One of the design trends that can’t die soon enough is the fake exhaust tip. Mercedes and Audi have been doing it for years, whereas BMW has thankfully ignored this annoying fad. You’ll be happy to hear cars from Bavaria will keep the authentic layout going forward. However, as you have probably noticed, more and more models have the exhaust tucked away underneath the bumper.
We asked BMW Group of Design boss Adrian Van Hooydonk whether there’s a chance regular models will have visible exhaust pipes once again. He argued that non-M BMWs look sporty and aggressive enough without the exhaust tips sticking out from the rear bumper. M models will retain the traditional quad-pipe setup, which has recently trickled down to M Performance cars as well.
Models such as the M135i, M235i, X1 M35i, X2 M35i, and the X3 M50 all have four tips now. The same holds true for bigger SUVs such as the X5 M60i, X6 M60i, and X7 M60i, along with the M760e sedan. We mustn’t omit the M850i, although its days are numbered. Elsewhere, spy shots have revealed that the next-generation 3 Series, likely called the M350 xDrive, will also adopt the more aggressive exhaust layout.
According to our sources, BMW will keep the V8 engine alive for the next-generation X5, X6, and X7. Logic tells us M derivatives are planned, so the quad-pipe layout is not going away. Additionally, a new gasoline-fueled M3 with an inline-six is also in the works. The jury is still out on whether it’ll have the true M engine, the S58, or the B58.
Moreover, the M2 still has many years ahead, but its big brother, the M4, is reportedly dying after this generation. Before that happens, BMW will pull the plug on the X4 and its M variant this year. All told, there will be fewer models with visible exhausts, but that’s still better than putting fake tips on everything.
