How’s this for crazy little coupe? It’s the new BMW M2 CS, which was unveiled in Lake Como over the weekend. All specs and details have now been confirmed and it is locked in for Australia.
The M2 CS is the next M car in line for the CS (Competition Sport) treatment, following the M3/M4 CS. Almost every area of the car is enhanced or tuned in some way, with some focus on weight reduction helping to cut about 30kg from the kerb weight.
By far the most interesting element, however, is the engine. BMW M has gone with the current M3/M4 Competition setup. Yep, that means 390kW and 650Nm from a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six. And here’s the cherry on top; the M2 CS remains rear-wheel drive.
It will basically be one of the most powerful rear-wheel drive coupes on the market. Obviously there are other vehicles, such as supercars, that offer more. And models such as the 535kW M5 can be switched to RWD at the touch of a button. But for a factory, four-seat vehicle, this is about as high as it gets.
To help manage that power and torque, the M2 CS comes with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged wheels, wearing 275/35 front and 285/30 rear tyres. The Dynamic Stability Control and M Dynamic Mode have been tuned specifically as well.
Across the usual acceleration sprints, the M2 CS covers 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds, and 0-200km/h in 11.7 seconds. That’s 0.2s quicker than the regular M2 for 0-100km/h and 1.2s quicker across 0-200km/h.
In terms of weight reduction, the CS comes with a carbon fibre roof, side mirrors, rear ducktail spoiler and boot lid, rear diffuser, and various interior trimmings including for the dash and centre console. A special M Performance exhaust with carbon and titanium tailpipes is available as an option, along with carbon ceramic brakes.
Despite all of the performance-focused highlights, the CS is reasonably practical. The interior includes a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment screen, running BMW’s 8.5 operating system. There’s also a Harman Kardon sound system, head-up display, and dual-zone climate control.
BMW Australia has confirmed the special edition is scheduled to launch locally later this year. Prices start from $172,900 (excluding on-road costs).
