- New BMW M2 CS revealed
- Lightweight and clad in carbon fibre
- 3.0-litre straight six engine now produces 530 hp
- 0-62 mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds
- Priced from £86,800
The latest M2 has been given the ‘CS’ treatment - and the compact coupe is now capable of slugging it out with BMW’s big boys.
The BMW M2 enjoyed a comprehensive update last year, arriving with more power, updated chassis tech and sleek design tweaks.
In standard form, the M2 gets 480 hp and 600 Nm of torque and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.0 seconds.
But now this lightweight, carbon fibre-clad BMW M2 CS (it stands for ‘Competition Sport’) has arrived and which ups the power by 50 hp to an overall 530 hp as the torque rises to 650 Nm.
All of that means the M2 CS can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds - which puts it on a par with the BMW M3 Competition Saloon and the BMW M4 Coupe.
So, not such a baby M car after all…
The engine remains the same, a 3.0-litre flat six that’ll rev to 7,200-rpm.
The engine also features an extremely rigid crankcase with a sleeve-free, closed-deck construction, a forged crankshaft with lightweight design, cylinder bores with a wire-arc sprayed iron coating and a 3D-printed core for the cylinder head.
New engine mounts also result in a ’sharper engine response and an extremely direct transmission of power to the drivetrain’, says BMW.
Power is harnessed through an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic as standard and shift paddles on the steering wheel.
The CS sits 8mm lower than the regular M2 and gets bespoke tuning for the springs, dampers and chassis control systems, while the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) settings and M Dynamic Mode have been optimised for track driving.
And, of course, there are other design elements that mark this out as a CS car, including a stripped-back BMW M kidney grille with optimised air inlets, matte black front splitter, carbon fibre boot lid and massive ducktail rear spoiler.
There’s lashing of carbon fibre inside the cabin, and that includes the heated bucket seats and centre console. You get a heated M Alcantara three-spoke steering wheel with a red centre marker in the 12 o’clock position.
Every M2 CS also comes with BMW’s ‘M Drive Professional’ system with track-optimised functions such as the M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer, displayed via the 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display.
Prices start at £86,800.
Rivals to the BMW M2 CS include the Porsche 718 Cayman and the Alpine A110.
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