All posts in “BMW M2 CS”

Best of the Current BMW Model Lineup

BMW continues to be a globally trusted brand when it comes to consistently delivering exceptional luxury sports cars.

In their pursuit of being a leader in innovation and design, the Bavarian company is ever-present around the world with production facilities in 15 countries and a massive global sales network. This has enabled them to keep their finger on the pulse of the many markets they participate in, bolstering their commitments to continually improve their products.

Despite their ongoing evolution, the lineup of BMW vehicles remains familiar and recognizable – with the BMW M series of cars continuing to showcase the company’s high-performance offerings. Other cars, such as the BMW Z4 and BMW i8 offer more unique tastes from the brand; respectively bringing to life, the company’s philosophy in roadster and hybrid form.

For 2021, BMW has opted not to unsettle the status quo too much, with virtually all models remaining largely unchanged since 2020. This is with one key exception though, in that a newly designed M3/M4 (also available in Competition trim) has been released this year. The incoming products ushered in the 6th generation of BMW’s most popular performance model.

Like any of the other mainstream car manufacturers today, BMW is hunkering down on being innovative in order to stay relevant. The next generation of BMW vehicles is set to diversify the brand with a number of new performance and all-electric vehicle debutants – such cars are already available for pre-orders, so there will indeed be something for everyone.

Here are the best brand new BMW models you can purchase today.

BMW M3/M4 Competition

2021 BMW M3 and M4

BMW has refreshed the M3 sedan and M4 coupe for 2021, and the 6th-gen siblings remain as driver-focused as ever. By not caving in to conventional wisdom – and in doing so, honoring the wishes of its enthusiast fanbase – BMW is offering the base versions of the cars with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. By all important metrics, the M3/M4 are superior cars to their predecessors in every regard; a bump in power, a better chassis, fresh styling, and more luxuries all coming together in a very formidable looking and high-performing package.

The Competition version of the incoming generation is going to be my pick of the lot. Besides the notable increase in power and torque over the regular M3/M4, the Competition models will exclusively have the option of adding xDrive all-wheel drive. BMW has promised that the rear-biased system will offer all of the traction benefits, without any drawbacks on the thrill-o-meter. Inevitably, the potent power plant was decidedly a better match for the 8-speed M Steptronic transmission. While this may not be the purists’ first choice, the Competition models are better equipped for those who find lap times to be the more pressing matter at hand.

BMW M2 CS

2021 BMW M2 CS

The BMW M2 CS is the company’s interpretation of the ultimate sport compact car – and it’s a pretty damn good one at that. As a step above the already capable M2 Competition, the CS offers more power and improved performance. Oh, and a manual transmission too. Automotive purists, rejoice! The M2 CS also comes with slightly tweaked looks, and is the smallest super-fast sports car from BMW right now. The car features a twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine that makes 444 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque – that’s a bump of 34 additional horsepower over the Competition model.

It looks to be the perfect car for track-junkies who are also purists; the M2 CS has all the attributes to be clipping apexes with aplomb, while providing those perpetually satisfying 3-pedal gear shifts that few cars being produced today are capable of. As a quintessential M car, the M2 Competition still comes with enough practicality to be a great daily driver, too.

BMW i4 M50 xDrive

2022 BMW i4 M50

In the introduction, we mentioned that electrification is the next step towards BMW’s vision for the future; it appears that this future is now upon us, and that this vision is now a reality. The BMW i4 M50 xDrive is one of a number of fully electric BMW vehicles set to debut in the short term. The M50 has the distinction of being the very first (and only, for now) BMW EV to part of the M family. With that said, you can be confident that this car will have all of the performance credentials required for it to be a contemporary within this distinguished group of automobiles.

The easiest comparison that can be made with the sporty sedan is that it offers M3-like performance with an all-electric drivetrain. An 84 kWh battery pack and two electric motors, through which 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque can be produced certainly backs up those claims, while putting it in direct competition with the Porsche Taycan 4S and Audi e-tron GT. BMW has also claimed range figures of around 250 miles, compared to 300 miles that the more tame and economical i4 eDrive40 (the platform on which the M50 is based) is capable of. The BMW i4 M50 xDrive is not on public roads yet, but you can certainly order one today. The base price of the M50 is around $4,000 less than the entry-level M3 – something to ponder, while we wait for deliveries to begin early in 2022.

BMW M5 CS

2021 BMW M5 CS

If you’re in the market for an M5, it’s really a no brainer – for us, anyway – to spend the wee-bit extra to step up to the M5 Competition. Just a touch more powerful, the M5 Competition comes with 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Where you really get your money’s worth is through the stiffer dampers, stiffer anti-roll bars, and a .28” lower ride height. All things considered the M5 Competition is a sharper, stiffer, and an even more performance-oriented version of the M5.

The Competition model gets a new full Merino leather color scheme, a new Track drive mode, and new shock absorbers. These dampers benefit from a recalibrated control system that BMW says should improve ride comfort, especially at high speeds. Still not enough? Well, there also happens to be a new range-topping CS model for the M5 which puts out an additional 10 hp, for a grand total of 627 hp. That’s nothing to write home about, but where the CS truly begins to differentiate itself is on the scales; it’s some 230 lbs less than the Competition model, thanks in large part to a strict diet of carbon fiber.

BMW X5/X6 M

BMW X6 M Competition

More practical than the M5 sedan, the 2021 BMW X5 M is a beast that can easily handle any family-oriented duties you can throw at it. Ignore anyone that tells you these are “track capable” performance SUVs – even in the optional Competition trim – because nobody spending this kind of money is keen to take it to a track. What they are however, is serious performance, packaged in an luxury SUV body that has coupe-like agility. It might be more of a kid hauler than a weekend warrior, but it’s epic all the same.

