2026 BMW M2 CS Sets a New Nürburgring Record for a Compact Car
The lap was piloted by BMW M development engineer Jörg Weidinger, who maneuvered the M2 CS to an official lap time of 7:25.534.
Weidinger's new time is nearly eight seconds faster than the previous record holder and more than 13 seconds faster than the previous best M2.
Lap records at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit can be fleeting, but that doesn't make them any less impressive. The 2026 BMW M2 CS not only set a new lap record for compact cars around the famous German circuit but also demolished the previous record by nearly eight seconds.
BMW M development engineer Jörg Weidinger piloted the M2 CS to a time of 7:25.534, making it both the first M2 and the first compact car under the 7:30 mark. Weidinger's lap is nearly eight seconds faster than the 7:33.123 set by the Audi RS3, which formerly held the class record. It's also more than 13 seconds faster than the previous best time for an M2, with Weidinger setting a lap time of 7:38.706 in a standard M2 in 2023. Perhaps more impressive than either of those metrics, the new M2 CS's time is three seconds faster than the M3 CS's time set in 2023, despite being down 20 horsepower.
The base M2 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and makes 473 horsepower. Torque figures for the standard car are split based on transmission, with three-pedal cars rated at 406 pound-feet and two-pedal cars at 443 pound-feet. The M2 CS has significantly more gusto.
While it uses the same engine, the CS is rated at 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It's not just brawnier, the M2 CS is leaner than the base car too. Between the aluminum wheels, carbon buckets, and various other carbon bits and bobs, the CS is nearly 100 pounds lighter than the standard car.
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