At this year’s M Festival in Chengdu, BMW surprised everyone by quietly rolling out a camouflaged M2 prototype. Even wrapped head-to-toe in swirl vinyl, there were still plenty of details to be seen. The stance was different, the aero parts were obvious, and the overall design looked sportier than ever. We took the opportunity to photograph the car up close, and later sat down with BMW M CEO Frank van Meel for an exclusive interview to understand what exactly we were looking at.
What BMW is preparing isn’t a new model, a “CSL,” or a last-minute special edition. It’s a Track Package—an entire upgrade kit that M owners will be able to retrofit through dealers starting in 2026. Van Meel made a point of clarifying that this will be a bundled package, not a pick-and-choose list of parts. Everything is engineered to work together, so BMW won’t let customers break up the kit or strip it down. And unlike some track-oriented upgrades that push cars outside regulatory boundaries, the M2 Track Package keeps the car fully street-legal.
Should Provide A Lot Of Downforce
Even with camouflage, the front end revealed an adjustable splitter that drops noticeably lower than stock. Tucked into the corners were removable dive planes—proper functional aero that you typically see on customer racing cars rather than road-legal coupes. The rear carried a new diffuser that looked deeper and sharper than the current M Performance design. And towering over everything was a large rear wing with an integrated third brake light. It’s the kind of hardware that instantly shifts the M2’s visual temperature from “fun compact coupe” to “track toy with a license plate.”
Brand New Suspension
But the most intriguing piece isn’t the aero. It’s the suspension. BMW already sells a coilover kit for the M2 through the M Performance Parts catalog, allowing for modest ride-height adjustments on both axles. However, Van Meel emphasized that the system being tested on this prototype is something entirely different—“very innovative, completely new” were his exact words. He didn’t elaborate on the engineering behind it, but the message was clear: this isn’t a revised version of the existing kit. It’s a more technical, more track-focused system that appears to push the M2 closer to the territory of GT-style customer cars.
Rumored CSL-Style Carbon Bucket Seats
Inside the cabin, the prototype retained standard M2 seating. But we unofficially learned that CSL-style carbon buckets could be offered separately, or part of the package. Tires should be exclusive to this package in the form of Michelin Cup 2 and/or Cup 2 R. This prototype featured Michelin PS4S “street tires”.
Not everything is final. BMW is still testing components, refining aero shapes, and dialing in the new suspension. It’s also not yet certain whether the Track Package will be compatible with the upcoming M2 xDrive or the M2 CS. In theory, both cars could accept much of the hardware, but BMW isn’t ready to confirm anything publicly. With the G87 CS arriving in limited numbers and the xDrive version still under development, the compatibility story will likely evolve over the next year.
What is clear is the intent. With the Track Package, BMW M is giving M2 owners a factory-engineered path to something more serious without stepping into full customer-racing territory. This is a focused, mechanical upgrade meant to build on the M2’s core strengths and sharpen its track behavior in measurable ways. We expect to learn the full technical details in the spring of 2026.
