- BMW is retiring the X4, 8-Series, and Z4, with no direct successors planned.
- These models won’t return among the 40 Neue Klasse launches through 2027.
- All three debuted in 2018 and sold too few units to justify future replacements.
The arrival of the new BMW iX3 signals more than just another SUV launch. It marks the beginning of BMW’s Neue Klasse era, which will roll out no fewer than 40 fresh or facelifted models by 2027. Yet amid the sweeping renewals, not every badge will survive. Three long-running nameplates are being phased out.
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Starting with the X4 coupe-crossover, the current generation arrived in 2018 and gained a facelift in 2021. Its sibling, the X3, moved into a new generation in 2024, but BMW chose not to create a combustion-powered coupe-SUV counterpart.
That decision effectively seals the X4’s fate, with the smaller X2 taking on the role of indirect replacement. At the same time, rumors suggest a fully electric iX4 is on the horizon, likely built on the same Neue Klasse platform as the iX3.
Slowly Vanishing From The Lineup
Although the X4 still appears in BMW’s German configurator, selecting a gasoline version redirects customers to a diesel model with the note: “This model is not available in the selected model series. You have been redirected to a similar model.”
The news was confirmed by a BMW spokesperson to Auto Motor Und Sport: “The BMW X4 is currently only available with the 20d, 30d, and M40d engine variants. Gasoline engines will no longer be produced as of September 30, 2025.” According to the report, the aforementioned diesel variants will bow out of production in November 2025.
Last Lap For The 8-Series
Another casualty, again quietly confirmed through the configurator, is the aging 8-Series. First launched in 2018, the flagship coupe was lightly refreshed in 2022 with updated tech, though the range itself has never been a volume seller. Offered in two-door coupe and convertible form, as well as the four-door Gran Coupe, it was the latter that accounted for most of its buyers.
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The 8-Series is still available in the US, but the 2026 MY will be its last. The company recently unveiled the M850i Edition M Heritage with a limited production of 500 units worldwide. This model will likely be the swan song of the 8-Series that also served as a base for the Skytop and Speedtop coachbuilt specials.
The company hasn’t discussed the possibility of a new generation, while earlier rumors about a potential 6-Series revival remain unconfirmed. This leaves the 2-Series and the 4-Series as the only remaining coupe models in the current BMW lineup.
The End Of BMW Roadsters
Finally, the third BMW slated for retirement is the Z4. The two-seat roadster will remain on sale in the US and Europe in sDrive30i and M40i form through the 2026 model year. Production, however, is scheduled to end at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz in spring 2026.
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With no successor planned for the Z4, BMW will exit the roadster segment altogether. Its platform-mate, the Toyota GR Supra, is also nearing the end of production, with a new generation now being developed independently by Toyota. That leaves BMW among the last manufacturers to step away from this once-vibrant niche, following Mercedes’ departure with the SLK/SLC and Audi’s decision to retire the TT Roadster.
Fans of BMW are hoping for a new sports car in the Neue Klasse era that could fill the gap of the Z4 in the lineup. Spy shots of a sleek electric coupe from last year fueled those rumors, although BMW is keeping its lips closed at the moment.
Killing The Slow Sellers
Unsurprisingly, the three outgoing models have never been strong sellers. Between January and August 2025, BMW moved 1,916 units of the X4, 659 of the 8-Series, and 2,613 of the Z4 in Germany. Combined, they account for only a sliver of the more than 160,000 BMWs sold in the country during the same period.
