The all-new 2026 BMW M2 CS is here to make you seriously reconsider that deposit you were about to drop on an M3. It packs all the qualities of the rear-wheel drive setup you know and (mostly) love, plus an extra 50 horsepower for a total of 523 hp. Add in a little weight loss and some chassis tweaks, and you’ve got yourself a sharper, meaner M2.

However, there is one significant omission. The M2 CS drops the manual gearbox option. Sadly, this is the beginning of the end for manual transmissions, with BMW planning to phase them out because not enough people buy them. Instead, the M2 CS offers the same tried-and-tested 8-speed automatic found on the standard car.

The Magic Numbers

Diving into the figures, the 2026 BMW M2 CS delivers substantial performance enhancements over the standard 2025 M2. Everything is headlined by an upgraded 3.0-liter S58 inline-six engine now producing 523 horsepower and 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque — 36 lb-ft (49 Nm) more than before. The M2 CS can do the 0-60 mph (97 km/h) sprint in just 3.7 seconds, a notable improvement of 0.2 seconds over the standard M2.

Read: The BMW M2 Is A Dinosaur That’s Heaps Of Fun To Drive

You’ll see a top speed of 188 mph (303 km/h), matching the M3 and M3 Competition’s electronically limited top speed, with the M2 CS featuring the M Driver’s Package as standard.

BMW tells us that the M2 CS also features optimized engine management, motorsport-derived cooling and lubrication systems, and enhanced drivetrain rigidity via stiffer engine mounts. These features result in sharper throttle response, improved mid-range acceleration, and a dynamically engaging driving experience closely aligned with the M3 Competition.

Go Faster Looks

Of course, being a modern BMW, the two magic letters don’t just grant you power upgrades; they also come with unique styling, erm, additions—the jury is still out on whether we’d call them enhancements or not.

The least offensive of these are the exclusive staggered rims (19-inch in the front and 20-inch at the rear), which can be optioned with track-focused tires for no additional cost. The front grilles gain various geometric lines and shapes, presumably with some purpose other than making the car look uglier for the sake of it.

But if you’re worried about the front, you’d want to save judgment for the rear. Now, we like a good old ducktail spoiler as much as the next outlet, but the diffuser — one of the more discussed stylistic directions when this gen M2 first came to life — appears to have taken on a whole new dimension of its own.

CS Light, CS Chassis

While the extra bodywork will undoubtedly provide some excellent debate in the comments, BMW manages to claw back some points with a lighter chassis. The engineers have shaved 97 lbs (44 kg) off the M2’s curb weight through carbon elements, including that rear diffuser.

Both the roof and the trunk lid are made of carbon fiber, as are the mirror caps. The wheels mentioned earlier are turned out of forged alloy, further contributing to the M2 CS’s crash diet.

Enhancements continue inside. The carbon trim is more of a design choice, but the M Carbon bucket seats—a standard M2 CS fitment—certainly help with weight optimisation. As in other models, we’ve seen this style of seat appear, the headrests are removable to clear a helmet, while provision for a racing harness provides further track readiness.

Also: New BMW M2 Racer Channels E30 M3 Spirit With 4-Cylinder Turbo

The chassis improvements are old-school, with the M2 CS sitting 0.2 inches closer to the ground. Unique springs and dampers, adaptive M Suspension, and steering further optimise the road-hugging stance.

The electronics that mostly keep you out of the greenery have been tweaked to give drivers a little more creative expression, too, with Optimized Dynamic Stability Control, M Dynamic Mode, and that all-important M Sport differential. Stopping power is courtesy of M Compudn brakes, with carbon ceramics a pricey $8,500 option.

Pricing And Availability

If you were hoping the CS would add a small bump to the M2’s price tag, you’re in for a rude awakening. Whereas the standard 2025 M2 starts at a somewhat palatable $64,900 (plus $1,175 destination and handling), the 2026 BMW M2 CS will go on sale at a whopping $98,600 (plus $1,175 destination and handling).

While BMW will be the first to argue that the M2 CS has a lot more to it than a few tweaks, in overly simplistic terms, that works out to $654 per extra horsepower. In fact, with the top-flight M3 Competition xDrive starting at $86,000, the M2 CS is pushing itself pretty darn close to the upper limit of what is acceptable.

However, for more perspective, 2020’s F87 M2 CS started at $84,595, which was roughly 41 percent more than that generation’s M2 Competition. In 2025, the CS premium is closer to 48 percent. And, as with all CS models, production will be limited, so it’s kind of like buying a collector’s item. Kind of.

The 2026 M2 CS will be built in Mexico, with deliveries expected to begin in Q3. So, you’ve got a few months to decide if you’re ready to part with the price of a luxury sedan for a more hardcore driving experience.