Strong Brothers: The new BMW M2 CS and BMW M2 CS Racing

The success story continues: BMW M2 CS Racing, BMW M Motorsport continues its tradition of close-to-production customer racing vehicles. The BMW M2 CS Racing is convincing with impressive driving performance and offers motorsport beginners the performance of a pedigree racing car at an attractive price. The BMW M2 CS (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 10.4–9.4; combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 238–214), also being presented to the global community today, is the perfect basis for the new entry-level model. The BMW M GmbH special edition is also set to make its US debut at the LA Autoshow in November.

“With the BMW M2 CS Racing, we are continuing the tradition of providing ambitious teams and drivers with an affordable gateway to racing – this time with a car that, with impressive performance data and the latest BMW Motorsport technology, meets all the requirements of a pedigree racing car, better than any previous entry-level model before it,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Using the perfect base of the BMW M2 CS and in close collaboration with BMW M GmbH colleagues, BMW Motorsport engineers used many of the insights from the development of the BMW M4 GT4 to set totally new standards in the entry-level class with its little brother, the BMW M2 CS Racing. I am confident that we will continue the success story of BMW M Customer Racing vehicles with this car.”

Markus Flasch, President of BMW M GmbH, said: “The collaborative development of the BMW M2 CS and the BMW M2 CS Racing highlights the close integration of BMW Motorsport and BMW M GmbH. Our expertise meets halfway between high-performance cars for the road and pedigree racing cars, namely in the growing club racing sector. We are already taking account of this with various performance versions of the BMW M2 CS Racing, and we will be working in a similar direction for future BMW M special editions.”

BMW M2 CS Racing with electronics from the BMW M4 GT4.

The BMW M2 CS Racing is available from 95,000.00 Euros (plus value-added tax) and meets all the prerequisites for a successful entry-level model. The new customer racing car is powered by an S55 six-cylinder in-line engine with BMW M TwinPower Turbo Technology, which with a capacity of 2,979 cc in the racing version achieves between 280 hp (205 kW) and 365 hp (268 kW), depending on the Balance of Performance or Permit B classification. The maximum torque of 550 Nm is transmitted by a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which has been applied using specialist motorsport software.

Another highlight of the BMW M2 CS Racing is the engine management. As for the BMW M4 GT4, this will be via power sticks in the future, which enable various performance levels to be programmed and retrieved depending on the stipulated Balance of Performance.

Motorsport-specific driving aids such as ABS and DSC guarantee that newcomers will be able to handle the car safely. A mechanical limited slip differential with pre-load and separate cooling also comes as standard, as do specially manufactured drive shafts. Like its production counterpart, the roof is also made of carbon.

Club racing version with increased performance.

Delivery of the first BMW M2 CS Racing is planned for mid 2020. As with the predecessor models, the BMW M235i Racing and the BMW M240i Racing, several platforms around the world will be available to the new car apart from its main stomping grounds, the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring and the TC America. A Permit B version is planned for racing at the Nordschleife (GER) as part of the VLN.

BMW Motorsport is also already working on an upgrade package to increase performance to 450 hp. Further details and the start of delivery of these models will be announced at a later point in time.

“With this wide range of performance variants, and distribution through approved BMW M Motorsport dealers for the first time, we will be addressing an even wider target group in the future and tapping into a booming sector. I’m delighted that we are also able to break into this market with the BMW M2 CS Racing and expand our customer racing offering. Customer racing at BMW has never been as diverse as it will be as of next season,” said Marquardt.

BMW M2 CS on the road at 450 hp.

In the BMW M2 CS road car, the dual charged six-cylinder in-line engine based on the power unit of the BMW M4 Competition achieves 450 hp (331 kW). The power is unleashed perfectly onto the racetrack and the road via the standard 6-speed manual transmission or the optional 7-speed M dual-clutch gearbox, the adaptive M racing suspension previously reserved for the BMW M4 models, as well as cup tyres. The standard M racing brakes with painted red brake callipers or the optional M carbon ceramic brakes ensure the car slows down suitably.

In the interior, the lightweight M racing seat from the BMW M4 CS, with Merino and Alcantara leather covers, provide the driver with the perfect support even when they are bumped on the racetrack. The optional M sports steering wheel with an exclusive Alcantara covering, which like in a racing car has a red mark at the 12 o’clock position, gives that direct racing feeling.

Endurance tests at the Nordschleife already passed.

The race car BMW M2 CS Racing has an intensive period of testing behind it. After initial outings at Miramas (FRA) and Portimão (POR) came the first appearance in race conditions at the fifth round of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring. At the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the most demanding racetrack in the world, BMW Motorsport Junior Beitske Visser (NED) and Jörg Weidinger (GER), test and development engineer at BMW M GmbH and a very successful participant in the BMW Sports Trophy over many years himself, completed the first endurance test and provided the engineers with valuable insights under race conditions. Further outings at the ‘Green Hell’ came in the seventh and ninth round of the VLN.