F80 BMW M3 To Be Killed Off Early Thanks To New Emissions Test
It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the current ‘F80’ BMW M3 will bow out much earlier than expected. This August, to be specific, and it’s a result of the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, or ‘WLTP’.
It’s a much more stringent test than the hilariously inaccurate ‘New European Driving Cycle’(NEDC) that’s been used by the industry for years, and while still lab-based, WLTP is supposed to more accurately reflect real driving conditions. NEDC on the other hand centres around an incredibly gentle driving routine you’d never be able to replicate IRL - that’s why downsized turbo engines tend to do so disproportionately well, because they’re generally off-boost for the whole damn thing.
It should come as no surprise then that the twin-turbo M3 - which manages a respectable 194g/km of CO2 and 34mpg combined according to official figures - doesn’t get on so well with WLTP. This, according to Autocar, has left BMW with no other choice but to take it off sale this year.
They could fit it with a petrol particulate filter, but it wouldn’t be possible to have the car re-homologated before the reveal of the all-new 3-series in October. With that in mind, BMW decided the best course of action was to merely kill it off ahead of schedule.
The M4 has the exact same ‘S55’ inline-six as the M3, but thanks to the younger 4-series range being on sale well into 2019, it’s escaped a similar fate to its four-doored brother. A BMW spokesperson told Autocar that the M4 will go off sale “for a couple of months” during the re-homologation period, after which it’ll be back in showrooms with its snazzy new filter.
It’s good to know that it is still possible for powerful performance cars to comply with the tougher regulations, but you’d best prepare yourselves now - we’re almost certain there’ll be more WLTP ‘casualties’ in the coming months.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
The M4 has the same engine and the same everything, yet will receive a particle filter and the M3 will not. Yeah, that whole “because of the emissions test” seems like an excuse to me. The sales number of the M3 probably is stagnating because of its age and because very few people buy performance saloons anymore, and they just want to find an excuse to pull the plug earlier than expected.
May well be a factor - at the very least it’ll have made it an easier decision. But to me the 4-series lifecycle explanation seems perfectly plausible
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These emissions standards are getting out of hand as these guys go to great lengths to target good cars while having no clue on focusing on technological advancements that will help in cleaner fuel, instead they just want to go the moronic route and give petrolheads a hard time by imposing stupid and ridiculous emissions standards and they do all this garbage while rolling around in their high riding fuel drinking SUVs and crossovers, these lawmakers make me sick.
#Rant
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They also stopped the G30 M550i.
remember we all hated the new f80 when it came out in 2013?
some reason, M cars are like fine wine, they get better over time i guess.
I honestly feel bad for you guys across the pond.
Naturally aspirated engines could make a comeback! they do better than turbo engines in this test, so…
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is not a stricter test guys, it’s just more realistic. The NEDC killed off n/a cars, and the WLTP is killing off turbos. I’ve been hoping for this test to be carried out for a long time, and the new test is actually very good news
Exactly, finally somebody understands it. The point of the new test isn’t to randomly kill off cars, it’s to provide a more accurate fuel economy rating for the customers. THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR YOU GUYS, WHEN WILL YOU UNDERSTAND? In the current test, turbocharged cars receive a massively inflated fuel economy that nobody can ever reach in reality, which is one of the main reasons why N/A cars are dying out.
Like I wrote, the test has absolutely nothing to do with BMW killing of the current-gen M3 (also because the current-gen M4 will stay). They just wanted an excuse to pull the plug earlier than expected because the F30’s life cycle ends.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO