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This is a BMW M2 Competition (F87) fitted with the full CMST carbon-fibre aero kit: a two-piece front lip, two-piece side skirts, a carbon bonnet, a ducktail boot spoiler and a rear diffuser, all moulded in carbon fibre. The kit suits the 2016–2019 M2 and M2 Competition and is designed to sharpen the car's stance without changing its compact, rear-drive proportions. Built in Sapphire Black over factory bodywork, this car shows how a carbon kit reads on the M2C: tighter front overhang, defined sills, and a clean carbon tail.

• Vehicle: BMW M2 / M2 Competition (F87), 2016–2019
• Material: Carbon fibre throughout
• Key pieces: Front lip (2-piece), side skirts (2-piece), bonnet, ducktail spoiler, rear diffuser
• Finish: Gloss-lacquered carbon weave, body-coloured car (Sapphire Black on this build)
• Fitment: Bolt-on and adhesive, over the factory panels

The build at a glance

The M2 Competition is a short-wheelbase, wide-track coupe with the S55 twin-turbo straight-six from the M3/M4 detuned into a smaller shell. It already looks purposeful from the factory, so the design brief for a carbon kit is restraint: add definition at the front splitter, the sills and the rear without inflating the car into a widebody. The CMST kit on this car does exactly that — every piece bolts or bonds over the existing panels, so the M2C keeps its OEM silhouette but gains carbon detail at the points the eye reads first.

Piece-by-piece breakdown

Two-piece carbon front lip

The front lip is a two-piece design that wraps the lower edge of the M2C's factory bumper, extending the chin forward and adding a defined splitter line under the intakes. A two-piece construction is easier to ship and to fit than a single large moulding, and it lets each side locate cleanly around the car's lower corners. On the M2 the standard front bumper is quite rounded, so a carbon lip is the single most effective piece for giving the nose a flatter, more planted look.

Two-piece carbon side skirts

The side skirts are also a two-piece set — one extension per side — that runs along the lower door line to visually lower the car and tie the front lip to the rear. The M2's short wheelbase can make the sill area look tall; a skirt extension drops the visual ride height and lengthens the side profile, which is why skirts matter more on a compact coupe than on a longer car.

Carbon bonnet

The carbon bonnet replaces the factory steel item. Beyond the obvious visual change — exposed weave across the front of the car — a carbon bonnet removes weight from the highest, most forward part of the chassis, which is the most valuable place to shed mass for handling. We do not quote a specific weight saving here because it depends on whether the panel is single- or double-skinned and whether it retains the factory latch and insulation, but the principle holds: less mass over the front axle helps turn-in.

Ducktail spoiler and rear diffuser

At the rear, a carbon ducktail spoiler lifts the trailing edge of the boot for a subtle lip that suits the M2's stubby tail far better than a tall GT wing. Below it, the carbon rear diffuser fills the lower bumper with vertical strakes and frames the exhaust outlets. Together they finish the car: the ducktail adds shape up high, the diffuser adds aggression down low, and both share the same weave as the front and sides so the build reads as one piece of design.

Before and after: how the kit changes the M2C

Standing back, the difference is in proportion rather than drama. The factory M2 looks slightly bluff at the nose and a little high through the sills. With the lip, skirts and diffuser fitted, the car sits visually lower and longer, the front reads flatter, and the carbon weave breaks up the large painted surfaces. Because nothing here is a widebody, the car keeps its OEM track and wheel fitment — the kit works with the standard arches rather than replacing them, so it is a styling upgrade, not a structural rebuild.

Why carbon fibre on this car

Carbon fibre earns its place on the M2C for three reasons. First, weight: every panel you move from steel or plastic to carbon takes mass off a car that is already about balance, and the front of the chassis benefits most. Second, finish: lacquered twill weave is a material that looks like what it costs, and on a black car the carbon catches light differently to the paint, giving depth without colour. Third, coherence: running carbon for the lip, skirts, bonnet, spoiler and diffuser from one maker means the weave direction and lacquer match across the car, which a mix of brands rarely achieves.

Carbon-fibre construction and how to care for it

The visible quality of a carbon kit comes down to how the weave is laid and lacquered. A good panel shows a tight, even twill with no print-through (the faint waviness you see when the resin shrinks over the weave) and no cloudiness in the clear coat. On a black car like this M2C, that matters even more, because the carbon sits right next to glossy black paint and any flaw in the weave is obvious in direct light. The pieces here carry a UV-stable clear lacquer, which is the part that protects the resin underneath — bare carbon left unprotected will yellow and chalk in Australian sun within a season or two.

Caring for it is simple but worth doing. Wash the carbon the same way you wash the paint, dry it to avoid water spotting on the gloss, and apply a paint-safe sealant or wax over the lacquer a couple of times a year to keep the UV protection topped up. Avoid harsh solvents and abrasive polishes, which can haze the clear coat. If a panel is ever kerbed, the lacquer can be cut and re-cleared by a body shop, the same as a painted bumper — the carbon itself is tough, and surface damage is usually cosmetic rather than structural.

One practical advantage of carbon over a painted plastic body kit on the M2C is consistency over time. Painted aftermarket pieces can drift slightly in shade from the factory paint as both age; exposed carbon does not have to match a paint code at all, so the look you fit is the look you keep.

Wheels, stance and finishing the look

Because this kit keeps the M2's factory track and arches, it pairs naturally with the standard or a modest aftermarket wheel rather than demanding a wide, deep-dish setup. The car shown sits on a dark multi-spoke wheel that fills the arch without poking past it, which is what keeps the stance clean and road-legal. If you are building your own M2C, a square or lightly staggered fitment in the factory diameter keeps the geometry honest and lets the carbon aero be the focus rather than the wheels.

The same logic applies to ride height. The lip, skirts and diffuser read best with a small, sensible drop on quality lowering springs or coilovers — enough to close the arch gap and emphasise the side skirts, without slamming the car so low that the front lip catches every driveway. On a compact coupe the visual reward from a modest drop is large, and it keeps the carbon front lip out of harm's way.

Full CMST M2C parts list

Frequently asked questions

Does this kit fit the standard M2 as well as the M2 Competition?

The kit is designed for the F87 M2 and M2 Competition built between 2016 and 2019, which share the same body shell. Confirm your model year and front bumper type when ordering, as the M2 Competition received minor front-end revisions over the earlier car.

Is this a widebody kit?

No. Every piece fits over the factory panels and works with the standard arches and track, so the car keeps its OEM wheel fitment. It changes the car's detail and stance, not its width.

How do the pieces attach?

The lip, skirts, spoiler and diffuser use a combination of bolt-on points and automotive adhesive over the original panels; the bonnet is a full replacement that reuses the factory latch and hinges. None of it requires permanent cutting on a standard car, so the changes are reversible.

Will the carbon match across the different pieces?

Because the lip, skirts, bonnet, spoiler and diffuser come from one maker, the weave pattern and lacquer are consistent across the car — which is the main advantage of building the kit from a single source rather than mixing brands.

Does a carbon bonnet need painting?

That is your choice. Many M2C owners leave the bonnet as exposed gloss carbon to show the weave, while others paint it body colour for a subtler look that still saves weight. Both are common on this car.

Build your own M2 Competition

If you want this look on your own car, you can specify the kit piece by piece. Start with the CMST body kits for BMW, add a carbon nose from the CMST front lip range, finish the tail with a CMST rear diffuser, and browse the wider CMST catalogue for spoilers, skirts and bonnets in matching carbon. Contact AME Motorsport for fitment advice and current pricing on the M2 Competition kit.