BMW’s CS badge hasn’t always meant the same thing. The M5 CS was a genuine high point: lighter, sharper, and tinged with the kind of magic that makes great M cars memorable. The previous-F87 generation M2 CS hit a similar sweet spot: more focused, wonderfully exploitable, and crucially available with a manual. The G8X-era M3 and M4 CS models improved on their standard counterparts, but never quite reached that once-in-a-decade sparkle.
Against that backdrop, the new M2 CS arrives with expectations set sky-high. More power, less weight and a chassis tune that feels engineered – not merely stiffened – promise substance beyond the carbon. It reads, at first contact, like a car built by drivers for drivers: the numbers are big, the hardware serious, and the intent clear.
The headline numbers set the tone: 3.0-litre straight-six, 530bhp and 650Nm, with a claimed 0–100km/h in 3.8 seconds, serious numbers for the “baby” M car. The delivery is clean and linear to the red line, and throttle mapping feels that bit crisper than the standard car. The eight-speed M Steptronic does the job. In its most aggressive setting the upshift thump can feel a touch synthetic, but selecting a gentler shift map restores a more natural cadence without dulling performance. The package feels terrifically beefy, the torque hits hard and the sensation of speed in this (relatively) small BMW is addictive and exiting.
Compared with the standard M2, the M2 CS is a sharper, lighter and more focused package. Power rises is up by 50bhp. The CS sheds 30kg using CFRP parts: roof, boot lid with that striking integrated ducktail, rear diffuser, front splitter and a carbon centre console with a big hole where an arm rest should be, plus forged 19/20-inch wheels. Surprisingly, BMW M did not quote the weight saving over the standard M2 with the optional ceramics brakes, which save approximately another 14 kilos (as with the M4 CSL) and are only available on the M2 CS. Chassis hardware and software are bespoke: the car sits 8mm lower with model-specific springs, dampers and control tuning, stiffer engine mounts, recalibrated M Sport differential, and revised DSC/MDM. Braking upgrades include standard M Compound stoppers with the option of the aforementioned carbon-ceramic discs, while the 8-speed M Steptronic with Drivelogic is standard here (no manual option, unlike the regular M2 in some markets).
Test conditions mattered. Running was at the Michelin Laurens Proving Ground on a damp surface, on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. I did not sample Cup 2 or Cup 2 R. Even so, the CS’s balance shone through. Front-end bite is stronger, weight transfer is tidier, and the car stays adjustable on the throttle without pushing into theatrics. That composure, on a less-than-ideal surface and road-biased tyre, says a lot about the underlying set-up on a platform shared with the broader 2 Series range.
An autocross layout let me explore the car with DSC fully deactivated and traction control dialled back using the ten-stage M Traction Control. It was hilarious fun. The engine’s swell of torque lets you ease the rear wide in second and third, then hold a shallow slide with small inputs. The steering isn’t chatty just off centre, but once the front loads up the weight builds cleanly, making it easy to place the nose and manage slip. With the safety net set to a light touch, the CS remains playful yet recoverable, encouraging you to work with the chassis rather than fight it.
Steering deserves nuance. Like most modern M products, the wheel rim is too thick and takes acclimatisation. Just off centre the rack is not bristling with texture; feedback builds with load rather than fizzing constantly. The upside is stability. Once loaded, the weighting is consistent and confidence grows quickly, helping you lean on the front axle earlier and carry speed with fewer corrections.
Brakes: my car ran the optional carbon-ceramic system. It provides serious stopping power and a firm, consistent pedal, with the bonus of reduced unsprung mass. I did not drive the standard M Compound setup, so cannot assess it here.
Ride and body control are well judged for the brief. The CS is taut but not brittle, rounding off sharp inputs and then settling cleanly. On the road that translates to fewer secondary movements. On circuit it means you can place the car precisely and repeatably. It feels like there is more headroom to explore before the electronics need to intervene.
The CS treatment is visible and tangible. Carbon panels, a neatly integrated CFRP ducktail, a pared-back grille treatment and Bronze forged wheels give it intent without cartoonish excess. Inside, the carbon centre console and buckets look the part and the driving position is spot on. Build quality impresses too. This Mexican-built car feels solid where it counts, from door shut to switch action. Could it be further differentiated from the standard M2 and more CS? Perhaps, all other current CS models feature striking yellow DRLs, and a carbon bonnet would have also been a nice touch which would have added to the list of weight saving features.
Where does it land? In rare company. With the 718 bowing out and the Alpine A110R near the end following lacklustre sales, compact, rear-drive, combustion sports cars are thin on the ground. The M2 CS feels like a keeper: compact footprint, big bandwidth, and a focus on the connection between driver, chassis and road.
The M2 CS is a proper step on. It is faster, calmer in its responses and more confidence-inspiring than the regular M2, even on a damp track and PS4S rubber. The wheel rim is too thick and the initial rack feel will not please every purist, but the way the car coheres once loaded, and the authority of its carbon-ceramic stoppers, mark it out. Expensive? Yes. Yet in 2025 this is one of the most complete, engaging and authentically engineered driver’s cars you can buy.

