Pros: Stunning looks, exciting to drive, lots of driving settings
Cons: A bit firm for Irish roads
BMW M2 CS Design
As if the M2 were not already far more muscular than the BMW 2 Series Coupe it’s based on, the CS gets a suite of visual updates to further ramp up the appearance. The biggest change is found at the back, where the boot lid has been replaced by a lightweight CFRP item with a far more pronounced ducktail design. It’s matched by an exposed-carbon aerodynamic diffusor underneath, through which poke the expected quad exhaust outlets found on all of BMW’s proper M cars.
There’s more CFRP for the roof, door mirrors and front end, while the gaping radiator grille and splitter get unique finishes to set the CS apart. Likewise the gorgeous gold-coloured alloy wheels.
BMW M2 CS Interior
There have been further weight reductions inside the cabin, but it’s not a stripped-out track special, either. Indeed, there are still two seats in the back. Up front, however, the CS comes with a set of serious-looking, carbon-backed bucket seats with cutouts for using harnesses and even a removable section to accommodate helmets. Yet they’re also electrically adjustable and heated for comfort.
In front of the driver is a tactile, Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel with the expected red M1/M2 drive profile buttons and carbon-fibre gearchange paddles. The CS also gets a simpler centre console design and unique door-card detailing. It’s a special cabin, that’s for sure.
BMW M2 CS Performance & Drive
Under the bonnet of the CS is BMW M’s rowdy twin-turbocharged, 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine. It can only be had with an eight-speed automatic transmission in the CS, but enthusiasts will be glad to know that this model retains a rear-wheel-drive layout. And anyway, the gearbox settings can be altered easily for maximum excitement or smoothness as the driver sees fit.
That’s the case for all the driving sub-systems, as we’ve become accustomed to in BMW M cars, and this approach allows the driver to pick and choose their favourite settings to use at any given moment, whether they just need to get somewhere quickly or they have a test track to play with the Drift Analyser on. Either way, the CS is a real occasion of a car to drive in all scenarios. It almost doesn’t matter what the headline numbers are, as it’s all about the sensations, but for the record, the M2 CS’s engine is uprated to produce 530hp and a colossal 650Nm of torque. Hence it manages a 3.8-second 0-100km/h time despite the traction limitations of the rear-drive setup.
BMW M2 CS Pricing
At €159,681, the CS is considerably more expensive than the ‘standard’ M2, priced at €121,415, but it comes with a lot more equipment, performance and chassis enhancements, and it’ll be built only in small numbers.
Carzone Verdict
If you’ve not yet secured your build slot for the M2 CS it may be too late to do so, as limited-edition BMW M cars tend to sell out quickly. Hopefully, those that do bag one will use it as intended, as it’s far too exciting a sports car to be mollycoddled in a collection. This is a car for those that love to drive.