It's no secret anymore that the M2 CS will be launched this month and produced next year. Very recently BMW M boss Markus Flasch coined it as "probably the most crisp and pure BMW M model we have launched in quite some time" and "it's phenomenal and drives like a race car with license plates" (see
here).
The future will tell whether this new kid on the [COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]/[/COLOR][COLOR="Blue"]/[/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]/[/COLOR]M block lives up to its high expectations. Based on what I know so far, I trust that the M2 CS is bound to become a very desirable BMW M car, a quintessential automotive gem setting a new beemer bliss benchmark: a properly sized, fast & powerful rear-wheel drive 4-seater with great driving dynamics, fine-tuned reliable 3.0 6-cyl powerhouse, cool design & presence, decent boot space, creature comforts and available with manual gear stick & M-DCT. You can comfortably drive your partner + two kids to the circuit, lap the circuit and all return home again with a smile, including a stop to pick up groceries. Quite practical and versatile/multipurpose.
Moreover, the M2 CS will also be one of the last models before BMW and BMW M fully implement the new 'design language' of big front end grilles. Very likely the last generation at the gates of the future era of 'grillefication', electrification, more front-wheel drive & all-wheel drive, more automatic/ZF transmission, less 6-cylinder & exhaust drama and further tightened regulations. And, hence, IMHO the M2 CS stands a good chance to be reputed as 'vintage'/'classic' in the future (so-called 'future classic'), a pinnacle car tech toy with still an 'analog' twist (instead of going fully digital) facilitating emotional connection.
But it risks to be a challenge to get hold of an allocation (build slot) (2200 cars worldwide, all built in 2020), features a peculiar Bavarian blue launch color and an immodest price-tag for a BMW 2er.
Unlike the E46 M3 CSL (SMGII), E92 M3 GTS, E90 M3 CRT, E92 DTM Champion Edition (Spengler), F82 M4 GTS, F82 DTM Champion Edition (Wittmann), F82 M4 CS, F80 M3 CS and F82 Heritage Edition, manual transmission will be available as standard feature on the M2 CS. BMW M boss Flash confirmed last Summer - in a general way about BMW M cars - that currently no plans exist to discontinue the manual gearbox (see for example
here). However, almost certainly we won't see the M-DCT on the next generation M2 (G87). The M-DCT is on its way out.