BMW M2 CS review

Top Gear would never advocate buying a car as an appreciating investment, in the same way we’d rather buy a bar of chocolate and eat it before it melts instead of hanging onto it because of a limited-edition wrapper. That being said, the M2 CS ought to maintain its value like an advent calendar filled with gold bullion. Its grandad, the 1M Coupe, has barely depreciated since launch, and though the CS costs twice as much, it’s going to be rare. 

Though not strictly a ‘limited edition’ - BMW will build as many as time allows before the factory shuts down to tool up for the next 2 Series Coupe, that’ll happen in autumn 2020, and the disruption wrought by the global COVID-19 pandemic will have hampered builds - it’s a true last-of-the-line event.

Even if you miss out first time, finding one in your chosen spec shouldn’t be a chore on the second-hand scene. BMW’s only offering three colours: blue, black and white. The gorgeous forged rims come in only gold or black. The cabin? Any colour you like, so long as it’s black with M tricolour highlights. 

Besides that, most of the kit you can possibly throw at a 2er is lobbed in, besides inessential tech like a reversing camera or electric seats. The main options are steel or ceramic brakes (look for blue or gold calipers), and whether to have two or three pedals in the footwell. 

We’ve driven the deeply impressive DCT auto, which really adds to the sense the M2 CS could be your everyday superhero runabout. But something tells us that for ultimate future classic M car status, you’re going to want the six-speed stick. 

BMW claims 28mpg, which is doable with some effort. In fact, we almost saw 30mpg on a long trip, but somewhere around 22mpg is more the usual result. And sub-teens if you really work the engine. It is, after all, not an especially light car. CO2 emissions are just under 230g/km, about the same as you get from a Porsche 911 Carrera, with its own turbo’d six-pot.