Quote:
Originally Posted by Nantucket
IMO,there is no way that BMW will have two different engines in the MY18 M2.If an M2 CSL gets the S55,so will the regular M2.Remember,the E46 M3 CSL had the same S54 engine as the regular E46 M3.They just twaeked it to increase the horsepower to 360.Who even knows for sure if there will be an M2 CSL.The upgraded MY18 M2 could just have the competition package.
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If BMW intends to make the M2 CSL a specialty model (like the M4 GTS), I wouldn't find it surprising at all. I also wouldn't find it surprising to see the price tag at >$90k.
I expanded on why in a post from the other M2 CSL thread:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bradleyland
I think we can look to the past to understand what BMW will do with this car.
It sounds like this car is going to get a designation: M2 CS, M2 GTS, etc. Contrast this to standard series production models like the M4 with the ZHP package. Colloquially, we call this the M4 ZHP or M4 CP, or M4 Comp Pkg, but as far as BMW are concerned, it's an M4 with an option package. This is very different from specialty models like the M4 GTS, or even (recent) historical models like the E46 M3 CSL, E92 M3 GTS, or E90 M3 CRT.
All of the historical examples we have of specialty models — cars with their own model, not just an option package — were limited run cars with a price bump to reflect their limited run status.
If this model gets the S55 and a special model designation like M2 CSL/GTS/etc, I think we can also expect to see a limited run and pricing to match.
Strategically, these models work for BMW in two ways:
They create a halo car within the model-line. You can certainly go much further back, but the E46 M3 CSL is a good example of this strategy. That car is widely regarded as one of the best drivers cars of its time.
They create a price anchor for high-end BMW products. BMW needs consumers to remain accustomed to the idea that BMW is a premium brand. Selling-out models at $130k helps maintain that idea.
So treating history as a template for the future, I think it's pretty easy to predict that the M2 CS/CSL/GTS/etc will be limited-run, and will carry a price tag that makes sense for BMW, but not so much enthusiasts.
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The costs associated with using an S55 in the M2 CSL and the N55 in the base M2 aren't that high. BMW's production facilities are highly optimized for this sort of production. When you consider the price premium associated with historical specialty models, it makes even more sense.