BMW's shakeup has become official.
We've kind of known it was coming for a while, but BMW has just officially announced the end of the Gran Turismo variants of the 3 Series and 6 Series. Reports surfaced earlier in the year suggesting the end of the 3 Series Gran Turismo and the 6 Series version was seriously on the cards, but know we know for sure. The low volume niche models won't be appearing again in the US as of the 2020 model year.
In truth, the Gran Turismo versions have been an odd choice for the US market from the start. The idea that a stretched wheelbase hatchback version of the Series cars fit any sort of niche America would appreciate at the moment is a little baffling, but we love that BMW tried and kept them here for so long.
The 6 Series Gran Turismo will still get a 2020 refresh, but it'll only be sold in markets where it's appreciated, such as Europe. The 6 Series Gran Coupe is disappearing as well, but that shouldn't be a surprise as the 8 Series starts taking over BMW's flagship duties. BMW's meat and potatoes 2020 models, the X3, X4, X5, and X6 are entering production this month with their refreshed designs and won't be long before they arrive at dealerships.
There's not a lot of headlines concerning BMW's passenger cars. The 2020 3 Series gets a new Premium Package option and Live Cockpit Professional has dropped in price by $1,100. The 4 Series gets new active safety features while the 7 Series retains its absurdly large grill. For the old-school wanting a CD player in their 2020 BMW, there's bad news there as CD drives are being dropped all over the place. Also, the Smoker’s Package everyone had forgotten about anyway is being retired in the same vein.