The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is taking place in Italy this weekend, and since it’s sponsored by BMW, all the latest models will be on display. Here’s the first one to be announced, the much-anticipated M2 CS. The recipe is simple: Take the smallest full-M car BMW makes and sharpen it up, because that same formula worked before to create a legend.
See, the last M2 CS took the most beloved BMW of the F-Chassis era and finally gave it the output of its M4 Competition big brother. We’re talking a power increase from 405 horsepower to 444 horsepower, a standard six-speed manual transmission, a carbon fiber hood and roof, available carbon ceramic brakes, and Michelin Cup 2 tires. The result was sensational, giving the littlest M car all of the M4’s performance goodies and really letting it off the leash. It was instantly desirable, and continues to pull a serious premium over the M2 Competition.
Admittedly, I’m not sure if this G87 M2 CS will enjoy the same fanfare and reverence. Up front, the M2 CS gets a subtle front lip, punched-out grilles, and that’s about it. Refreshingly subtle stuff from a brand known for doing the complete opposite of that. I reckon removing the grille slats has made the M2 look a bit less fussy, although there are still plenty of elements that don’t quite gel.
Around the side, bronze wheels have been a theme of M’s CS cars, and that trend continues here, borrowing what appear to be the mesh multi-spoke wheels from the M3 CS. They definitely aren’t as iconic as the Y-spoke wheels on the last M2 CS, but they should still be both reasonably light and a sensible way of exploiting the parts bin.
Out back, the M2 CS gets a signature ducktail trunk lid of recent extra-hot M cars, and I’m not sure how to feel about it in this application. On the one hand, it’s a huge surface above the licence plate and the roundel seems a bit lost on it. On the other, its taper breaks up the area above the tail lights and makes the M2 look less like that one “Ice Age” character from behind. A more decided positive is a new bumper insert that seems less lost in the valence.
BMW’s playing coy on specs until next week, but an interior shot of the M2 CS gives a huge clue as to what’s going on underneath the skin. Out of focus on the left edge of the photograph sits an automatic gear selector, which doesn’t seem like great news for enthusiasts who want to row their own gears. See, a huge part of the M2’s appeal despite its controversial styling and weight is that it’s the closest you can get to the old BMW formula in a new BMW—a relatively small, reasonably practical four-seat coupe with an inline-six up front, a manual gearbox in the middle, and drive to the back. If the M2 CS is automatic-only, that move could be a mistake for its legacy despite the possibility of additional output.
Of course, we won’t know more until next week, when BMW will finally be ready to tell us all about the M2 CS. It’ll almost certainly feature some variant of BMW’s S58 twin-turbocharged inline-six, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I want to hope BMW gets this one right and gives the fans with garages full of M cars what they want, but judging by the shifter, I’m not entirely confident.
Top graphic credit: BMW
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All I can really say about this car I will never consider owning is that it’s painted a very nice color. I’m honestly not wild about how it looks, but BMW’s recent styling decisions don’t seem to be hurting sales all that much judging by how many I see around LA.
Predictably, I’m sad about no manual if that’s the case. One of the very best things about most of the (admittedly older) BMWs I’ve driven has been the manual transmission (and the hydraulic steering). Shifting just feels good, and adds a lot to the overall feeling of precision and control in their cars. I recall test driving a E46 3 series coupe with a manual, and though I can’t really recall any details about the car itself (this was a lot of years ago) the feeling of actual driving pleasure it provided still remains firmly planted in my brain. It was just a nicely balanced car that felt good to operate.
Shame that’s getting to be less and less of a thing for a lot of manufacturers. Pardon me beating this dead horse yet again.
I feel pretty good about getting a “regular” G87 soon. At least visually, this doesn’t look like much of an upgrade. And if it’s auto-only, it doesn’t matter anyway.
The S58 is very easy to flash so if the main difference is more power, that’s easily achievable with a tune. The wheels are sexy though.
The M2 is aging well. Like with a lot of BMW designs, they were right, the internet was wrong. Always give them the benefit of the doubt.
