It’s only been a little over a month since the M2 CS broke cover, but the Competition Sport is already making headlines again. BMW is teasing an official Nürburgring lap time for the hottest G87 variant to date. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out how fast the rear-wheel-drive sports coupe lapped the Green Hell.
Judging by the video below, the hot lap was done with a near-production prototype. The camouflaged car suggests the M2 CS raced against the clock before its official debut at the end of May. So, how fast was it? An educated guess puts the time under 7 minutes and 38.7 seconds. The regular M2 set a lap in 2023 when it claimed the compact class record for the track’s longer 20.8-kilometer (12.9-mile) layout.
Since then, the Audi RS3 has taken that crown, clocking a 7:33.1 lap in 2024. We’ll soon see whether the M2 CS can reclaim the title for BMW. M Head of Development Dirk Häcker recently told us that the car is nearly as fast as the M4 CS.
The keyword is “nearly.” It wouldn’t make sense for the M2 CS to outperform its bigger sibling, so its time is likely slower than the M4 CS’s 7:21.9. It will also trail the M4 CSL, which managed an even better 7:18.1. The real target isn’t in BMW’s own stable, but from Audi Sport. After all, it wouldn’t look good if the M2 CS were slower than the RS3, would it?
To beat Ingolstadt’s inline-five compact sedan, the M2 CS needs to erase the 5.6-second gap between the regular M2 and the RS3. That seems within reach, considering the CS packs an extra 50 hp and 36 lb-ft (50 Nm) over the standard model. It’s also lighter by 30 kilograms in Europe and 97 pounds in the U.S. BMW has confirmed that the car will be offered with “ultra-track” tires, which should further enhance its performance around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Check back tomorrow for the official lap time. In the meantime, we’re betting it’ll land somewhere in the 7:30 to 7:32 range. If the M2 CSL becomes reality, it might even dip below the 7:30 mark. Unless that already happened with the CS.
Source: BMW M / Instagram
