THE new BMW M2 CS has set a new benchmark on the legendary Nordschleife racetrack of the Nurburgring.

Driven by BMW M development engineer Jorg Weidinger, it completed the 20.823-kilometre Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 7:25.5 minutes, beating the previous best time for compact cars by eight seconds.

This record-setting BMW M2 CS not only raises the bar in the compact car class, but also further solidifies BMW M's reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance vehicles that excel both on the road and on the racetrack.

"The BMW M2 CS has achieved a significant milestone with its lap time of 7:25.5 minutes on the Nordschleife, showcasing the potential for combining performance, technology and exceptional driving dynamics into a single vehicle," stated Franciscus van Meel, the managing director of BMW M. "We are proud that the M2 CS has once again set a new benchmark in the compact car class with this lap time.'

The previous best time for a BMW M2 model was set by Weidinger in April 2023, when he completed the course in 7:38.7 minutes. Two years later, he beat this time by 13 seconds, breaking the class record of 7:30 minutes for the first time.

With the newly set best time of 7:25.5 minutes, the BMW M2 CS demonstrates its performance as well as the innovative power and engineering skills of BMW M.

Previous record runs on the Nordschleife by the BMW M4 CS, the BMW M4 CSL and the BMW M3 CS, all mid-range vehicles, achieved times under 7:30 minutes. The BMW M4 CSL also holds the best lap time ever recorded for a BMW Group production car. The official, notarised time is 7:18.137 minutes.

The Nordschleife lap times are the gold standard for measuring a vehicle's sporting performance and driving dynamics.

Record runs are monitored by a neutral testing organisation, and the vehicles are checked to ensure they are in standard condition.

Manufactured at the BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, the BMW M2 CS is a limited edition model with a market launch planned for late summer 2025, priced at 115,000 euros in Germany which is around £99,000.