The 2020 BMW M2 CS dispels the modern M car myth

*In Optimus Prime voice* – ahem…BEFORE TIME BEGAN, THERE WAS…THE E46 M3. WE KNOW NOT WHERE IT CAME FROM, ONLY THAT IT IS THE BEST BMW EVER, AND IT ALWAYS SHALL BE. Sound familiar? You’ve probably heard that phrase everywhere. Old BMWs are God’s creation. Anything after the 46 feels like your significant other when they aren’t in the mood.

Well, this BMW M2 CS is a modern BMW that belongs in the hall of fame. It’s one of my favorites, no asterisk needed. Let me show you why.

The 2020 BMW M2 CS Coupe Overview

I figured BMW would send me a new M2, so even though I reviewed this car in November, I saved it for today. Both score a ten, yet they couldn’t be any more different – we’ll come back to that later.

The M2 you see before you is the F87. Originally available only with an N55 engine, the original car grew before our eyes to include more and more bits from the M3 until poof – it was a real M. To a point, anyway. Like they do now, BMW still left a few things out. No carbon fiber roof, carbon ceramics, less power. Meh.

But as BMW often does, they gave this generation a swan song with a CS edition. Bring me back that carbon roof. Add more for the hood, the spoiler, and tons inside. Give it more power (444 horses), lower it, tweak it – you know the deal. Finally, make it cost too much – $84k when new. These go for even more now.

But when the dust cleared, you had a small, light, 2+2 coupe that was very fast, very precise, and very very fun to drive. Sounds like the classic BMW recipe for fun, no?

Performance Score: 9. The perfect balance

So often now, companies throw massive amounts of horsepower at cars, hoping you’ll simply accept that launches off the line are the only part of driving that is fun. But if we just take out a bit of weight, and reduce the power a wee amount…

Engine

If I could level one criticism at BMW’s S58, it’s that it’s so smooth, you don’t get that real sense of raw speed that M motors used to provide. The S55 was never my favorite, but here I welcome that rawness.

Ignite it with a push of a button on the dash, and a raucous metallic clang fills the cabin. The S55 never really sounded the best either, but the complaints end there, because this M2 is raw enough to finally support the S55’s feel. It’s not smooth in an effortless sort of way – it’s explosive. Exciting. You want to rev this car to its 7,600-RPM redline over and over. Be rewarded with a car that is certainty fast, but slow enough to savor. It might be turbocharged, but aside from running out of steam at the top end, I’d say this is as close to an S54 as you’ll ever get again.

Though 444 horsepower isn’t a huge improvement over a regular M2 Competition (404 horses), the CS feels so much more urgent in its power delivery. Sure enough, this car reaches the quarter mile almost a second faster. I know it’s the same power as an M3 Competition, but it’s not the same – really does feel better in here.

Even that sound, a sort of hollow metal kazoo – it grows on you and helps to form the experience. Definitely louder than I was expecting too. You might not even need an exhaust.

This isn’t the S54 – it’s much more fun.

Transmission

Here we have an automotive moral dilemma.

On one hand, you can get your M2 CS with this seven-speed DCT. It’s terrific, and only Porsche makes a better unit. Of course it’s faster and just a bit more expensive ($2,900).

But there was also a six-speed manual. Yes, I’m sure it’s like all other BMW manuals in most aspects, but it would be hard to pass up in such an authentic M car.

In the end, the DCT is simply too good, too well-matched to this car, to pass up, and offers one less thing to worry about should you decide to track your CS.

Steering and Chassis

A culmination of small tweaks results in a car that BMW probably should have just made from the get-go. Every other F-chassis M car pales in comparison, even the M4 GTS, which is far less usable.

Start with the steering. Isn’t this one of BMW’s best wheels? It offers a thick rim and thin spokes. Once you grab it and turn it, you’ll notice that it feels heavy…and direct? Yes – there is some feedback here! It’s the only F87 that has anything even resembling real feel. Still bested by things with hydraulic pumps, the M2 CS is about as good as it gets for a modern BMW.

If the current M4 CS is borderline supercar in its level of performance, this M2 is intentionally slightly less than that. That car yawns and feels somewhat indifferent below triple digits, whereas this M2 is alive at 5, 50, or 150 MPH. Once you build speed, this car isn’t quite as stable as its big bros, but in a good way – it’s a lot of fun. Terrific autocross weapon. Whatever softness is in the standard M2 Competition is taken away here.

The M2’s short wheelbase means that the ride is never as smooth as larger Ms, but considering this car’s sporty mission, it’s really comfortable – nearly G87 in its level of refinement.

Brakes

Standard on the M2 CS are steel brakes from the Competition. They work well, and this example was fitted with Akebono pads that dust less and grabbed hold like they were pulling a toddler from a cliff. It’s a bit too much for me.

