BMW M2 CS at the 0–150–0-MPH Speed Test 2026

From the September/October 2026 issue of Car and Driver.

0–150–0 mph: 23.2 seconds

Base: $108,450 | As-Tested: $108,450 Power and Weight: 523 hp • 3719 lb • 7.1 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; F: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) ★, R: 285/30ZR-20 (99Y) ★ Brakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.0-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc

If the Bentley was the most pinkies-out of the competitors, the M2 CS was the gutter punk who snuck in through the back kitchen, drank all the champagne, and did the worm in the middle of the waltz.

With 523 horses spinning just the rear wheels, the M2’s launch control had a difficult job. Set the drive mode to Sport Plus, then hit DSC Off, which allows for the activation of launch control. Set the transmission in full-sport S3 mode, hold down the pedals, and wait as the BMW prepares launch control. When it’s ready, let go of the brake, and have faith that the enthusiastic wiggles from the back end will settle down and the car will commit to forward movement.

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Readers keep getting mad at us for describing the 3719-pound M2 CS as “small” and “light,” but the only cars that carried less mass in this grouping were the Elantra and the 750S. Even the 911 Turbo S weighed more. The M2 may not be a featherweight, but its comparative slimness helped it knock out the whole test in 3083 feet.

Back to 0–150–0 Speed Test 2026

Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2."  In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.