Bucket Seat: BMW M2 CS

Meet BMW's all new M2 CS, the sledgehammer!  First shown this week at the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza  at Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. A car show for those with a more refined taste in automobiles, one would hardly picture a CS owner in loafers, 3/4 chinos and bow tie sipping fine Champagne with carviar laced horderves but regardless, BMW always loves to challenge the norm and they did so with some fashion. The new BMW M2 CS further raises the bar for sheer driving pleasure at the premium end of the compact high-performance sports car segment. Outstanding agility, a significant increase in power output, supreme dynamics and particularly sporty design characteristics make driving the latest exclusive special-edition model from BMW M GmbH an enthralling experience. 

The new BMW M2 CS is based on the second generation of the BMW M2 and significantly improves what is already an extraordinary level of performance. For example, the high-revving six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology develops an impressive 390 kW in the BMW M2 CS. That is 37 kW more than in the current BMW M2. As such, the BMW M2 CS matches the performance of the BMW M3 Competition Sedan with M xDrive and the BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive. The BMW M2 CS sends its power to the rear wheels via the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, which comes as standard.

For the BMW M2 CS, BMW M GmbH has opted for an upgraded version of the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder in-line engine found in the standard M2. This intensifies the performance experience in the special edition, particularly in highly dynamic driving situations. It further sharpens the engine’s unmistakable power characteristics and perfectly accentuates the linear power delivery – sustained into the higher reaches of the rev range – familiar from M models. Compared to the BMW M2 with standard eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, maximum torque has been raised by 50 Nm to 650 Nm and is available across a broad rev range – between 2,650 and 5,730 rpm. The engine produces its maximum power output of 390 kW at 6,250 rpm, with the engine speed topping out at 7,200 rpm. In order to allow extremely rapid reactions to the driver’s requests for acceleration and to make the improved performance characteristics of the engine a particularly intense experience, the accelerator mapping and response have been optimised in all the drive modes, which are selectable via the M Setup menu.

A model-specific engine mounting with a higher spring rate makes for a particularly rigid connection of the drive unit to the structure of the BMW M2 CS. The extremely direct transmission of power to the drivetrain optimises response. Thanks to the lightning-fast power delivery, in combination with the increased engine power and the car’s lighter weight, the BMW M2 CS is able to break the four-second barrier for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h. It’s time of 3.8 seconds is 0.2 seconds faster than for the standard M2. The figure calculated using the “1-foot rollout” method** is 3.5 seconds. The increase in power also enhances acceleration from rest to 200 km/h. The time required here is reduced by 1.2 seconds to 11.7 seconds – or 11.4 seconds according to the “1‑foot rollout” method**. The mid-range sprint from 80 to 120 km/h takes 3.4 seconds. The top speed of the special-edition model, which comes with the M Driver’s Package as standard, is electronically limited to 302 km/h. The dynamic power delivery is backed by an emotionally rich engine note conjured by the M-specific exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps and the four exhaust pipes typical of M, which come in matte black on the BMW M2 CS. For those wishing to retrofit their car, the M Performance silencer system with carbon and titanium tailpipe trims developed specifically for CS models is available for the first time in the range of M Performance Parts for the BMW M2 CS. The lightweight valve exhaust system with titanium mufflers generates a racing-car sound guaranteed to stir the emotions. The Active Sound Design helps to convey the engine’s soundtrack authentically inside the cabin, with the intensity raised another notch when SPORT or SPORT PLUS mode is selected using the Driving Experience Control switch.

The punchy exterior of the BMW M2 CS is shaped by many components made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and other exclusive details. As well as the M exterior mirror caps familiar from the BMW M2, the M Carbon roof – which comes as standard on the special-edition model – and CS-specific rear diffuser are also made from eye-catching exposed carbon fibre. A front splitter in matte black and an exclusive black BMW M kidney grille with optimised air inlets complete the sporty and dynamic look. The lightweight CFRP boot lid with integrated ducktail is a real head-turner. The “M2 CS” logo on the rear has a red outline. Four colours are available for the exterior finish of the new BMW M2 CS: Sapphire Black metallic, BMW Individual Velvet Blue metallic, M Brooklyn Grey metallic and M Portimao Blue metallic. Adaptive LED Headlights with BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling High Beam Assistant and M lights Shadowline with dark inlays are also standard.

The BMW M2 CS will be available locally in the second quarter of 2026, with pricing and number of models being announced closer to the time. 

