How fortuitous – the 2026 BMW M2 CS Coupe has been released at the same time as my reviews of the G87 and F87 CS. It’s already blowing up social media as “the one to get”, and on the surface I’d agree.
But then I started looking at some specs. Hmm…
Are you getting the full CS treatment?
Park an F87 CS next to a Competition model, and you’ll see a ton of changes both inside and out:
- Carbon roof only available on the CS
- Carbon hood with vent
- Carbon mirrors, from lip, rear diffuser and spoiler
- Unique gold wheels, with optional carbon ceramic brakes available only on the CS
- Special Misano Blue paint
- Carbon fiber trim inside, including a full center console
- More power, with the option of a manual transmission
However, for the 2026 BMW M2 CS Coupe:
- Carbon roof is standard, but available on the base M2 as well
- No carbon hood. Instead, you get a carbon trunk with duck tail lip
- No manual transmission
- No carbon front lip – it’s a matte black piece. Shameful.
- The gold wheels from the M4 CS
- Carbon ceramic brakes are again an option for this CS only
- Unique carbon grille and intakes
- More power- 523, giving it the same amount as an M4 Competition with xDrive
- CFRP center console inside, with carbon buckets as standard and unique door trim
- Special Velvet Blue paint
- Titanium mufflers, though M is making a special CS M Performance exhaust as well
So yea, we pretty much are.
What might make me sad
It’s pretty hard to make an M4 CS out of an M4 Competition. BMW tweaks everything to form what feels like an entirely new car, and no doubt the M2 CS will have the same. But I think a CFRP hood would have been nice. Go buy one for your regular M4, and BMW will charge you $20k.
It’s also obvious how important xDrive is to going fast, and isn’t that the point of a CS car? With 523 horsepower, it’s a matter of how to easily get off the line. Clearly BMW was never going to give the M2 all-wheel drive, and this will weigh less, but if you’re looking for ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE speed, it’s not here.
And then the price…
The 2026 BMW M2 CS Coupe is going to be a $100k car by the time the dust settles. In Germany, it’ll cost €115,000 Euros – that’s $130,000 here!
A basic M2 with the Carbon and Lighting packages will set you back $78,750. Will the CS be $30k better? Of course not. Will this M2 depreciate like its big brothers? It’s hard to tell, because…
This is going to be the best M car on the lot
The F87 was, and this one will be too. First, it’s 67 pounds lighter than a regular M2 and comes in at 3,770 lbs. That’s alllmost respectable, and only the M4 CSL was lighter (3,580). But the M2 has a usable back seat. I’ll take the 200-pound penalty so I can share the car with my family. A better comparison might be the M4 CS, with a weight of 3,900 lbs and a back seat. The extra weight is because of xDrive.
No manual? You know how I feel about that.
The F87 M2 CS has either maintained or risen in value, which is very rare for a modern BMW. I would buy this car with the intent of enjoying it, but know that it might also hold its value well if BMW doesn’t make many.
Besides, what else are you going to buy at this price point? The Cayman is dead (for now). The Corvette Z06 is significantly more expensive and not as practical. This seems to be the sweet spot for me.
I think I should call my dealership.
