The wraps have finally come off the 2026 BMW M2 CS, the highest-performing 2 Series coupe so far that offers 523 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque in a compact and sporty package. It’s so powerful that BMW couldn’t even give it a manual transmission. But with other models in the BMW lineup getting the CSL treatment, has BMW left room at the top for something even more special to come from the M2 family in the future? The answer isn’t “no,” which makes us think it’s more likely than not to happen by the end of the decade.
- Base Trim Engine
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3.0-L inline-6 twin-turbo
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
Won’t Say “No,” But Won’t Say “Yes,” Either
During last week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, BMW Blog had the opportunity to ask BMW M’s head of development, Dirk Häcker, about the possibility of different M2 variants coming in the future, namely a future lightweight CSL trim, and the answer was reassuring: “I think it’s one of the options we can perhaps discuss in the next years because we have started with the car two years ago. It could be an option. The point is, what is the next big step to increase performance? It’s possible, but there’s no decision to do that.”
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CSL Wouldn’t Be Next In Performance Progression
It’s likely that the next step in M2 performance progression would be an xDrive all-wheel drive version, which is also said to be in active consideration, if not already in development on some level. It would follow the trend of how BMW has approached the M4, M4 Competition xDrive, and the limited-edition M4 CSL over recent years. Reports in March indicated an M2 xDrive was underway in development, but Häcker more recently claimed that no final decision had been made just yet. If the car is happening, it could debut by the end of this year.
We’ve Already Seen A Failed M2 CSL Before
But beyond that, there would still be room for BMW to develop a lighter-weight M2 CSL, which would likely delete the rear seating like in the BMW M4 CSL, remove more weight, and possibly even boost power a little bit more. The M4 CSL with a similar power setup is good for 543 hp, for example, and it’s likely the M2 CSL will keep a rear-wheel drive layout for weight savings, and an automatic gearbox, as not even the M2 CS gets a stick shift. Pricing would be solidly six-figures, as the new M2 CS already starts above $98,000, before any fun or performance options are ticked.
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BMW already made a previous-gen M2 CSL, but it was a one-off that the company kept a secret until 2022, and was never sent to production. The current BMW 2 Series and M2 are expected to stick around until at least 2029, if not longer, so there’s plenty of time for BMW to make a decision on future performance models and get them in development and on sale by decade’s end. There appears to be a healthy market for the hottest BMWs.
Source: BMW Blog
