BMW M has as soon as once more raised the bar for efficiency within the compact section, this time with the brand new 2025 BMW M2 CS. The most recent evolution of BMW’s smallest M automobile simply clocked an astonishing 7:25.5-minute lap time across the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife, making it the quickest compact automobile ever to lap the 20.832-kilometer circuit.
Behind the wheel for the document run was BMW M improvement engineer Jörg Weidinger, who additionally set the earlier M2 document again in April 2023. This newest time shaves an unbelievable 13 seconds off that effort and marks the primary time a compact automobile has damaged the 7:30 barrier on what’s sometimes called the “Inexperienced Hell.”
For context, this places the M2 CS proper within the ballpark of a number of the extra established mid-size efficiency machines from the M division. Vehicles just like the M4 CS, M3 CS, and M4 CSL have all dipped beneath 7:30, with the M4 CSL holding the present crown for a BMW Group manufacturing automobile at 7:18.137.
However the true story right here isn’t simply the lap time. It’s what the M2 CS represents for fanatics. BMW M has managed to distill the essence of its bigger, extra highly effective fashions right into a smaller, lighter package deal with out compromising on efficiency. Franciscus van Meel, Managing Director of BMW M GmbH, referred to as the lap a “vital milestone,” including that the automobile showcases BMW M’s capability to mix efficiency, expertise, and driving pleasure right into a single machine.
A lot of that efficiency comes from beneath the hood. The M2 CS is powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six engine with BMW M TwinPower Turbo expertise, producing 530 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque. That’s despatched to the rear wheels via an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, providing lightning-quick shifts whether or not you’re on a racetrack or a backroad.
BMW didn’t cease at horsepower, although. The M2 CS advantages from a bunch of upgrades geared toward turning it into a correct observe weapon. These embody model-specific engine mounts, adaptive M suspension, and a high-performance M compound brake system. The automobile additionally drops about 30 kilograms in comparison with the usual M2, due to intensive use of carbon fiber strengthened plastic all through the physique and inside.
Weight discount performs a key function within the automobile’s dealing with and stability, and the M2 CS comes commonplace with solid M light-alloy wheels to maintain unsprung mass to a minimal. Mixed with the tuned chassis and suspension setup, it’s no shock the M2 CS was in a position to conquer the Nordschleife in document time.
The Nürburgring itself is central to BMW M’s improvement course of. Each M automobile is examined extensively on the observe earlier than reaching manufacturing, and the Nordschleife’s mixture of high-speed sections, technical corners, and elevation adjustments makes it the final word proving floor. BMW has been tied carefully to the observe for over 25 years, with its M Check Centre positioned close by and quite a few victories within the Nürburgring 24-hour race beneath its belt.
Manufactured at BMW’s plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, the M2 CS can be a limited-production mannequin set to launch in late summer season 2025, with pricing beginning at €115,000 in Germany. Whereas official U.S. pricing hasn’t been introduced but, count on sturdy demand from collectors and track-day fanatics alike.
With this newest achievement, the M2 CS doesn’t simply maintain bragging rights over different compact automobiles — it reveals that BMW M continues to be laser-focused on delivering purist efficiency automobiles in an age of accelerating electrification and complexity. And for individuals who nonetheless crave the uncooked connection of a rear-wheel-drive, turbocharged, light-weight coupe, this one’s prone to be one thing particular.
