2026 BMW M2 CS Is the Most Powerful Rear-Drive M Car You Can Buy

Car and Driver

5 days ago

The 2026 BMW M2 CS features a 523-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six, making it the mightiest rear-wheel-drive M car.
The CS is also lighter than the M2 Competition, and it's only offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The new M2 CS will start at $99,775 when it goes on sale sometime later this year.
Let's get your first question out of the way: No, there is no manual version of the new 2026 BMW M2 CS. All versions of the most performance-oriented M2 will come with an eight-speed automatic. This decision isn't surprising since the CS (short for Competition Sport) is the ultimate M2, the one designed to produce the best acceleration and lap times. But when M2 customers are saving the manuals—half of all M2s sold in the United States have a six-speed manual—the question makes sense. The last M2 CS offered a manual and was a rare and wonderful little beast of a car.
A More Muscular M2
There's better news under the hood where the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six now makes 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. That's 50 more ponies and 36 more pound-feet than the standard M2, and it's 79 hp more than the previous-generation M2 CS. The engine is a version of the M3 Competition xDrive's, but it is 20 horses shy of the 543-hp screamer in the M3 CS. BMW resisted adding all-wheel drive, making the M2 CS the most powerful rear-drive M car you can buy.
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BMW
Like its predecessor, the CS undergoes a weight-loss diet that includes a carbon-fiber roof, trunk lid, mirror caps, and the rear diffuser. We're told the ducktail rear spoiler that flips up coquettishly is functional besides looking good. Up front, the styling doesn't change, but the air passages are optimized to flow more air into the radiators.
Inside, there are M carbon racing-style seats and various interior trim bits. Coupled with the standard forged aluminum wheels, BMW claims the CS comes in at 3770 pounds, a near 100-pound reduction. But the last M2 (a manual) weighed 3745 pounds on our scales, less than BMW's 3814-pound claim for that same car. So, BMW's number for the new M2 CS is likely conservative. For those looking to shed more weight, carbon-ceramic brakes are an $8500 option.
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BMW
Surprisingly, we haven't tested the current M2 with an automatic, so a direct comparison of the specifications is a little complicated. In our hands, the manual-equipped M2 hit 60 in 3.9 seconds. BMW claims a believable 3.7 seconds for the new CS, which is 0.2 second quicker than the company's claim for the 473-hp, automatic M2.
A thorough retuning of the suspension has us eagerly anticipating our first chance to drive the new M2 CS. Its predecessor had a wonderfully direct and willing feel that made approaching its cornering limits a joy. The CS now sits 0.2 inch lower thanks to new springs. The adaptive dampers are also unique to the CS and have their own programming. Stability control and M Dynamic mode have been tweaked as well to let drivers have a little more leeway before coming to the rescue.
BMW
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BMW
A Nearly Six-Figure M2
Slated to go on sale before the end of the year, the 2026 BMW M2 CS will start at $99,775, which amounts to $33,100 more than the regular 2025 M2's base price. All M2s, including the CS, are made in BMW's Mexican plant, so some of the CS's lofty price is likely a reflection of the current tariffs in the United States. If the tariff situation continues, we'd expect the M2 to cost more next year, shrinking the price gap between the standard car and the CS, but it's too early to say for sure. And to the M2 buyers who own the six-speed, thank you for saving the manuals.
Tony Quiroga
Editor-in-Chief
Tony Quiroga is a 20-year-veteran Car and Driver editor, writer, and car reviewer and the 19th editor-in-chief for the magazine since its founding in 1955. He has subscribed to Car and Driver since age six. "Growing up, I read every issue of Car and Driver cover to cover, sometimes three or more times. It's the place I wanted to work since I could read," Quiroga says. He moved from Automobile Magazine to an associate editor position at Car and Driver in 2004. Over the years, he has held nearly every editorial position in print and digital, edited several special issues, and also helped produce C/D's early YouTube efforts. He is also the longest-tenured test driver for Lightning Lap, having lapped Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course more than 2000 times over 12 years. Read full bio