BMW M2 CS MotoGP Safety Car Is a Great Way to End the First-Gen M2
Kitted out in racing trim and sporting safety lights and a special livery, the M2 is always ready for track duty.
The first-generation BMW 2 Series just went out of production after a great run from 2014 to 2022, and some of the very last cars off the line were the excellent CS versions of the two-door coupe. Powered by the S55 out of the M3 as opposed to the tuned-up N55 they're normally equipped with, they're not only a joy to drive but extremely capable machines as well. As such, it makes sense that the racing version of the vehicle has been kitted up for use as the official MotoGP Safety Car.
The M2, equipped with a custom livery, safety lights, and other small changes, is actually just the latest in a more than two-decades-long tradition of BMW providing safety cars to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Since 1999, the Bavarian automaker has been providing the series with modified versions of its high-performance road cars to provide the essential on-track service. This latest car is just a continuation of a theme, then, but it also celebrates 50 years of BMW pumping up its regular passenger cars into something more special.
Now, the press release from BMW is a little light on details in terms of the safety car-specific changes, but the M2 CS Racing is a known quantity. Equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sending power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential, it has anywhere from 280 horsepower to 450 hp, depending on the series it's participating in. It also has a roll cage for extra stiffness and safety, as well as other race car goodies like a six-point harness, a fire suppression system, and integrated air jacks.
All of these things make it a turnkey safety car, minus some lights and a custom livery. Speaking of that livery, it's the classic BMW M colors applied to the car's body in a new unique way, with a decal across the top of the windscreen celebrating five decades of BMW performance machines. In the press release, both MotoGP's CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and BMW M's chief executive Franciscus van Meel congratulated each other on the length of the collaboration, as well as celebrating how long BMW M has been building performance cars. When the new MotoGP season starts in Qatar on March 6, we'll be excited to see this M2 out on the track.
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