BMW has revealed the M2 CS 2026 – a machine that combines brutal 530 hp and racing DNA in the purest M experience in years. And yes, rear-wheel drive is back.
Just when you think the Bavarians have said it all with the M3 and M4 CS, around the corner at full throttle brings BMW M2 CS 2026 – with a ducktail you’ll dream of and a price tag that will make you lie to your mom that it’s “just another two-year-old M2 with stickers.” Buckle up, because the cleanest M car of the last decade is coming.
BMW M2 CS 2026: When M goes all the way
Although the 2026 BMW M2 CS measures just a few inches over four meters long, it packs more testosterone than the entire Monday night gym department. The focus is on the familiar 3.0-liter inline-six with twin turbochargers, which now pumps out a whopping 390 kW or 530 horses (523 hp) and 650 Nm of torque (479 lb-ft). All of that horsepower goes exclusively to the rear wheels – no xDrive assistance, no electronic tweaks. Just you, the asphalt and a silent prayer to the traction gods.
Seconds count – and the M2 CS cuts them like a knife
With an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission with Drivelogic, the new CS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.8 seconds (3.5 seconds rollout methodology), and its top speed is electronically limited to 302 km/h (188 mph). Although it weighs 1,710 kilograms (3,770 lbs), BMW has shaved about 30 kilograms off the standard M2 by using carbon fiber on the roof, hood, rear spoiler and seats. And if you want even more, you can add carbon-ceramic brakes for $8,500.
Chassis – born for the Nürburgring
The adjustable M suspension has been further tuned, the springs stiffened, the adaptive dampers even more responsive, and the differential is prepared for sideslip. There are special 19- and 20-inch wheels in gold, shod with semi-slick tires, which are also found on racing cars. And then there's the M Drift Analyzer, which records your sideslip antics - because who wouldn't want metrics for their sideslip?
Cabin: Carbon bunker for two
There's no room for slobs inside. Carbon bucket seats, Alcantara all over, illuminated "CS" logo on the center console and a digital instrument cluster with BMW OS 8.5. Of course, there's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as BMW Maps and a Harman Kardon sound system, although you'll probably just want to listen to that brutal exhaust with active flaps and (optional) titanium M Performance exhaust system.
Colors? Just four. Each wild enough to turn heads:
- Sapphire Black metallic
- BMW Individual Velvet Blue metallic
- M Brooklyn Grey metallic
- M Portimao Blue metallic
Price? Bold. Exclusive? Without a doubt.
Price in the US: $99,775. In Germany? €115,000. That’s almost €30,000 more than the regular M2, but €25,000 less than the M4 CS. And while it sounds excessive for a “small” M2, the M2 CS is no ordinary M – it’s a homologated assault on the senses, an experience that combines racing genetics with everyday drivability.
Conclusion: The purest M today
The BMW M2 CS 2026 is not a car for everyone. It is stubborn, loud, expensive – and brilliant. It is a throwback to the time when you had to hold the steering wheel with both hands because electronics didn't do everything for you. A car that, with its brutal directness, uncompromising rear-wheel drive and limited series (numbers are not yet known), wins the heart of every petrol enthusiast.
If you're looking for the ultimate M experience, this is it. Get your credit cards ready. And maybe a spare pair of tires.
