BMW has unleashed the new M2 CS, with the German marque’s South African arm confirming that it will make its way to local roads. Here is what we know so far.
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Earlier in May 2025, BMW South Africa confirmed to CAR that the new M5 Touring will arrive on our shores in the second half of 2025. However, this isn’t the only M car heading to SA…albeit at a later stage. Indeed, with the unveiling of the new M2 CS, BMW SA has announced the apex M2 will make landfall in the second quarter of 2026.
Related: Confirmed! BMW M5 Touring Heading to South Africa
Based on the current-generation M2, which received a mid-cycle refresh towards the end of 2024, the CS-badged derivative plays host to a raft of exterior, interior and, most notably, under-the-skin upgrades, including an uprated inline-six.
For the CS, the Bavarian brand has tweaked the standard M2’s S58 to produce an M3/M4 Competition-matching 390 kW and 650 N.m, increases of 37 kW and 50 N.m over the non-CS-badged M2. In addition, unlike the SA-spec M3/M4 models, which are exclusively available with M xDrive all-wheel drive, the M2 CS retains a rear-wheel drivetrain, with BMW’s eight-speed M Steptronic transmission delivering the full complement of power and torque to the aft axle as soon as the rev needle edges 6 250 and 2 650 r/min, respectively.
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According to the company, the increase in output allows the M2 CS to complete the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds, making it two-tenths of a second quicker to the three-figure marker than the standard M2. From a standstill, the special edition reaches the 200 km/h marker in 11.7 seconds, an improvement of 1.2 seconds. The top speed has also been increased, from 285 to 302 km/h.
Further revisions include the adoption of CS-specific chassis modifications, which include lowering the chassis by 8 mm (to 115 mm), suspension upgrades and optimised Dynamic Stability Control, to name but a few. M Compound brakes, replete with red callipers, are sited behind unique 19-inch front/20-inch rear alloy wheels, shod in 275/35- and 285/30-size rubber. Carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option.
To save weight (around 30 kg, BMW says), the CS features a raft of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components, including for the boot lid, which incorporates a ducktail spoiler. An M Carbon roof is standard.
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