BMW has just dropped a shadowy image of the new M2
CS Racing, some 24 hours prior to the regular M2 CS’ (yes, that’s the
street-legal model you will soon be able to buy and drive) premiere. The Germans didn’t have anything
new to say about the racer at this point, other than sharing this short
statement: “Born on the road. Beast on the track. The new BMW M2 CS Racing.
Stay tuned for more.”
What we do know is that the M2 CS Racing will
replace the M240i Racing, itself being a successor to the previous M235i
Racing, with the first customer cars slated to arrive in the second quarter of
2020. Instead of being a fully stripped out track special, the M2 CS
Racing’s road-going twin will keep the regular model’s four-seat layout, but it
will undergo a strict diet through a series of measures. Among others, these
will include skinnier seats, basic equipment in the interior, and the
replacement of the steel roof with a carbonfiber one, keeping its weight under
1,550 kg while also giving it a lower center of gravity.
Other changes brought to the M2 CS will be an
aerodynamic package comprised of a deeper and more pronounced front bumper,
different side sills, redesigned rear bumper and a larger rear spoiler,
together with lighter wheels and a re-turned suspension with new components. Combined with the weight loss is
a healthy bump in power for the S55–codenamed 3.0-liter twin-turbo’d
inline-six, from 404 hp in the M2 Competition, to a rumored 444 hp.
Following its online presentation this week, the new
M2 CS is expected to have its world premiere on stage at this month’s LA Auto
Show.
