The Redline

Tag: m2 cs

  • BMW M2 CS Australia Pricing and Spec

    The BMW M2 CS is the swansong for M’s tiniest – and finest – tearaway. It’s coming to Australia and it’ll be here sooner than we first thought.

    The BMW M2 is a firm favourite with me and with Redline readers – the video we did on it is just about to rack up 100,000 views (thank you). The M2 Competition article did well, too – you can read it here.

    With the demise of the rear-wheel drive 1 Series and the related 2 Series, this is likely the last of the line forever. M knows this and is sending the M2 out with a 331kW bang in the form of the limited production M2 CS.

    Look and Feel

    BMW M2 CS / BMW M2 CS / BMW M2 CS

    The M2 isn’t exactly a sporty sex-god, the proportions just aren’t there. To make it less like a tarted-up M240i, M went to town with carbon fibre and a bigger dose of aggro.

    Carbon fibre abounds, with a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof, bonnet, front and rear splitter and a carbon Gurney flap on the bootlid. And carbon mirror caps.

    The front bumper is a lot angrier. The blacked out grille sits well with all the carbon and the huge ducts. Annoyingly, the standard 19-inch wheels aren’t pictured, but they’re black. One imagines the red calipers are standard and the gold-finish wheels optional.

    M4 CS front seats / Alcantara wheel / Puke will just wipe off.

    The cabin is filled with the excellent M4 CS seats along with plenty more carbon and Alcantara. As it’s on the old platform, you won’t see Live Cockpit (boo!), head up display or the touchscreen.

    Don’t worry. If the Competition is anything to go by, you’ll be having way too much fun to care.

    How much is a BMW M2 CS and what do I get?

    BMW M2 CS

    2020 BMW M2 CS – $139,900 (7-speed DCT and 6-speed manual)

    It’s not cheap at a tick under $140,000. But I was banking on paying at least ten grand more, so that’s a solid win in my books.

    The M2 CS ships with adaptive M Suspension active M differential, M exhaust, carbon fibre centre-console and door pull handles finished in carbon fibre, Alcantara and leather trim, 19″ M alloy wheels  with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, M Sport brakes with red calipers, adaptive LED headlights and sat nav.

    The BMW iDrive media system comes with Apple CarPlay, which is very welcome indeed.

    Drivetrain

    BMW M2 CS

    S55 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six – 331kw/550Nm

    As you might recall, the M2 Competition heralded the arrival of the S55 and a good chunk more power due to emissions regs killing the N55. BMW tuned the S55 down to 302kW and torque to 550Nm, both still healthy figures.

    In the M2 CS, the chains are off – 331kW, just like the M4, and 550Nm. Given BMW’s recent history of under-quoting, I wonder if the figures aren’t at least 10 percent more, but I’ll leave that to the dyno crowd.

    It’s rear-wheel drive, obviously, with an active limited-slip M differential. You can choose between a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission (for a 4-second 0-100km/h time) or a six-speed manual. The manual is lighter by 25kg but slower to the benchmark ton, coming in at a still healthy 4.2 seconds.

    When?

    Ah, yes, the important bit for the impatient folks in the M2 fan club. If you want to buy one, you can do it now. Owners will start getting their cars at the beginning of the second quarter of 2020. So not long now…

  • 2020 BMW M2 CS: Clear the decks, it’s coming

    This article is out of date – click here for Australian pricing and spec for the 2020 BMW M2 CS.

    The 2020 BMW M2 CS is the M2 Competition with even more power, cool aero and the option of a six-speed manual. Get out of the way everyone, this car is bound to be awesome.

    The M2 is the car I reckon heralded the return of BMW M’s sense of humour. It sparked something at M. The M4 CS quickly followed and it too was awesome. I once had a long text discussion with my wife about the relative merits of the M2 and M4 CS and their tyres – she’s not a speed demon but was taken with both of them. Great steering, agile, hilarious.

    Then came the M2 Competition. The Comp scored more power courtesy of the S55 from the M4, de-tuned to 302kW and a nifty 550Nm. It also came with a carbon strut brace that made the front end of the car even more pointy. It’s brilliant.

    Anyway. M threatened more and here it is – the M2 CS.

    2020 BMW M2 CS

    BMW says the CS is the result of a number of motorsport-inspired enhancements and there’s an M2 race series coming (in Europe, obviously).

    As with the M4 CS, the name implies a lightweight version. And lighter it is, with a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof, a new bonnet, front and rear splitter and a Gurney flap on the bootlid. Not sure if all of those things are CFRP or straight carbon fibre, but the strut brace is definitely CFRP.

    Its engine is the S55 twin-turbo straight-six, but now with a knee-trembling 331kW. It will never not be funny that the lower-powered N55 was axed because it didn’t meet emissions targets.

    There’s a new exhaust which BMW says sounds better (and let’s hope so). The new bonnet also lets the hot air escape faster and compared to the M2 Competition and there are some detail changes to the oil setup.

    And – hold on to your hats – you can get a six-speed manual as an alternative to the seven-speed twin-clutch. I drove a manual M2 a few years ago and it was glorious. With a stack of extra power, this one should be terrifyingly good fun.

    M says that the new M Dynamic Mode will allows “more significant oversteer and understeer…[and] moderate, controlled drifts.” Moderate drifts. Sure. It’s going to be quite lairy because the other M2s are too.

    0-100km/h will be over in 4.0 seconds in the DCT and 4.2 with the manual. Top speed is a limited 280km/h.

    Look and Feel

    BMW M2 CS cockpit / BMW M2 CS interior / BMW M2 CS

    Inside there’s a ton of Alcantara, a carbon fibre centre console and some proper M seats. A few bits of carbon fibre – okay, door pulls and door trim – complete the upgraded interior. It’s still not a classic, but there’s nothing wrong with it.

    The Misano Blue in the pictures is spectacular and that CFRP roof (first for an M2) looks pretty good. Those Y-spoke front and rear wheels measure 19-inches in diameter and you can have them in high-gloss black or go full Colin McRae with the blue paint and optional gold finish.

    How much and when?

    It’ll be here in mid-2020 and full price and spec details will obviously arrive before then. I bet if you ask nicely, a BMW dealer will take your money for a deposit.