Asking in excess of £75,000 for a BMW 2-Series sounds a little excessive on the face of it, but the car offered for that sum in 2020 was simply one of the best driver’s machines of modern times.

BMW M was aiming for the very top with its most focused M2 yet, and it succeeded with the CS earning a Car of the Year trophy soon after launch.
Using the F87 M2 Competition as its starting point, the CS offered an output of 444bhp, matching the F80 M3 Competition from whence the S55 twin-turbocharged straight-six was sourced.

Buyers could opt for a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and while the latter knocked two-tenths from the 0-62mph sprint, trimming it to just 4 seconds, most drivers preferred the involvement of the manual gearbox.
The reworked chassis featured Adaptive M suspension as standard and a recalibrated Active M Differential, while an uprated cooling system and upgraded brakes ensured the CS was fit for intense track work.

At 1,550kg it was no lighter than t...