Like the X5 M, the 2021 X6 M is available in both regular and Competition trims, and is mechanically identical to its sibling. Both the non-Competition models make 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. When in Competition trim, the SUVs crank out 617 horsepower and the same 553 lb-ft torque. Sound familiar? That’s because they’re equipped with the same engine used in the M5 Competition. Even more epic. Updates for 2021: Mechanically unchanged, with some new standard features such as Android Auto. Previously optional items such as roof rails, night vision, and rear-seat entertainment have been eliminated, however.

2020 BMW M2 CS Review

The BMW M2 CS: this is the one I’ve been waiting for. When I first drove the M2 in early 2016, I was perplexed by the choice BMW M made to not drop the M3/4 engine into the M2. A remedy arrived in 2018 with the M2 Competition and the introduction of the S55 from the F80 & F82. On the launch I questioned BMW M directors as to why there was no option of adaptive dampers in the baby M car. It was openly discussed that it was a key differentiator between the M2 and it’s bigger brothers with which it shared an engine. 

The M3 and M4 are no longer in production and finally, the M2 can be uncorked without fear of it showing up the big boys – meet the M2 CS. It’s got the same S55 as the now discontinued M2 Competition, but it’s putting out the same 444bhp as the F80/82 (up from 404), torque remains unchanged at 406lb ft. As mentioned, it comes with the welcome addition of adaptive dampers and even a carbon roof which is constructed using a stunning chequer board weave. Furthermore, carbon ceramics can be optioned for the first time on an M2 and that’s not where the carbon ends. Inside there are massive lengths of the shiny stuff on both sides of the central tunnel and door handles. Back on the outside, the entire bonnet is carbon and vented, the entire is part is a carbon copy of the one used for the CS Clubsport customer racing car. At the back there is a sizeable spoiler made of carbon that is so tall it can be seen in the rear view mirror. Furthermore, the front splitter and rear diffuser are also constructed out of motorsport inspired material.

Enough of the brochure talk, what is the M2 CS like to drive? It is certainly a step on from the M2 Competition and a large part of that is down to the dampers. As with the steering and engine, there are three settings – Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus, Sport being the default setting when firing the car up. Comfort is where thing are noticeably different, the secondary ride relating to the handling of lumps and bumps brings a new level of composure to the M2 and the way it handles itself when attacking a bumpy road.

Where the original M2 would be bouncing around like a rabbit on a pogo stick, the M2 CS remains calm and collected bringing greater confidence levels which allow the fun to continue over less accommodating tarmac. Sport is well judged and deployable on a good road surface, Sport Plus is best reserved for the track. The engine and dual-clutch transmission are as brilliant as in the Competition but with an added punch in the sportier modes. For those looking for freedom from the electronic nannies, the M Dynamic Mode allows for more slip’n’slide in the M2 CS before cutting in to stop you making it into a YouTube crash compilation. That being said, you’ll have to be on your worst behaviour to unstick the CS now that it is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber that makes the a significant difference over an M2 Competition and its Pilot Sport 4S compound. The optional carbon ceramics are supreme and the gold callipers look fabulous, to my eyes anyway. 

Much like the M2 Competition, this car wants to be driven hard. The harder you push the M2 CS the more you can feel the additional hardware at work. After my first spirited drive I was not convinced and wanted more, it felt like an M2 Competition. A 5am spanking the next morning revealed just how impressive it is when you really put the M2 CS through the wringer. The front axle grip is beyond belief, turn it in and grips and goes. This is an M2 turned up to 11.

But it is not perfect. The Comfort steering mode is too light and Sport too heavy, Sport plus is best left unused. The interior could be more exciting, the main difference in the CS is the removal of the armrest along with its storage space and the added carbon and alcantara. The steering wheel is still very thick, it can be forgiven as the seating position is sublime. The most significant gripe is the disappointing exhaust tone, although the same can be said for almost any car fitted with particulate filters. 

All up, the changes are significant, but there is an elephant in the room. The M3 & M4 CS were released with a hefty premium over the standard models. The used market for these cars reflects what many believe to be their true values. When new the M4 CS without costly options such as ceramic brakes, cost £87,150. A 5,000 mile used M4 CS can be yours for £57,000 just two years on. The production run of the M2 CS is limited by time not a set number, the base price is £72,600 before options. After adding a the DCT box, carbon ceramics, electric seats and reverse camera, the car I tested came in at an eye watering £83,260 with taxes and fees. That puts it in the direct line of fire of a Cayman GT4, although the GT4 arguably appeals to a different audience with no rear seats and mid-engined layout.  

Without a doubt, the M2 CS is an incredibly exciting proposition. It is one of the best M products I have ever driven, the move from passive to adaptive dampers combined with the boost in power and addition of Michelin Cup 2s really has brought out the best in the M2 chassis. I suspect I would be walking into a BMW dealer to register my interest if I had been given the manual press car to play with, but the price tag sours the package. If the rumours are true and production numbers are very limited, this may become a collectors special. If you can swallow the price and fancy an incredible drivers car, go out and get one – preferably in Misano Blue with gold wheels. If it isn’t justifiable for you, don’t fret, an M2 Competition will give you almost as much joy for substantially less cash. BMW have done brilliantly with the M2 CS (and the Competition). Let’s see what the next generation M2 has to offer, it has big boots to fill.