BMW does not dole out the CS badge lightly, but when it does, the result is usually something pretty special – think of the 3200 CS Bertone of the 1960s and later the 3.0 CS in the 1970s.

More recently, the CS badge has found its way onto a few special M cars. It started with the E46 M3 CS and continued more recently with the latest M3 CS and M4 CS.

In these modern incarnations, the CS moniker usually denotes variants with enhanced power outputs and a bunch of carbon fibre body parts to ‘add lightness’. They are also usually offered in limited numbers, their exclusivity assuring fantastic value retention for their collectors.

Latest addition to that exclusive club comes in the form of the BMW M2 CS, which takes the engine and adaptive suspension from the M4 Competition, enhanced brakes, Cup tyres, and carbon fibre body bits.

With outputs of 450hp from its 3.0-litre twin turbo straight-six, the M2 CS is a good 40hp more powerful than the M2 Competition, itself an enhancement of the base M2.

BMW, bless them, offers buyers of the M2 CS the option of either a good old-fashioned 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT. So if you like working the clutch and mastering fancy stuff like rev match, BMW has you covered, but be warned that choosing to row through the gears yourself adds 0.2 seconds to your M2 CS’ century sprint.
As standard, BMW fits the M2 CS with staggered 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, essentially making the car track ready straight out of the showroom. Owners looking to use their BMW M2 CS predominantly in everyday driving can specify Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres as a no-cost option.

NEVER TOO ///MUCH

What happens when you add even more power and lightness to the BMW M2? You get the BMW M2 CS.

BMW M2

BMW M2 Competition

BMW M2 CS

Power

0 – 100km/h

370hp

4.3 seconds

410hp

4.2 seconds

450hp

4.0 seconds

Rolling out alongside the M2 CS is its race-tuned sibling, the M2 CS Racing, built specifically for customer racing programmes. Succeeding the previous M235i Racing and M240i Racing, the new car can be tuned to outputs between 280 and 365hp depending on race classification.