Optional are the typical carbon ceramic hardware, for $8,500. Since BMW is fresh out of these cars, you’ll have to decide if buying a used one with ceramics is worth the additional cost. Probably not.

Lifestyle Score: 7. Merry Christmas

As I opened the door to sit inside, I heard Christmas music on the radio. The owner looked at me and apologized…

“Sorry – my daughter likes to listen to it.”

I could only smile – I love Christmas music, and I really loved the fact that this CS was used as more than simply a track day toy.

Just like the new M2, this car has squared off rear glass that allows people with heads to sit in the back seat. Leg room is a bit tighter, so adults should only sit in the rear for shorter trips, but kids are fine.

Up front are the same bucket seats from the rest of the F-chassis M car lineup. They are just okay – a sort of cross between the current buckets and base seats. Lateral support is good, but the bottom cushion is a bit short and they are a little on the stiff side. No armrest is annoying, but that’s just a CS thing.

Walk to the back and find a useful trunk. I find it more thrilling to drive a car like the CS every day and use it, as oppose to something precious with room for you and a thong only.

Fuel Economy: 5. Teenage dream

19 MPG – that’s what the M2 CS gets for gas mileage combined.

Living with any M car from 2010 on has been living that teenage mileage dream. I personally think it’s a great number, but whether a V-8, a turbo six, or a maniacally tuned engine in this CS, they all get around the same consumption. Perhaps the only different thing in the M2 is its smaller gas tank – just 13.7 gallons.

No one cares about a few MPG either way in these things, so whatever BMW and governments of the world – keep lying to yourselves about how much better these engines are for the planet.

Features and Comfort: 7. Proof of concept

What do you need in a new car? For me, it’s not much – a radio, A/C…navigation? All that safety stuff is useless and gets turned off day one, so if it’s not in this M2, I won’t miss it.

Focused

You’re here to drive, right? So let’s drive.

As I said above, no arm rest. No wireless charging. Climate controls from 2008. But who cares?

There’s carbon fiber everywhere, including the entire center console, and Alcantara on the steering wheel, dash, and hand brake cover. This makes it feel special inside – just like the M4 GTS really, so why spend even more on that car?

The 2 Series cockpit isn’t my favorite because it feels like a two-thirds 3 Series, so everything is squished. Still livable – my 6-foot frame fits fine, just annoying. iDrive 6 functions well enough, though the screen feels microscopic next to today’s movie theater cockpits. At least Apple CarPlay is here. Black leather with red stitching is your only choice, like a Goth M car.

But you’re here to drive, so I doubt you’ll notice any of these small things. Nothing to be Goth about.

Misano moment

BMW does a good job of separating this CS from lowly Competition models. You have a choice of four colors – with this Misano Blue being exclusive to the CS (and at just $550, feels like a steal).

Elsewhere, the CS is the only M2 to get a carbon fiber roof, and the weave is unlike any other M car because of the process needed to fit it to this car. There’s also a carbon fiber hood with functional vent, stunning gold wheels, and various carbon fiber accents.

All of this helps reduce the M2’s weight by 82 pounds, and that might not sound like a lot, but 3,500 in a modern M car is a revelation. As for the M2’s squat bulldog looks, again, it’s a bit odd as a 2/3rds 4 Series. Perhaps that’s why the G87 looks totally different from the newer M4. Still, it’s a good-looking thing.

Others sport cars to consider

• 2025 BMW M2 Coupe (G87)
• 2016 BMW M4 GTS (F82)
• 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
• 2024 Lexus RC-F Track Edition
• 2024 Subaru BR-Z tS

The 2020 BMW M2 CS Coupe belongs in the hall of fame

I can point you to examples of E46 M3s, even E92s, that sell for almost (or more) as much as this M2 CS. They are great cars, and their high-revving engines will always be special.

But this M2 is simply a better car. It’s faster, more visceral, more modern, and truly special – not because of an engine, but as an entire package. If you go ahead and spend the same amount on a 1M as you would have on this car, you’re not an enthusiast, you’re a poseur. Go cry.

And the G87? I’d call that an even better BMW than this one, but it loses some of that rawness present here. No doubt, the new M2 CS just revealed by BMW will be one helluva car. That car is a ten because of how well-rounded it is. This one is a ten because of how well-rounded it isn’t.

 Is $100k a lot for a 2 Series? Duh. But if you’re looking for that perfect cross between the old and the new, of the was and will-be, than this is the M car you want.

So forget all the old stuff. Spend $20k on them, not $80k. Sometimes we build things up in our minds to such great heights that reality can never be as good. When you wake up from your dream, this M2 CS will be waiting.