If you remember a while back, BMW told everyone that the BMW M2 Competition couldn’t do more than 405 horsepower because the intake of air through the front end was limited. Well, as it turns out, BMW either came up with a new solution or lied to our face as the latest rumor puts the 2021 BMW M2 CS at 445 horsepower! That’s an 80-horsepower bump over the standard M2 and a 40-horsepower bump over the M2 Competition. The rumor that comes courtesy of Bimmerpost also claims that the CS is set to be the official moniker of the M2 on steroids.

The 2021 BMW M2 CS Will be Extreme

As of the time of this writing, BMW has been rather quite about official information regarding the M2 CS – the powerhouse that will sit at the top of the M2 lineup. It should feature the same S55, 3.0-liter, inline-six found in the M2 competition, but BMW has somehow managed to pump those output figures up to as much as 445 horsepower – 40 more than previously deemed possible due to the M2’s smaller grilles up front.

To put all of this into perspective, I want to point out why pushing the M2 CS to 445 horsepower is such a bold move for BMW. It’s great that it’ll finally open this compact up to the power that it deserves, but it also puts it dangerously close into M3 and M4 territory. Actually, let me correct that, it puts it firmly into M3 territory and just on the edge of M4 Territory. As of now, the M3, in standard guise, delivers 425 horsepower, which is enough for a 3.9-second sprint to 60 mph and a limited top speed of 155 mph. The M4, the marginally larger two-door cousin of the M3, manages to pump out 444 horsepower with the competition package – 1 pony less than what the M3 CS is said to deliver when it hits showrooms in 2021. After all, the M2 Competition tips the scales at 3,600 pounds with a manual transmission – 25 pounds less than the M4 Competition.

As of now, Bimmerpost reports that the M2 CS will come standard with a carbon fiber roof, so that should shave off some weight, and the interior will likely be a mix of leather and Alcantara. There will be four color choices available with Misano Blue being a new addition to the offering. We should see the 2021 BMW M2 CS for the first time toward the end of 2019 with production set to begin in 2020 and deliveries taking place in the last quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021 as a 2021 model.

2019 BMW M2 Competition Drivetrain Specifications

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 BMW M2 CS.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW M2 Competition.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M2.