

The M2 CS gets a more track-oriented suspension set-up that can be adjusted by the press of a button to suit the conditions. It has an Adaptive M suspension at the front, with a double-joint spring strut axle in a lightweight aluminum construction. It also gets M-specific kinematics and elastokinematics. At the back, it also gets the Adaptive M suspension set-up with a five-link axle in lightweight aluminum and steel, a rear-axle sub-frame with a rigid, bolted connection to the body, as well as M-specific elastokinematics.

By using the set-up menu, the driver can adjust a multitude of parameters. This includes settings options for the engine, the Adaptive M suspension, the M Servotronic power steering system, the integrated braking system that is linked to the M Compound brakes, as well as the M Traction Control function. The latter function allows the driver to select between ten individual intervention thresholds for wheel slip limitation. Or in English, a little bit of fun, or a lot of fun.

5

Catch My Drift?

Ah, talk about fun. If you fancy yourself the late Ken Block’s daddy when it comes to drifting, the BMW M2 CS has got some tricks for you. Like the M Drift Analyzer function. This system will measure the angle and duration of your drifts so that you can, well… we’re not sure what you can do with that data, but you can have such information if you please.

Maybe more practical and relevant in the CS is the ‘M’ Lap Timer. The system will not only provide you with GPS-based lap times, but also total time and distance, number of laps, best lap time and maximum speed achieved.

4

It’s Safe As Houses

It’s not only fast, it is safe too. The BMW M2 CSL comes standard with a raft of safety features, including semi-automated driving and parking systems like Forward Collision Mitigation, Active Cruise Control with Distance Control, Speed Limit Info, Lane Keeping Assistant, and the Parking Assistant. Of course, you also get the normal array of airbags and ABS brakes.

3

The (M) Heart Of The Beast

The BMW M2 CS is powered by the brand’s well-proven S58 engine. The 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, which also does service in the M4 GT3 EVO racing car, has been given a proper makeover by the M Division, kicking off with a modified engine management system. The M TwinPower Turbo technology features two mono-scroll turbochargers, each feeding three of the six cylinders, an indirect intercooler, and an electronically controlled wastegate.

The S58 also has High Precision Injection, Valvetronic variable valve timing, and Double-VANOS, fully variable camshaft timing. BMW also borrowed some technology from the S58 racing engine, including a lightweight, forged crankshaft and a 3D-printed core for the cylinder head. An M-specific cooling system keeps the engine running cool under any conditions.

The result is a 523-hp engine that thrives on high revs, and that spins to 7,200 rpm. Compared to the hum-drum M2, the CS has 36 lb-ft more torque (up to 479 lb-ft), and the maximum power is achieved at 6,250 rpm. It would be the most powerful version of this engine if it weren’t for the 3.0 CSL, but those are selling for well over a million these days.

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2

A Shifty Situation

The new M2 CS is only available with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. Yep, so no more stick shift, as was the case in the previous generation CS. The driver can change the transmission’s shift characteristics, with three distinct shifting options. The driver can select gears manually via the M gear lever or paddles on the steering wheel.

1

How Fast? Verrrry Fast!

So it is almost 100 pounds lighter than a stock M2, and has 50 more horsepower than the humdrum M2. It must be a lot faster too, right? Oh yes, it is. The new M2 CS is 0.2 seconds faster from 0-60 mph than the standard M2, fitted with the Steptronic automatic gearbox… it completes the sprint in just 3.7 seconds.

But that blistering 0-60 mph time is only a small part of the CS’s new skill set. Thanks to the extra horsepower and torque, and the sharper reactions, courtesy of the modified engine management system, the M2 CS is sure to be a track weapon of note. On a track, it is that instant throttle response, the way the car finds grip steaming out of a corner, that can make all the difference when chasing lap times. And by all accounts, it seems as if BMW’s M Division has got that box ticked. Note the M2’s ability to accelerate from 50-75 mph in just 3.4 seconds… just what the doctor ordered for a right proper track session.

The M2 CS gets the M Division’s Driver Package as standard too, which means its top speed is limited (yes, limited) to 188 mph. As a last cherry on the cake, BMW also added an M-specific exhaust system with electronically controlled flaps… when the driver is in the mood, he or she presses a button, the flaps open… and that glorious six-cylinder engine will scream and bark and pop and bang.

The 2026 BMW M2 CS promises to not only be great, but one of the greatest BMW M cars of modern times.

Sources: BMW