BMW has made it clear the company is still proceeding with its electrification plans even as the market changes around it. The BMW iX3 is the first sign of this plan in action with the Neue Klasse models set to make their debut shortly after.

However, in order for all of this change to happen, BMW also needs to clean house and a new report suggests the company is preparing to kill three models off to make room for the new arrivals.

Slow sellers part of the purge

This reported culling comes from the German website Auto Und Sport which indicates three of the brand’s slowest sellers will be on the chopping block. Two of them have been circling the drain already with the BMW Z4 and the 8-Series being two of the models slated to go.

The 8-Series was already competing in a niche sub-segment of the luxury car market and was seen as a spiritual successor to the axed 6-Series when it appeared in 2018. However, the model was never a strong seller to begin with and while the M8 had impeccable driving manners, it wasn’t enough to stand out against growing demand for performance SUVs. It’s a shame since the 8-Series did provide the platform or two coachbuilt specials, the Skytop and the Speedtop.

Meanwhile, the Z4 was BMW’s long-running response to the Porsche Boxster (later renamed 718 Boxster) and the model was also BMW’s only pure two-seat droptop roadster left. The Z4 will continue to be offered in the U.S. in both sDrive30i and M40i variants through 2026. However, production of the model is slated to end at the Magna Steyer plant this coming spring.

BMW’s reported exit from the roadster segment not only follows on the heels of Mercedes and Audi retiring the SLK/SLC and TT, but it also forces partner Toyota to potentially develop the Supra in-house for its next-generation with the current generation model going out of production.

BMW X4 also reportedly axed

The third model to be axed is the BMW X4. The X4 was the coupe-SUV version of the X3 and was supposed to give buyers a sportier alternative when it appeared in 2018. The model got a refresh in 2021 but didn’t get to join the X3 in getting a new generation version which appears to have sealed its fate.

The X4’s reported departure is arguably the lone surprise here since the SUV Coupe craze has seen some strong demand from buyers and it has become a niche but profitable part of many automaker’s profit reports. For now the smaller X2 will serve as an indirect but spiritual successor to the X4 with a new batch of rumors suggesting the nameplate could be recycled into a potential iX4 EV which would be sold alongside the iX3 to expand consumer choice.

Sales numbers paint a detailed picture

As mentioned earlier, the trio in question have been slow movers for BMW but a look at their respective sales numbers and it becomes very evident that they represented a small chunk of sales. Between January and August of 2025 the company managed to move 2,613 copies of the Z4, 1,916 units of the X4, and a laughable 659 8-Series models in the German home market.

These figures are a figurative drop in the bucket and they don’t include sales from other markets including the U.S. These low sales numbers mean less profit and the trio also take up precious resources for the company in terms of marketing, development, and advertising. Removing all three of them would help open up plenty of real estate in these categories which is key since BMW plans to introduce 40 new or refreshed models by 2027.