BMW M2 CS Review: A Serious Performance Car, Not a Baby BMW

The BMW M2 CS: More Than a "Baby M Car"

• 🚀 The new BMW M2 CS is presented as the ultimate version of BMW's "baby M car," but it defies any notion of being small or underpowered.
• 💡 With 523 bhp and 479 lb-ft of torque driving the rear wheels, it achieves 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds, positioning it as a serious performance machine.
• ⚠️ Initial perceptions of the M2 CS might be that it's too big, expensive, or lacks the ethos of its predecessors, but the review suggests this view might be mistaken.

Ancestry: The BMW 2002 CSL Concept

• 🚗 The M2 CS traces its lineage back to the BMW 2002, a sporty, small coupe from the late 1960s to mid-1970s.
• 🛠️ The reviewed BMW 2002 restomod, belonging to Will Beaumont, imagines a CSL version with a 2.1-liter engine, Bilstein suspension, and a tight five-speed gearbox, offering a glimpse into what could have been.
• ✨ This personal project highlights the enduring appeal of restomodding and the detailed craftsmanship that can go into such builds.

M2 CS Performance and Dynamics

• 📈 The M2 CS boasts significant power upgrades over the standard M2, with 50 bhp and 37 lb-ft more torque.
• 🏎️ Its performance figures rival those of senior sports cars and junior supercars from just a few years ago, including models like the Aston Martin Vantage GTE and Audi R8 V10.
• ⚙️ Despite the spec sheet suggesting identical driving dynamics to the standard M2, the CS features a lowered ride height, CSL dampers, stiffer springs, and retuned software for the M differential, significantly enhancing its agility and feel.
• ⚡ The engine offers excellent throttle response and a gruff, characterful sound, while the chassis provides precision and nuance, allowing for playful handling at the rear without sacrificing control.

Design and Interior

• 🎨 The M2 CS's exterior design, with its muscular arches, ducktail spoiler, and carbon roof, resolves the standard car's shape into a more aggressive and purposeful vision.
• 💡 A minor aesthetic disappointment is the lack of yellow highlights in the headlights, a feature present on recent CS models.
• 🛋️ The interior blends everyday practicality with special touches, retaining rear seats but losing the central armrest and cup holders due to the new lightweight center console.
• 🌟 Ghosted CS logos in the carbon fiber that flash red when a door is opened with the engine running add a unique, subtle detail.

The Manual Gearbox Question

• ❓ A significant point of discussion is the absence of a manual gearbox option for the M2 CS.
• ⚠️ This decision is attributed to the torque handling capabilities of the manual transmission, which is not as strong as the automatic, necessitating a significant torque reduction to accommodate it.
• 🏆 Despite the lack of a manual, the review concludes that the M2 CS is a fun, capable, and great car, even if a lighter, cheaper, manual M car would also be desirable.