Bucket Style: PUMA x F1

PUMA and Formula 1 have signed an agreement which will make PUMA the official supplier at Formula 1 races, granting the brand the right to produce F1 branded apparel, footwear and accessories.

PUMA will also equip Formula 1 staff and at track and create Formula 1 fanwear that targets the sport’s different audiences with exciting lifestyle and motorsport collections. The contract includes exclusive rights to sell F1 fanwear and fanwear of all ten teams around the race circuit starting 2024.

PUMA has a long and successful history in motorsport, developing fireproof overalls, race shoes and other high-performance racing gear for F1 drivers since the mid 80s as well as teamwear, fanwear and lifestyle collections for some of the sport’s most successful teams. Today, PUMA is one of the leading providers of race gear and lifestyle collections in Motorsport with partners such as Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, Scuderia Ferrari, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake, BMW M Motorsport and Porsche Motorsport.

The partnership provides PUMA with the opportunity to augment its established dominance in the sport by appealing to a broader fan base, tap into more diverse consumer groups and bring the inspiration of on-track gear to off-track fashion.

PUMA’s subsidiary stichd, a company for licensed fanwear as well as legwear, bodywear and swimwear, will exclusively operate the fan retail stores during race weekends. These shops will sell Formula 1 licensed products as well as replica teamwear, fanwear, and special edition collections from all ten teams on the Formula 1 grid and F1 legends. stichd will operate up to 65 mobile stores at more than 20 races in 19 different countries.

Bucket Seat: New BMW 2 Series Coupe

There's a new BMW 2 Series Coupe, its only the second such car in BMW's history and seeing how popular the old model was, this one should gather the same amount of interest and possibly translate into sales for the German motor manufacturer. If you've even driven the current 2 Series you know what a good car it is, it harks back to the history of BMW's 2002 and CS Coupes, short wheel based cars that are meant for sheer  driving pleasure with a bit of fun. While the 2 Series did aim at a specific market, the M versions of the car seemed to be quite popular with the petrol heads, the M240i, M2, M2 Competition and most recently the limited edition M2 CS were by far the favourite models from the 2 Series line up. With the short-wheel base, couple with a powerful engine that has rear wheel drive, all this put together can only equate to endless amount of tyre spinning jubilation. 

This new BMW 2 Series looks like it has the making of all of that and more, with its new imposing design that has sporty proportions added bulk to areas where its needed. Newly designed BMW kidney grilles which are sleek and vertically arranged with active airflaps in place of the standard grilles, which is molded in a hexagonal shape for the front end, the side air intakes are triangular in shape and give great contrast to what we normally come to expect from BMW. While some of the designs which are coming out of Munich might be controversial to some, I think they've done a splendid job on this new 2 series coupe. It's miles better than the 2 Series Gran Coupe which I still don't really understand but maybe that is because I haven't driven one yet. I guess the biggest talking point on this new 2 Series is the rear with its LED rear lights that has a three-dimensional sculpting, the lights go with the hexagonal theme and they sort of remind me of the E90 3 Series tail lights. 

Engine wise, the new 2 Series Coupe will be available in 3 variants, the 220i which is a 2.0L, 4 cylinder twin-power-turbo that churns out 135kW and 300Nm of torque. A Diesel variant in the 200d guise that is also a 2.0L, 4 cylinder twin-power-turbo that delivers 140kW with 400Nm of torque and the range topping M240i which has a 3.0L, 6 cylinder, twin-power-turbo that generates 285kW and 500Nm of torque, this results in a 0-100km/h time in just 4.3 seconds. The M240i also comes with M Sport differential fitted as standard along with BMW's all-wheel drive system xDrive. Lift-related dampers fitted as standard, electronically controlled dampers will be available as an option with the adaptive M suspension. The M240i comes with BMW's 8-Speed Steptronic automatic gearbox that ensures accurate changes for optimal performance. 

Overall its a very sleek look package from BMW and one that is sure to excite many, the car is due in SA in the first quarter of next year. 

 

Bucket Seat: 2021 BMW M3 & M4 Competition

It's probably the most talked about car/s this year, and for one particular reason which has nothing to do with the overall performance of the car...its about the grille. From spy shots early on, most of the internet came to terms that the new M3 sedan will be featuring the same front end as its two-door partner in crime, the M4, that meant having the large, elongated grille. This news didn't go down well with majority of the fan-boys online though, in fact many of them kicked up a fuss and said how it's ruined the new cars for them, so much so they won't be buying one (whether or not they had the financial means to do so in the first place is up for question). In any case, BMW stuck to their guns and with the official reveal of both cars this morning, it's confirmed, both the G80 M3 Sedan and the G82 M4 Coupe sport the new elongated grille with extends from the top of the bonnet right down to the bottom of the front diffuser and you know what? I think it looks great! Even though I would have liked the M3 to have still sported the original 3 Series front, I don't think its that bad for it to having the same front as the M4, it makes the car easier to differentiate from a normal 3 Series sedan and also has custom shops scratching their heads on kits to transform normal 3 Series sedans into ones that look like an M3. 

