The 2026 BMW M2 CS Is a MotorTrend Record Breaker

How the wild M2 CS stacks up with other historical BMWs our expert drivers have tested.

Since the 1997 M3, MotorTrend has put 84 BMW M cars through our instrumented testing regimen. Not BMWs with M parts and badges, but real M cars. Their performance has progressed with time, continually elevating the acceleration, braking, and handling that makes these vehicles enthusiast favorites.

Now, nearly 30 years later, a somewhat unexpected M car raises the bar again for BMW’s Motorsport division. The 2026 M2 CS isn’t particularly powerful or prominent in the pantheon of BMW’s performance legends, but it laid down record-setting results during recent testing. Key results from our testing database show how capable the M2 CS is against its storied forebears.

Acceleration

Equipped with the eight-speed automatic, the standard G87-generation BMW M2 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The M2 CS cuts the sprint down to 3.2 seconds. Although that isn’t record-setting, it’s impressive for a rear-wheel-drive car; aside from the M2 CS and M4 CSL, the top five acceleration times for BMW Ms are set by cars with xDrive all-wheel drive.

A quarter-mile time of 11.2 seconds at 127.1 mph also keeps the M2 CS among the top five BMW M drag racers.

Braking

A 60–0-mph braking distance of under 100 feet is excellent, and the M2 CS stops shorter than that to tie for first among BMWs. Granted, this test car was equipped with $8,500 carbon-ceramic brakes; the G87 M2 with standard brakes is just a few feet behind and still lists within the top five shortest stopping distances.

Skidpad

Grip is a hallmark of BMW M tuning—and the M2 CS is the grippiest. On our 200-foot-diameter skidpad, the M2 CS stuck to the pavement better than anything else to wear a blue-and-white roundel.

Figure Eight

Combining acceleration, braking, and cornering, our signature figure eight is any car’s ultimate test. This miniaturized racetrack measures overall capability, and the M2 CS comes out on top as the best comprehensive performer in BMW M history. It posts the fastest lap and highest average lateral g number of any BMW—by quite a margin.

Weight to Power Ratio

This isn’t exactly a test measure, but with lightweighting such a focus of the M2 CS, it seemed worth mentioning. BMW says the CS is 97 pounds lighter than the regular M2, and the carbon-ceramic brakes on this test car cut another 40 pounds. Right on target, it weighed 3,699 pounds, about 150 pounds lighter than a standard G87 M2.