The fastest M2 yet builds on a legacy of excellence, but it’ll cost you

Ten years after the original BMW M2 debuted, the Bavarian automaker has introduced a model that wears similar badging but makes over 150 horsepower more. The second-ever M2 CS made a surprise debut at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025 ahead of a full reveal on May 27th. Like the original, it touts a turbocharged inline-six, rear-driven wheels, and the smallest footprint in the M Series lineup. However, there are numerous ways the beloved model has evolved, for better or for worse. The next chapter in arguably BMW’s most compelling modern sports coupe has arrived.

Where the M2 has been: A decade of driving thrills

BMW brought the M2 to market for two very good reasons. For one, the pocket rocket 1M Coupe had become an immediate enthusiast favorite. Critically well-received and beloved by customers, it was clear BMW had a market for a performance coupe that slotted below the ubiquitous M3. That same M3, by the way, that had ballooned in size and power far past its humble four-cylinder beginnings. The M2, then, became the little brother of the M3 sedan and, more specifically, the M4 coupe. Almost all hardware was shared between the larger M3 and M4 and the smaller M2, with one important exception: the engine.

The original M2 launched with a high-strung version of an otherwise pedestrian engine: the N55. Unlike the S55 inline-six in the other cars, the N55 was a single turbocharged and open-deck design. It all changed three years into production when BMW introduced the M2 Competition. They chucked the N55 and threw the S55 under the hood, complete with the ultra-cool carbon fiber front strut brace. Suspension refinements (mostly to account for the slightly heavier S55), bigger front and rear brakes, and small aesthetic changes made the M2 Competition, arguably, the one to have. Until, of course, the first generation M2 CS came out.

The crown jewel of the first-generation M2 (chassis code F87) is the M2 CS. It borrowed from other contemporary CS models, donning splitters, spoilers, and a lightweight center console, all made from carbon fiber. It was the first time the M2 was available with a carbon fiber roof at all, and BMW dialed everything up: more power, sharper steering, and stiffer suspension to make it the Ultimate Driving Machine everyone knew the M2 wanted to be. Even at a starting price of $84,595, the one-year-only model quickly sold all 2,200 globally allocated units, and the M2 Competition’s life cycle continued as normal until production ceased in 2021. Then, in 2022, BMW pulled the covers off the second generation of the M2, the G87.

The G87 M2 kept its place in the lineup, but things were different

In October 2022, BMW’s recipe for the next M2 leaked out. Aesthetically, it wasn’t an instant favorite. It was also quite a bit heavier than its predecessor — a topic I immediately took exception to, and you can read more about it over at BMWBlog. Unlike its forerunner, the M2 jumped right into the “baby M4” lifestyle with the same S58 twin-turbo inline-six under the hood as the M3 and M4. The brakes are identical, and high-performance details like a carbon fiber roof and carbon bucket race seats are available, too. So, with more power, more weight, and more options, calling it more of a good thing, relative to the F87 M2 that came before it, could be considered a fair critique. Now, we’re stepping up to what might again be the pinnacle of contemporary M2-ness: the 2026 M2 CS.

The 2026 BMW M2 CS: Faster, lighter, and pricier

If you’ve been paying attention, you know the 2026 BMW M2 CS is going to be an incremental improvement over the standard M2 in every measurable way. You studious types have it right. The 2026 BMW M2 CS dials up power by 36 pound-feet of torque and 50 horsepower relative to the standard 2025 BMW M2, bringing totals to 479 pound-feet of torque and 523 horsepower. It sits 0.2 inches lower than the standard model and boasts model-specific suspension tuning. BMW replaced traditional components with lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts where possible, including the center console, and lighter wheels. The result is nearly 100 pounds of weight savings. The combined result is that the 2026 BMW M2 CS shaves two tenths of a second off BMW’s estimated zero to 60 mph time, now achieving the dash in 3.7 seconds as it hurtles towards a 188-mph top speed.

Just shy of $100,000: Does the 2026 BMW M2 CS deliver?

The 2026 BMW M2 CS sounds like a lot of good — and it is — but there’s a slight problem: its starting price of $99,775. $85,000 for a 2 Series was a bitter pill to swallow in 2020, and this one isn’t much better. Now, in fairness, you are paying for the ultimate 2 Series, the most purpose-built track/street car BMW makes. However, there’s a slight hiccup with that logic, too.

For one, it’s arguable that BMW already made the ultimate 2 Series. The last generation M2 CS was available with a manual transmission, but this one isn’t. Special features like a vented CFRP hood and elegant carbon strut brace under the hood of the F87 are conspicuously absent from the car replacing it. The F87’s carbon fiber roof had an incredible checkered-flag detail in the weave, which is also not the case here. Another potential problem is the rumored existence of a special, manual-equipped model that’s on the way. Not to mention, there’s always the chance BMW goes really crazy and gives people an M2 CSL to ride on the legacy of the M4 CSL and E46 M3 CSL.

Final thoughts

In case you didn’t know, I’m a fervent BMW enthusiast. Unfortunately, the condition is terminal, and it comes complementary with a pair of rose-colored glasses and a keen infatuation for the BMWs of summers passed. The 2026 BMW M2 CS has plenty of little details that make it special, like a CFRP trunk lid with an integrated ducktail spoiler and door panels that say “CS.” The $100,000 question, and one that you, as a prospective buyer, have to make, is whether or not the G87 M2 CS is truly the once and future king of the 2 Series lineup.

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