I don't want to get into the font end too much because the rest of the car looks great too, with added lines and creases, including a vent just behind the front wheel arch, featuring the M badge of the respective model. The wheel arches are accentuated more stronger than the normal 3 Sedan as well as the rear diffuser, with a blacked our bottom where the four tail pipes are, the rear lights are also tinted in back to give it a sportier look. The roof of both cars come standard with CFRP with two fins running longitudinally along it, obviously to help in aero. The cars have racing inspired extended side sills in high-gloss black and have forged M light-ally wheels, 19" at the front and 20" at the rear axle. On the inside, its very similar to the current G80 interior but with a host of M inspired interior textures and trims to choose from, with optional interior trims in carbon fibre to make the car look more racer ready. There's even the option to choose M Carbon bucket seats with structure-based design, racing functionality and full electric adjustment, with an illuminate M badge integrated to the head restraints. From the looks of things, there are loads of ways for each owner to personalise their car, with so many options available, this is bound to be a unique experience for anyone. 

Lets get down to the business end of things for these new cars now, the heart that powers it. BMW SA have confirmed that we will only be getting the Competition models of the cars, both the M3 and M4 Competition will be power by a six-cylinder in-line motor with signature high revving style which produces 375kW and 650Nm of torque. That is mammoth figures for both cars which translates to a 0 to 100km/h time of just 3.9 seconds! Extra variety in the powertrain offering gives one an authentic performance experience in the new BMW M3 and M4 Competition, with them having an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and both car offered with M xDrive all-wheel-drive system for the first time. Dynamic Stability Control including M Dybamic Mode and for the first time, integrated wheel slip limitation and M Traction control adjustable through ten stages. The M3 and M4 will come with the BMW live cockpit professional digital display, which displays powertrain and chassis settings which can be individually configured. It also has the M Drive Professional which includes drift analyser. 

Both cars will be launched in the country, next year March with official pricing still be announced but if we would have to have a guess, I'd say bank around the R1,8 million for either of them. Adding the optional extras could easily see that price hike over the R2 million mark. 

BMW also revealed pictures of the official M Performance parts available for the M3 and M4 Competition. 

Bucket Seat: BMW X5 M & X6 M Competition in SA

This week saw BMW SA unleash their twin brute M Competition models in the country, a lucky few got to spend the day with them on a race track but for the rest of us bitter few we had to just look at social media and envy their joy but alas, it's great to see some normality in the form of a non virtual car launch taking place. The X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition are BMW's most powerful SUV's to date and they are as menacing in power as they are in looks. M standing for Motorsport which you don't normally associate with an SUV/ SAC but with the trends in the world of today, these sports based activity vehicles are becoming more popular and BMW really know how to glam them up. The designs are big and bold, taking the original spec of the respective models and beefing them up, as if they were put on a strict bulking diet and sent to only the weights section of the gym. Both look fantastic and with the added elements of darkened materials and exclusive colours, it just creates that extra exclusivity that we've come to know from BMW M division.

So main thing about these two cars is the motor that powers it, both have BMW's high-revving 4.4L V8 M TwinPower Turbo motors which produce 460kW of power at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 750Nm.  That's a lot of power but then again these are big cars so it's much needed. Good thing to note is that the weight of the cars don't drown the power output so you very much feel every bit of it. The delivery is versatile and effortless, this is due to the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with rear biased setup which can be adjusted in 4WD/ 4WD Sport modes. The M xDrive teams up with Active M Differential to optimise traction and dynamics. Both the X5 M Competition and the X6 M Competition accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, that's up to 0.4 seconds quicker than the previous models.

Both cars come packed with BMW's latest tech and driving aids which would be essential in these powerful vehicles. Extensive package of measures increases stiffness of the body structure and suspension mountings, aided by the model-specif chassis technology with bespoke kinematic and elasto-kinematic properties. An M-specific adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers, active roll stabilization, M Servotronic steering and Dynamic Stability Control form part of the M Dynamic Mode.

