The BMW G87 M2 story might not be finished just yet.
BMW has already expanded the second-generation M2 far beyond the car we first saw in 2022. We've had the regular rear-wheel-drive M2, a power increase for the standard car, the limited-production M2 CS and, most recently, the introduction of the first factory BMW M2 xDrive.
Now, according to information shared by long-standing Bimmerpost insider ynguldyn, BMW could have one more version of the G87 M2 planned before the generation comes to an end. BMW itself hasn't confirmed what that car is, or even officially announced another derivative, so everything beyond the current M2 range remains speculation.
That leaves us with a particularly interesting question: what could the final BMW G87 M2 be?
A manual M2 CS? An even faster M2 CS xDrive? A special edition loaded with M Performance parts? Or could BMW finally go all the way and build an M2 CSL?
Having owned and modified a G87 M2 for more than three years, including carrying out our own xDrive conversion back in 2024, this is a subject we have more experience with than most.
What Do We Know About The Final G87 M2?
As of August 2026, the important distinction is between what BMW has actually announced and what is still rumour.
BMW M2 xDrive is official. BMW confirmed the first all-wheel-drive M2 in June 2026, with production beginning in August. It retains the 480 hp S58 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six but adds BMW's rear-biased M xDrive system and an official 0-62 mph time of 3.7 seconds. Drivers can also select a 2WD mode with DSC switched off.
The suggestion of another G87 M2 after xDrive is not official.
That information comes from ynguldyn's long-running Future BMW Models thread on Bimmerpost, where the August 2026 update states that there will be another version of the G87 M2. BMWBlog subsequently reported on the information, suggesting several possible directions BMW could take.
The wider expectation is that G87 production will continue until around July 2029, although that date has not been formally confirmed by BMW.
So, what could BMW be planning?
Option 1: BMW M2 CS Handschalter
For enthusiasts, this might make the most sense.
BMW has already shown that it is prepared to revisit the CS formula with a manual gearbox. The new BMW M3 CS Handschalter combines rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission, weight reduction and CS-specific chassis changes in a limited-production model designed specifically around driver involvement.
Applying the same thinking to the M2 would be fascinating.
The existing G87 M2 CS took the regular M2 significantly further, increasing the S58 to 530 hp, sending power exclusively to the rear wheels through the eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox and reducing weight by around 30kg compared with the equivalent standard M2.
But there was one obvious omission: you couldn't have it with a manual gearbox.
A BMW M2 CS Handschalter could fix that.
BMW wouldn't necessarily need to chase huge power figures. A lighter G87 with a six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, properly developed chassis calibration and selected CS components could arguably suit the M2's character better than another attempt at breaking acceleration records.
There's also a bigger reason why this idea makes sense.
The manual gearbox has become one of the features that separates the G87 M2 from much of the modern BMW M range. If BMW wants to give this generation a proper enthusiast-focused send-off, a manual special edition would be a very fitting way to do it.
Why we think it could happen
BMW has now proved the concept with the M3 CS Handschalter. Developing an equivalent M2 wouldn't require BMW to invent an entirely new type of product; the ingredients already exist.
And with the regular M2 xDrive now taking the G87 further towards outright performance and everyday traction, BMW has even more reason to preserve the opposite end of the range with something unapologetically rear-wheel drive and manual.
Option 2: BMW M2 CS xDrive
If BMW decides the final M2 should be about outright performance rather than analogue driver involvement, M2 CS xDrive is the obvious alternative.
BMW already uses M xDrive extensively across its faster M cars, and the new standard M2 xDrive proves that the G87 platform can accommodate the system.
The factory M2 xDrive's 480 hp remains unchanged from the equivalent rear-wheel-drive car, but its improved traction cuts the official 0-62 mph time to 3.7 seconds, three-tenths quicker than the rear-wheel-drive automatic.
Add the 530 hp output and weight-saving approach of the M2 CS and you can see the potential.
An M2 CS xDrive could conceivably become the fastest-accelerating production M2 ever made.
We've already experienced what xDrive does to a G87 M2
This is where things become particularly interesting for us at R44 Performance.
Back in 2024, around two years before BMW put an xDrive M2 into production, we converted our own G87 M2 to all-wheel drive with Tom Wrigley Performance.
It wasn't simply an aftermarket front-drive solution. Our conversion used genuine BMW components and an OEM-style G80 M3 xDrive drivetrain, while retaining the ability to switch the car between xDrive and rear-wheel drive through its vehicle settings.
We then tested the car on both road and track at standard power.
The result was pretty convincing.
Using Dragy, our converted G87 M2 consistently achieved 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, compared with 4.2 seconds from the car in its previous rear-wheel-drive configuration.
You can read our full test here:
BMW G87 M2 xDrive Review: Road, Track & 0-60 Testing
What surprised us wasn't simply the launch.
The car still felt predominantly rear-driven, with the front axle stepping in to provide the additional traction the standard car often struggles to find when deploying significant torque, particularly on typical UK roads.
That experience makes us particularly interested in what BMW could do with a full-fat M2 CS xDrive.
Option 3: A BMW M2 M Performance Special Edition
There is another possibility that wouldn't require major mechanical changes at all.
BMW developed a huge catalogue of M Performance components for the G87, ranging from carbon exterior parts and wheels through to the distinctive centre-exit M Performance exhaust and more extreme track-focused components.
BMWBlog suggests these parts could potentially be brought together into a limited-production special edition, something closer in concept to previous market-specific M2 editions than an entirely new mechanical derivative.
From BMW's perspective, this would make sense.
A unique exterior colour, limited interior specification, M Performance exhaust, carbon exterior components and numbered production run could create another desirable version of the M2 without requiring the engineering investment of another CS or CSL.
