BMW M2 CS sets new Nürburgring lap record
With a lap time of seven minutes 25.5 seconds, the BMW blitzed the iconic German track more than seven seconds faster than the previous record holder, the Audi RS3, which achieved 7:33.123 a year ago.
The new record was set by BMW M development engineer Jörg Weidinger on April 11, six weeks before the latest M2 CS had its official unveiling at the Villa d'Este concours at Lake Como in Italy.
Impressively, the new record is a full 13 seconds faster than the 7:38.7 set by Weidinger in the previous M2 in April 2023. The big improvement is attributed to the M2 CS gaining power and shedding weight.
The BMW M2 CS is 30kg lighter thanks to the use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in parts of the body, and forged M light-alloy wheels.
The high-revving 3.0 l six-cylinder inline M TwinPower Turbo engine was also boosted to produce 390kW of power and 650Nm, respective improvements of 37kW and 50Nm over the old unit.
The M2 CS sends its muscle power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and M Sport differential for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than a standard M2. The top speed of the M2 CS, which comes with the M Driver's Package as standard, is electronically limited to 302km/h.
A chassis tweak sees the special model getting a ride height lowered by 8mm and special suspension tuning to improve handling. The mapping of the Dynamic Stability Control and M Dynamic Mode are optimised for racetrack use.
The vehicle comes standard with track tyres (275/35 ZR19 at the front and 285/30 ZR20 at the rear) but owners can specify more aggressive ultra-track tyres or standard sport tyres.
To be produced in limited numbers, the new BMW M2 CS will be available in SA from the second quarter of 2026, with pricing not yet confirmed.
The fastest BMW production car around the Nürburgring remains the M4 CSL with a lap time of 7:18.137.
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