BMW M2 CS (2025) debuts with 530 hp, but without manual transmission

The cat's finally out of the bag. What we've been eyeing countless times for almost two years as a spy shot, aggressively spoilered, finally has a face. And performance figures. Shockingly powerful performance figures. In our wildest journalistic dreams, we speculated about 525 hp. Now it's a few more. Say hello to the new BMW M2 CS.

S58 with 50 hp more power

It now has just as much power as an M3/M4 Competition with xDrive all-wheel drive . 530 hp and 650 Nm. The M2 CS, however, doesn't have all-wheel drive. Yes, that should be a blast. The 50 hp and 50 Nm that the CS gains over a standard M2 are entirely due to a modified engine management system.

Photo gallery: BMW M2 CS (2025)

Maximum torque is available between 2,650 and 5,730 rpm. The 530 hp is available at 6,250 rpm. The top engine speed is 7,200 rpm. According to BMW , the accelerator pedal tuning and throttle response have also been optimized. In other words, the CS is not only faster on the road, it also reacts more aggressively.

A very interesting (albeit perhaps not entirely welcome) development in this context: BMW only refers to the "standard 8-speed M Steptronic transmission." There's been no mention of a manual transmission yet. From a technical perspective, this makes perfect sense, as the 650 Nm of torque would sooner or later degrade the familiar 6-speed manual transmission. On the other hand, the manual transmission was extremely popular in the lastM2 CS (F87) , recording a buy rate of 50 percent.

Image by: BMW

"Yeah, and what about the 3.0 CSL Hommage ? That worked too, and it has 560 hp," the indignant enthusiast might now think. That's true, but in the €750,000 super-duper special model, the maximum torque for the manual transmission was throttled to 550 Nm. Problem solved. With the new M2 CS, however, the decision was clearly made for more thrust and less driver involvement.

The performance is accordingly impressive. Here we see the first production M2 to break the four-second mark for the 0-100 km/h sprint. It's now officially 3.8 seconds, two-tenths faster than the 480-hp M2. The 200 km/h mark is broken after 11.7 seconds (1.2 seconds faster), and the top speed is electronically limited to 302 km/h.

A model-specific engine mount with an increased spring rate is intended to ensure a particularly tight connection between the drive unit and the vehicle structure in the M2 CS, which in turn is good for the responsiveness.

Image by: BMW

And to make sure this little beast screams loudly, they've come up with something else. The Bavarians install a factory-installed exhaust system with four matte black tailpipes. The highlight, however, is probably the M Performance exhaust system, available for the first time, with tailpipe trims made of carbon and titanium. BMW confidently describes it as a "highly emotional, racing-like sound."

30 kilos less weight due to carbon use

The second (sometimes more, sometimes less) important pillar of a CS model is weight reduction. In this case, the engineers were able to shave 30 kilograms off the base model. They haven't gone into the details of the weight reduction yet, simply mentioning "a large number of exterior and interior components made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)." The forged alloy wheels likely also contribute a certain amount. A quick flick of the calculator yields an M2 CS weight of 1,695 kilograms (without driver). Certainly not a badge of honor, but it's enough to earn the title of the lightest M2 of the current generation.

Visible carbon fiber is available for the exterior mirror caps, the standard carbon roof, and the CS-specific rear diffuser. Added to this are a matte black front splitter and a black kidney grille with optimized air intakes. A highlight is certainly the lightweight CFRP tailgate with integrated ducktail.

Image by: BMW

The new BMW M2 CS is available in four exterior colors: Sapphire Black metallic, Velvet Blue metallic (Individual), Brooklyn Grey metallic, and Portimao Blue metallic. Adaptive LED headlights and Shadow Line lights with dark inserts are standard.

M GmbH has lightened the interior of the M2 with a center console made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and weight-optimized, electric, and heated carbon bucket seats. The latter can be made track-day-ready with removable headrests (providing more space for a helmet) and the possible integration of multi-point harnesses.

The flat-bottomed Alcantara steering wheel features a red 12 o'clock marker, stylish shift paddles, and optional heating. Other CS features include carbon fiber interior trim, black door sills, and, for the first time, illuminated door panels with the CS logo. The color can be individually adjusted, similar to the ambient lighting. When off, a carbon fiber structure is visible.

Sportier chassis, sportier price

A little more than BMW says usually happens with a CS chassis. Here, once again, they're not saying too much. The M2 CS is eight millimeters lower. In addition, there are "custom tuning of the suspension, damping, and chassis control systems." Whether there will be any major changes to the chassis kinematics—i.e., a little more camber or stiffer handlebars, bearings, etc.—we haven't yet learned.

However, the settings of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and the M Dynamic Mode have been "specifically optimized for the requirements of racetrack use." This probably means: There's a bit more to it before the electronics intervene. The steering, sport differential, and brakes have also been tweaked. The M compound brakes also get red-painted brake calipers. A carbon-ceramic brake system with red calipers is available as an option.

Image by: BMW

The forged wheels in question are painted in matte gold bronze, measure 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear, and are fitted as standard with track tires in sizes 275/35 ZR19 and 285/30 ZR20. Ultra-Track tires are available as an option, as is standard sports tires in the same dimensions.

As far as pricing goes, we've become accustomed in recent years to the fact that "CS" could also stand for "cash flow stability." This is also required for the new M2 CS. BMW is asking €115,000 for the most powerful M2 in history. That's €37,500 more than for a conventional M2. The market launch is scheduled for late summer 2025.

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