Overall, these cars have what it takes to rival some of the best in the market, while being fraction of the price. These are pure bred specialist vehicles and with BMW M having a long lineage  of producing great M cars over the years, these will no doubt be added to that list. BMW M in South Africa already has a cult status and with the M Festival being such a popular event every two years, here's hoping next years one will be taking place.

Pricing

BMW X5 M Competition R 2,605,900.00
BMW X6 M Competition R 2,632,258.00

Formula One 2020

It hasn't been an ideal year for anyone in any form of way but with the world coming to grips with this deadly pandemic, it's good to see some sort of normality coming around. With most public gatherings either being banned or limited to a few number of people, we are also seeing sporting events given the green light with strict policies. One which is getting many excited is the go ahead for the new Formula One season, while we all are enjoying the eRaces with the drivers, nothing beats the real thing. FIA have released dates for the opening 8 races of the season, with some taking place at the same track over two race weekends, now I know it's not ideal but with the number of people involved in the teams and moving of equipment, it really is a recipe for disaster if one person gets infected. So at this stage we will just have to take what we can get, and lets be honest, with F1 the crowds are important to revenue but not that important to what we see on our screens. FIA has said that further races will be announced in the coming weeks for now we cannot wait for the 3rd of July when First Practice starts in Austria!

Grazie Vettel

"Grazei Ragazzi" a phrase we heard 14 times by Seb in his career at Scuderia Ferrari since he joined in 2015 as he won 14 races to date with the team. He was the golden boy of that era in Formula One, winning 4 titles with Red Bull Racing under the guidance of Christian Horner, Seb was F1's hottest property. Apart from Lewis, there was no young driver that came close to him. Sebastian being German looked like the ideal package for Ferrari, he had the mindset of a winner and the Italian German combination harked back to the Schumacher reign so it looked like a match made in heaven for the Italians. The Tifosi were of course over the moon with such a talented signing and looked like Ferrari could be back challenging and more importantly winning again. You see the last time Ferrari lifted the constructors title was in 2008, 7 years on and things were getting rather uncomfortable without any silverware. Little did they know at the time, the team would face further turmoil in their endeavor to get back to the top. 

Ferrari hoped with Seb there to help them, he could rebuild the team back to their glory days with Michael at the helm. The problem was, it wasn't just Michael who took Ferrari to the top, he had the help of Ross Brawn and Jean Todt along with a stellar team of experts to take Ferrari to the heights we saw them achieve. In 2015 it was still a case of finding their feet instead of starting to rebuild. There were good days but there were many bad days. Just when you think they had it all figured out, the wheels would come off the very next race. As a fan, watching it was frustrating and sad, imagine being a driver, one that was touted to emulate the great Michael Schumacher. He definitely had the skill set to do so, anyone who says otherwise would be considered bitter in my books. Even the likes of Lewis would admit this, Vettel needed the backing of the team and the bosses the way Lewis had it at Mercedes. People pin point to Vettel's errors in his last two seasons but rewind back to Lewis at Mclaren Merecedes where he was teamed up with Fernando Alonso, a persona that of a spoilt brat, wanting things done his way, he wanted to be the number one driver based on who he was, not that old Spanish bloke. Lewis then got his opportunity with the Silver Arrows, his team, that similar of the golden era of  Ferrari, with Niki Lauda brought in to give advice and priceless vision to the team and look what they managed to achieve. 

Seb needed that support structure, one that he never got at Scuderia Ferrari and one that was ultimately his demise. The last two seasons were not great for Seb, especially with the inclusion of a new kid on the block as his partner, a young hungry driver that wanted to show he has what it takes to compete for the top spot. He was a risk taker and mule for the team but this proved to be a better option to get the most out of the car. Seb was dealt the raw deal again which forced him into driving more recklessly and ultimately cost him in many races. Singapore 2019 was a race to relish though, Seb did things his way and while we can all go on about how LeClerc was hard done by the team, it was Seb strategy that paid off for him. Canada was not kind to Seb either, hard done by the stewards in the end and left a very bitter taste in the mouth of many. Personally I feel for the German, I never liked him at Red Bull because he was a rival at the time but there was no denying him his talent. Was he another driver that suffered the curse of Ferrari from the likes of Prost and Alonso? Perhaps he had another 2 more titles in him during those 5 years, it's a pity he didn't achieve that at Ferrari, with news of the two agreeing to part ways at the end of the year, it is very hard to see him even achieve a title this year, that is if we do get any races at all. I'd like to see him end his F1 career on a high though, so here's to hoping he does.