BMW M2 CS 2020 first drive

BMW claims 0-62mph in 4.0sec, which is 0.2sec quicker than the M2 Competition and 0.4sec quicker than the Cayman GT4. With the M Driver’s package coming as standard, the top speed is limited to 174mph.

You don’t need to wring its neck to see serious speed, though; with maximum torque arriving at 2350rpm and remaining on tap until 5500rpm, it is tremendously flexible and very amenable. You can short-shift and still have a handy amount of shove already building out of slower corners. The dual-clutch gearbox, with its steering wheel-mounted paddles, is the perfect accompaniment: fast-acting on upshifts and, with a function to match revs, agreeably smooth on downshifts. However, it lacks the intrinsic involvement of a manual, and as very reason for this car is to create a more intimate connection between driver and machine, it’s probably well worth consideration, even if it costs you a second or two in laptime potential.     

It may be nearing the end of its production life, but this remains a wonderful chassis. BMW M’s efforts at providing a perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution and added stiffness with a series of braces provides the basis for truly engaging and playful handling. To this, the M2 CS adds a heightened degree of directness and urgency of movement via a heavily retuned suspension that sees the adoption of standard adaptive dampers – the first time they’ve been fitted to M2 of any kind.

The balance is quite finely struck. While it doesn’t quite match the magnificent neutrality of the mid-engined Cayman GT4, there are few front-engine cars come close to matching the ultimate precision offered by the M2 CS. On track, there remains a small degree of understeer, most notably in high-speed corners. This is intentional, according to Haecker, who says it is important to provide a marker for the driver. Still, it's quickly quelled by a via a lifting of the throttle or by trailing in on the brakes.   

It's through the Sachsenring’s challenging in-field that the decision to provide the M2 CS with adaptive dampers feels fully justified. Body movements are even more immediate than with the passively damped M2 Competition, but the roll angles are better controlled, too. It settles quickly and with added authority, giving the M2 CS a flatter and more determined cornering nature.

Helping in this respect is the carbonfibre roof, which Haecker says is more than just cosmetic: “The roof contributes to a lowering of the centre of gravity. It uses a new sandwich construction, which not only adds structural rigidity but is also lighter than the previous method we used."

The steering is sharper as well – or at least gives the impression of being so. The electromechanical rack and its ratio are the same as you get in the M2 Competition, but a slight camber increase and added sensitivity brought by the adaptive damping brings greater precision together with the well-weighted and inherently linear feel that we’ve become used to from the junior M model. We’ll need more time on the road to determine if critical feedback has been improved, but there's certainly an added keenness to the self-centring that serves to further heighten the driving experience.

After a couple of laps of fairly controlled running, it’s dry enough to begin pushing with real intent. On smooth surfaces, the soft compound Cup tyres deliver outstanding purchase. You can load up the M2 CS on the entry to constant-radius corners and confidently continue to push past the apex, all the while relying on the sheer adhesion to allow you to hold your line. It’s here, with greater grip equating to faster cornering speeds, where BMW says it has a distinct advantage over the M2 Competition. “It’s a combination of a lot of detailed chassis changes,” says Haecker of the greater agility offered by the M2 CS, adding: “It laps the Nürburgring eight seconds faster than the M2 Competition.

In a development taken from the M2 Competition, the M2 CS gets preset M buttons on the steering wheel, with which you can choose your preferred chassis set-up. In fittingly titled M2 mode with the dynamic stability control (DSC) switched off, there’s a lovely progressive transition into oversteer when you do exceed the limits of adhesion in slower corners, and it takes just a small degree of steering lock to correct it.

This controlled feel instils the driver with great confidence – as does the operation of the electronically operated M differential, which apportions drive individually to each rear wheels, allowing you to light up the rear tyres when the conditions allow.

No less effective are the brakes, which are larger than those of the M2 Competition with 400mm front and 380mm rear steel discs grabbed by six-pot calipers and four-piston calipers respectively, are strong and offer quite a bit of feel through the pedal. Alternatively, buyers can opt for pricey carbonfibre discs.

With all of our time spent on track, we’re not going to pretend we know much about the M2 CS’s ride right now. However, experience with other M models on adaptive dampers suggests it should offer greater compliance than the passively damped M2 Competition. At low speed in the Sachsenring pit lane, the firmness of the MacPherson strut (front) and multilink (rear) suspension was detectable over expansion joints, although any binding conclusions will have to wait until we get it out on the road.