I wonder what the cost to repair/replace a radiator in these is after a stone or other road hazard gets kicked up. I assume someone here knows.
Ugh. What’s going on with the design team at BMW? Long hood: yes. Everything else: no. Granted, they’ve taken a step in the right direction away from oversized kidney grill nostrils and unnecessary creases everywhere, but otherwise it feels lazy and forced, especially the front facia & rear bumper.
Honestly, getting rid of the massive nostrils was such an improvement I didn’t notice anything else.
I think what that big space on the rear needs are block letters in a retro font spelling out “M2 CS” so large they fill the space.
I am no longer interested.
Nice looking GrandAm –
Oh, wait – That rear is a mess…
So “Pontiac Excitement” is back?
I came here to say they are tight-lipped because they don’t want you to know that it was designed by Subaru
Lies subaru styling has been done by Toyota’s wind tunnel for over a decade.
Must have been broken for over a decade.
They don’t want to talk about it because they realized after they put CS badges on it that it still somehow weighs 3800 pounds.
Beautiful car, and I should probably turn in my Enthusiast Card, but I didn’t even know the M2 (or 2-series) even existed…
If only the seat is placed correctly instead of pointing left.
NASCAR seat
BMW ///M–
The UltimateA Driving MachineI am one of the few people who likes the G87 M2, but this is worthy of scorn. Nothing says engagement and emotion like a 4,000 pound automatic only primer gray coupe!
I’m with you on the G87. I like it well enough that I bought one, and the people hating on the grille or whatever are really missing out. It’s a fantastic car.
That said, yeah… I don’t feel this CS either. Carbon trunk lid, a bit more power (which it doesn’t need), bronze wheels and auto-only? Nah. I can find a number of better ways to spend the $100k+ this thing will cost.
For how much this will cost I’d buy an LC500 instead 10/10 times. They’ve very different cars and you won’t be able to track the LC…but one rip of that V8 would be all it takes.
Anyway I’m glad you like your G87. I think they’re super cool cars and I actually like the way they look. They’re also, somehow, a pretty damn good value in this day and age if you don’t go too crazy with the options. I was toying with the idea of picking one up for a while but now that we have soon to be 1 year old and I’ve seen how much space we need it’s definitely off the table….although depending on where values wind up I’d love to circle back to one as a weekend car down the line.
For +/- $100k, I would take an LC over this in less than a heartbeat. Hell, I’d probably take an LC500 over pretty much anything else in that price range. Sure, it’s more of a GT than anything else, but that’s ok. The thing is a goddamn work of art.
For +/- $100k I’ll take a used Civic and an addition on my house.
The LC500 is the “I won the lottery and want a new car immediately” car while I wait for my custom 911.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’d want Nori Green over the saddle brown interior. Coupe or convertible is up for debate, but I’d probably lean drop top because it’s a GT…the lesser rigidity doesn’t matter to me a whole lot and you get to hear that marvel of a V8 sing the sound of its people.
Did they manage to get the steering feel back? First couple rounds of the electric steering were pretty numb – I drove a 5 series a bit back and honestly didn’t feel like I could trust it with that much power and that little feedback.
Well, if you’re comparing it to a BMW with hydraulic power steering, then obviously no. But, for electric, it’s not terrible. I’ve driven better, but also much worse. The car doesn’t feel disconnected or anything, and you’re always aware of what it’s doing, but it definitely feels like it’s filtered through a computer.
Thanks – good to hear they’re making progress, at least!
The press car is primer gray because of fucking course it is. How German…it vill come in any color you vant, as long as it is GRAY! Color?! NEIN!!!!
Don’t forget, they launched the G42 in purple, and the G87 in blue. Ze Germans can’t handle that much color, so they had to revert to gray for the CS.
The Porsche color catalogue is also German. My (fictional new) 911 would be some crazy color.
My ’21 M235i is the same color as this M2. It’s not exciting like yellow/orange but it actually looks quite striking in the sun. It’s what drew me to this car on the lot in the first place. The internet complains but in real life, everyone seems to like it. (shrug)
Man, this car! I love the long hood. And… um. I guess that’s it. Just the long hood.