I still remember the huge adrenaline rush I got while pushing the BMW M3 and then the M4 around the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. Those two cars were blisteringly fast to say the least, but then in 2016, BMW launched the M2, and I was instantly hooked, despite not having driven it. It’s compact dimensions combined with a potent 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six, looked ideal for a country like ours. Fast forward to 2018, and India too got the M2 Competition, and in 2022, the new-generation M2 was launched. However, in 2026, BMW has introduced the M2 CS. Where CS stands for Competition Sport. We had the chance to observe the M2 CS up close, and here is what we saw.
It is tiny. For a BMW, the M2 CS looks, feels, and is small, and its compactness makes it special. In terms of design, all the elements are the same as the standard M2, including the front bumper with large orifices to channel maximum airflow to the huge radiator and front-mounted cooler. And there are a lot of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic parts, like the ORVM housing, the roof, the rear diffuser, and the boot lid, which incorporates the ducktail spoiler, a signature element of the small M. And BMW has not shied away from slathering the cabin with carbon fibre: the seat buckets are made from the lightweight material, and the centre console and the steering paddles are made from it too. Steering is wrapped in beautiful Alcantara, and the seats feature stitching in M colours. For wheel choices, BMW is offering the M2 CS with either 19 or 20-inch forged wheels. Brakes come from the M catalogue, with the front featuring massive cross-drilled rotors with six-piston callipers. The rest of the equipment is similar to what you get on the standard M2; however, the real magic happens under the bonnet, where a mighty beast resides and is ready to take on any challenge that promises to set your pulse racing in the most powerful M2 ever!
Under the hood sits an angrier S58, which still has a displacement of 2,993cc and is turbocharged. But now the straight-six revs to 7,200rpm and produces 530 PS and 650 Nm. And all of this was done by tapping a few keys on a laptop because there are no mechanical changes to the engine. BMW says the S58’s solid engineering enables boosting power with a computer, without touching the engine. BMW has also reduced the M2’s weight by nearly 30kg for the CS trim, bringing it close to 1.8 tonnes. Unfortunately, we just observed the car from the outside, but even then, it was impressive, and we can’t wait to drive it!
