[VIDEO] BMW M3 CS Edges Out New M2 by 1.1s at French Circuit

Last month, Uwe Sener, a Sport Auto test driver, zoomed the BMW M2 G87 around France’s Anneau du Rhin circuit. He clocked an impressive 1 minute and 20.2 seconds. The second-generation M2 outclassed the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 and the spanking-new AMG C63 S E Performance. Yet, a recent trial at the same Biltzheim-adjacent track saw another BMW model outshining the second-generation M2.

With Uwe Sener at the helm, the M3 CS clocked in at 1 minute and 19.1 seconds. It’s a nifty 1.1 seconds speedier than the M2. Even though BMW provides a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic for its latest baby M model, Sener opted for the two-pedal version. Unfortunately, the super sedan is exclusively Steptronic, so a clutch pedal is not an option.

The M2 was equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Meanwhile, the M3 CS sported a grippier, yet still road-legal, set of Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slicks. Tyres play a crucial role when juxtaposing two scorching laps. So far, at Anneau du Rhin, only the KTM X-Bow GT-R, a hardcore, featherweight, track-centric beast, bested the four-door missile from Munich. It posted a blistering time of 1 minute and 17.9 seconds.

BMW is set to launch a spicy CS version of the M2 in 2024. This hopefully narrows the gap with the M3 CS. We wouldn’t be too gobsmacked if it zips around the French circuit even quicker. Also on the horizon is an M4 CS, slated for a 2019 release as part of a Life Cycle Impulse expected to introduce a slightly more sturdy xDrive variant.

On the topic of AWD, the swiftest M2 yet is anticipated to debut as an all-wheel-drive, automatic-only model later this decade, possibly as soon as 2026.