Article Summary
- During the same event, BMW will mark 90 years of the 328 two-seater sports car.
- Other milestones will include 60 years of the 02 Series and 50 years since the original 6 Series came out.
- BMW Group Classic is celebrating all these anniversaries at Lake Como between May 15-17.
The current-generation M3 may be approaching the end of its life cycle, but a replacement is already deep in development. However, there will be a gap of more than a year between the two performance sedans. We’ve heard the last G80 will roll off the assembly line about a year from now, with production ending in February 2027. The first G84 won’t be completed until July 2028, as production moves from Munich to Dingolfing.
In the meantime, BMW is celebrating 40 years since the original. The M3 E30 entered production in 1986, though its official debut took place the year before. In September 1985, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, an icon was born. Four decades after the first customer car was built, BMW Classic will mark the milestone at the upcoming 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
There will be other reasons for BMW to celebrate at this year’s event on the shores of Lake Como. The 328 two-seater sports car is turning 90, while the gorgeous 6 Series (E24) is now half a century old. Additionally, the 02 Series marks its 60th anniversary in 2026. All these models will be honored with representative examples from each series.
For now, BMW remains tight-lipped about the prospect of unveiling another concept car. However, that seems likely, considering the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is typically the venue where the company reveals one-offs. Recent concepts have evolved into production cars, as the 2024 Skytop is already heading to 50 customers, while the 2025 Speedtop will be built in 70 examples.
Looking back, the 2023 Concept Touring Coupe nearly received the green light and might have carried ALPINA branding in production form. Much like the Z4 M40i-based shooting brake, earlier concepts remained one-offs. Still, putting the Skytop and Speedtop into production gives us hope that more ultra-limited BMWs are on the way. It would make sense for BMW ALPINA to join the action, although nothing is official for now.
As for the M3, we’re wondering whether this generation has played all its cards yet. A special edition to mark 40 years seems like a safe bet. Even if it happens, it’s unclear whether it would bring mechanical changes or simply an appearance package to commemorate the milestone.
Plot twist: The long-roof M3 may live longer. We’re hearing that the G81 Touring will remain in production until October 2027.
