The current BMW M2, one of the greatest new sports cars you can buy, is nearing its end as the next generation draws nearer. That means it was time for BMW to launch a special CS edition, which the Bavarians duly delivered.
The CS badge stands for Club Sport, which in turn means just about the most extreme version of that car that money can buy. In the M2's case, the differences from the Competition model aren't that great, but if the specs alone aren't enough to justify the price hike, then there's always the exclusivity to consider as well.
Compared to the Competition, the M2 CS gets an extra 40 horsepower from the three-liter straight-six turbocharged engine to boost the output to 450 hp. That may not sound like a lot but bear in mind it's exactly the same level of power as BMW's counterpart in this test gets from a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine. Granted, that's a highly de-tuned version of Jaguar's top engine which can get up to 575 hp.
Speaking of the Jaguar, the British coupe also has all-wheel-drive (as opposed to BMW's RWD setup) and an eight-speed automatic gearbox (six-speed manual in the BMW). The F-Type can be had in rear-wheel-drive flavor as well - cutting the price significantly in the process - but the automatic is there to stay no matter what.
Apart from both being two-door coupes, the two cars have more separating them than bringing them together. The BMW is clearly built from track use, whereas the Jaguar is the embodiment of a Grand Tourer. That's precisely why the test devised by Tiff Needell and the guys at Lovecars includes both lapping a short and technical track and taking them out on Britain's country roads.
Between the heavy steering, the thick steering wheel, and that manual gearbox, Tiff has a bit of a workout in the BMW on the track. In the end, his best effort sits at 45.7. The Jaguar F-Type had a more difficult time on the track with its extra weight and tendency to mix understeering with oversteering proving tricky to deal with. Still, the sleek-looking coupe manages to be just 0.8 seconds slower than the track-focused BMW, which is more than satisfactory.
It's the road, then, where we'll get a winner. Here, it's the BMW M2's turn to surprise and impress. That firmness displayed on the track is nowhere near as disturbing as one might expect thanks to the adaptive suspension system and its various settings. So, who wins it? As always, you'll have to watch the clip to find out. And enjoy Tiff's hooning about while you're at it.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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