BMW M According to the global boss, model buyers don’t shop between M vehicles from the brand’s performance division – meaning the model range doesn’t cannibalize itself by being too close together in terms of performance.
The latest model is the M2 CS – the third ‘Competition Sport’ model in local showrooms and priced above the standard M2 – which costs $172,900 (excluding on-road costs), making it more than a standard BMW M3.
The M2 CS brings a weight saving of 30kg over the standard M2 and is offered only in rear-wheel drive, with the same (limited) top speed of 302km/h as all other CS models.
The smallest and cheapest M car also accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds – while the M3 CS Touring takes 3.5 seconds and the M4 CS is a tenth of a second faster at 3.4 seconds.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
Nevertheless, at 229.4 kW/t, the M2 CS is less than a kilowatt below the flagship M4 CS’s power-to-weight ratio of 230.11 kW/t (based on Euro specifications).
It’s also just 3.6 seconds slower on the 20.832-kilometer Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany, with its lap time of 7:25.53 far compared to the M4 CS’s time of 7:21.989.
All of this costs $82,000 less than the M4 CS, which costs $254,900 before on-road costs.
But buyers don’t buy between CS models based on price, says M Division boss Frank van Meel when asked if the similar performance on paper between the trio sold here is a problem for customers.
“No, it’s the same with the regular M cars,” explained Mr. van Meel.
“Sometimes people tell me, ‘I don’t want an M2, I want an M3 because I need four doors and I want the kids in the back seats’. So it’s like this: first you make the choice of which car you like, and then you go to extremes.”
“It’s not like you look at all three (CS) cars – M2 CS, M3 and M4 CS – and then try to compare and say which is the best, because each of these cars has its own specific positioning in terms of design and performance.”
“I think that’s why ChatGPT doesn’t give you the answer you want when you ask to choose the best,” Mr van Meel added.
The M boss said price was not a significant factor in the CS customer’s choice, as the rarity and extra power were a draw, but again buyers would be drawn to a particular model.
“I don’t think there is a typical customer in the world, but the M2 customer clearly wants this model. Sometimes we have customers who said, ‘I didn’t get an M3 CS because numbers were limited’ and then tried to get the next special model,” he said.
“Because one of the main reasons for buying a CS is always – it’s a special model, and people want the CS, and then within that there’s a desire for a special model, let’s say a slightly larger car like an M3 or M4, or the smaller one, like the M2.”
“Of course we have a different character – if you look at the cars from the outside – the M2 is the more maneuverable car, it looks smaller with the duck tail. The M3 makes a meaner impression – if you look at the front end, it’s clearly the front end of a racing car, like the M4 GT3.”
“It’s more of a personal taste, I would say. It’s not that – there is a segment of customers who are limited by their budget – maybe it’s a thing I don’t know – but it’s mostly a personal taste and the type of car you want to be identified with.”
MORE: All BMW M2 • M3 • M4
