Today

BMW M2 CS bests RS3 with new 'ring lap record

Make your own jokes about the M2 being compact, but sub-7:30 is one seriously fast 2 Series

---

The back and forth over recent years between Audi and BMW in the battle for Nurburgring supremacy has been fun to follow. As a reminder, the RS3 claimed a record for the Compact car sector in 2021 with a 7:40.748; the current M2 then took a couple of seconds from that with a 7:38.706 in 2023, which Audi surpassed last year with an updated RS3 laying down a 7:33.123 gauntlet. Now that’s been gazumped by BMW once more, with a stunning 7:25.50 achieved by the new M2 CS. Don’t forget that’s on the new 20.832km loop as well (as all the above laps were as well), so on the old configuration that saw so many laps run it’d be a couple of seconds quicker still. 

Jörg Weidinger, a BMW M development engineer, was driving the CS - he was the man behind the wheel for the original M2 lap in 2023. So there’s no difference in the driver. And while a CS is 70hp stronger than that first G87, it’s not very much lighter; to be 13 seconds faster on a 13-mile lap looks impressive. BMW suggests that the lap ‘also further solidifies BMW M's reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance vehicles that excel both on the road and on the racetrack.’

Indeed 7:25 makes the M2 faster than the M3 equivalent (7:28.760) and almost 10 seconds faster than an M3 Touring (7:35.060). BMW hasn’t confirmed whether the CS was running the optional ceramic brakes (£8,800 in the UK) or the ‘ultra track’ tyres (£2,500), though you’d have to assume so for a record attempt. Even if that makes for a £108,000 M2… 

"The BMW M2 CS has achieved a significant milestone with its lap time of 7:25.5 minutes on the Nordschleife, showcasing the potential for combining performance, technology and exceptional driving dynamics into a single vehicle," said Franciscus van Meel, MD of M. “We are proud that the M2 CS has once again set a new benchmark in the compact car class with this lap time.” Customers will be able to experience that benchmark later in 2025. Your move, Audi…

---

• Is this the last truly great, rear-drive M car?
  
• BMW M2 (G87) vs. Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

[WCZ]

faster than a Pagani Zonda F Clubsport and a Ferrari Enzo in a 2 series!

[pb8g09]

That ducktail spoiler makes such a difference to the rear end.

Ballistically fast. I’d love one at some point.

[MDL111]

so it is 25 seconds (or like 5%) faster than the >20 year old M3 CSL (on a I assume nowadays faster track and on probably much faster tyres). I am not sure how impressive that really is.

[MDL111]

at that money, I'd rather own the CSL - it sounds much better and is also much prettier imo

[GeniusOfLove]

Certainly see a lot of absolutel ring(pieces) driving them both, so that's appropriate

[Angelo1985]

Nice, now they just need to make cars that are nice to look at again.
I wouldn’t buy any of them, if I was looking for that kind of car. They’re just odd.

[CG2020UK]

Ridiculously quick.

For an ‘entry level’ M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

[T1berious]

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

I agree but I'd also say how much tyre tech has progressed.

I wonder how those lighter cars mentioned in the article would perform with modern rubber and modern ceramic brakes?

Great achievement but even an enthusiast reaches a point of almost ambivalence when it comes to Nürburgring lap times.

Think I'd be more excited to see some better looking cars from BMW.

[Pereldh]

Wow! Even a little faster than a 2016 Alfa

[Wills2]

7 seconds faster than the QF and that will be tyres everything else is pretty similar.

[MDL111]

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

bit unfair to call it entry level, it is a proper M-car and a CS no less

nowadays entry level are all the cars where they just add an M to the name, basically a trim level - cars I would not call an M regardless of what BMW is saying

[Juan B]

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

At £108,000

It is impressive though. Be interesting to see the lap records at various new car price points regardless of class, but even then I suppose this would be up there.

[MDL111]

I saw a black standard M2 yesterday and in the metal (and in black) it does look a lot better than in pictures. The M3 Touring (also black) parked on the next street looked a lot better to my eyes, but the M2 definitely looked purposeful, albeit still not exactly pretty

[JJJ.]

I wouldn't care if it was 30s slower than the Audi, it gets my vote but the Alfa or CTR would get my money.

[Frankychops]

Juan B said:

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

At £108,000

It is impressive though. Be interesting to see the lap records at various new car price points regardless of class, but even then I suppose this would be up there.

I don’t see 108k for a bmw 2 series as progress. I guess the estate agents have no excuse for turning up late now.

[GreatScott2016]

Fantastic achievement, congratulations BMW. Ultimately though, something else will come along shortly and inevitably go faster. However, in the real world, speed is only one factor in overall driver enjoyment and I’m sure that all the CS owners will love their cars whether it’s a second quicker or slower than its rivals

[cerb4.5lee]

MDL111 said:

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

bit unfair to call it entry level, it is a proper M-car and a CS no less

nowadays entry level are all the cars where they just add an M to the name, basically a trim level - cars I would not call an M regardless of what BMW is saying

It is still the bottom of the range/entry level BMW though, nothing wrong with that of course, but it still finds itself at the bottom though.

Bloody expensive for an entry level BMW though for sure!

[MDL111]

cerb4.5lee said:

MDL111 said:

CG2020UK said:

Ridiculously quick.

For an entry level M car that you can take the kids to school in that is ridiculously fast and shows how much cars have progressed.

bit unfair to call it entry level, it is a proper M-car and a CS no less

nowadays entry level are all the cars where they just add an M to the name, basically a trim level - cars I would not call an M regardless of what BMW is saying

It is still the bottom of the range/entry level BMW though, nothing wrong with that of course, but it still finds itself at the bottom though.

Bloody expensive for an entry level BMW though for sure!

yeah I specced one for fun on the German BMW webpage - at least there are not many options to choose from. I would not want the CCB brakes, but still 115k Euros. And I can't even get silver rims, they are all in that gold color. That is a lot of money for, as you say, the entry level M car.

[CG2020UK]

I do have entry level in quotation marks to highlight the irony don’t worry

Wonder if you’d need £40k to make a standard M2 as fast though

[Lekushe]

I have recently got a G87 and have never had as many compliments about my car as I have had with this toy. I also thought the car didn’t look the best in the pictures but fell in love when I saw it in person but everyone is different.