Would it be as exciting as a manual CS or CSL?
Probably not.
But it may be one of the easier ways for BMW to create a final special G87.
Option 4: BMW M2 CSL
Then there's the one everyone really wants to talk about.
BMW M2 CSL.
The CSL badge sits above CS in BMW M's hierarchy and has historically been reserved for much more serious, lightweight performance cars.
The G82 M4 CSL demonstrated how far BMW is prepared to take a modern M car when outright performance becomes the priority, and the G87 M2 is arguably an even more intriguing starting point.
The fundamentals are already there: compact dimensions, the hugely tuneable S58 straight-six, rear-wheel drive and a chassis closely related to the current M3 and M4.
BMWBlog also notes that BMW has not completely ruled out the possibility of an M2 CSL, although there is currently no confirmation that such a model is in development.
If BMW did build one, we'd expect much more than a regular M2 with another power increase.
A genuine CSL would need meaningful weight reduction, more aggressive chassis calibration, extensive carbon construction and a clear performance gap over the M2 CS.
The biggest question is whether BMW believes there's enough space between the existing M2 CS and M4 CSL philosophy to justify it.
Enthusiasts certainly wouldn't complain.
What Three Years With The G87 M2 Has Taught Us
We've had our G87 since the early days of the platform and, rather than keeping it in one specification, we've used the car to explore just how much potential BMW built into it.
It has gone through several stages of exterior, suspension, engine and performance development.
Then things got considerably more serious.
In 2024, we began working with Tom Wrigley Performance to convert the car from rear-wheel drive to xDrive, initially using the car at relatively standard power so that we could properly understand how the drivetrain changed the G87.
You can see how the conversion was carried out here:
How We Built An xDrive BMW G87 M2
The xDrive conversion wasn't the final destination, though. It was necessary because of where we intended to take the car next.
Our M2 subsequently developed into a 1,500 hp-level drag racing build, requiring a completely different approach to the engine, gearbox, turbocharger, fuelling, cooling, drivetrain and chassis. The xDrive system became essential once the goal shifted towards deploying four-figure power from a standing start.
The complete specification can be found here:
Full R44 Performance 1,500 HP BMW G87 M2 xDrive Build
Having experienced the G87 as a conventional rear-wheel-drive M2, a modified road car, an OEM-style xDrive conversion and ultimately an extreme drag build has given us a pretty broad view of what works about this platform.
And that's why the possibility of one last factory version is so interesting.
Which Final BMW M2 Would We Choose?
For outright road performance, M2 CS xDrive would be extremely difficult to argue against.
We've experienced first-hand how dramatically all-wheel drive changes the G87's ability to deploy its power without completely removing the rear-driven character that makes an M2 enjoyable.
But we're not convinced that's the version BMW should build.
Now that the regular M2 xDrive exists, the performance-focused all-weather version of the G87 is already covered.
That's why a manual, rear-wheel-drive special edition arguably makes more sense as the final chapter.
Something following the M3 CS Handschalter formula could celebrate the traditional M2 recipe rather than simply making the car quicker. It would also give enthusiasts something meaningfully different from both the regular M2 xDrive and the automatic-only M2 CS.
The CSL is still the dream scenario. If BMW genuinely has the appetite to create a lighter, harder and more serious version of the G87, an M2 CSL could become one of the defining BMW M cars of this generation.
We just wouldn't bet on it yet.
The G87 M2 Still Has Plenty Of Life Left
Whatever BMW has planned, the G87 M2 has already had a remarkably varied life.
It began as one of the simplest cars in the modern BMW M range: S58 straight-six, rear-wheel drive and the choice of manual or automatic transmission.
Since then, BMW has added more power, created the considerably more focused M2 CS and now introduced M xDrive for the first time.
BMW's official xDrive announcement confirms production of the new all-wheel-drive model begins in August 2026, while current insider information suggests another G87 derivative is still to come after it.
Whether that turns out to be an M2 CS Handschalter, M2 CS xDrive, M Performance special edition or the long-awaited M2 CSL, we won't know until more information emerges.
After spending more than three years modifying our own example, however, one thing seems clear: there is still plenty BMW can extract from the G87 platform.
And if the next M2 really is the last one, we're hoping BMW chooses to make it memorable.
BMW G87 M2 Rumours: Frequently Asked Questions
Is BMW making another G87 M2?
BMW has not officially announced another model beyond the new M2 xDrive. However, well-known Bimmerpost insider ynguldyn reported in August 2026 that one additional G87 M2 version is planned.
Is the BMW G87 M2 xDrive confirmed?
Yes. BMW officially announced the G87 M2 with M xDrive in June 2026, with production beginning in August 2026. It produces 480 hp and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds.
Will BMW make an M2 CS with a manual gearbox?
Nothing has been confirmed. However, BMW's introduction of the manual, rear-wheel-drive M3 CS Handschalter proves the company is willing to combine CS development with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Is a BMW M2 CSL confirmed?
No. There is currently no official confirmation of a G87 BMW M2 CSL. It remains one of several possible explanations for the rumoured additional G87 derivative.
When will BMW G87 M2 production end?
Current reports suggest G87 production could continue until July 2029, but BMW has not officially confirmed that end-of-production date.
Has R44 Performance built an xDrive G87 M2?
Yes. R44 Performance and Tom Wrigley Performance converted our G87 M2 to xDrive in 2024 using an OEM-style BMW drivetrain setup, approximately two years before BMW began factory production of the M2 xDrive. At standard power, the converted car recorded repeatable 3.2-second 0-60 mph runs during our testing.
