BMW has just announced that the distinctive carbon-fibre drive-shafts of the current BMW M3 and M4 will be dropped for steel ones. This surprising decision came into force due to stringent future emissions norms.
Here’s a slightly detailed explanation for this move. BMW will begin fitting its future cars with particulate filters on the exhaust system. Now although the procedure helps the vehicle stay emission compliant, it needs more space. The problem is that the current carbon-fibre drive-shaft has a large diameter which uses up a lot of space under the car. This is the reason why BMW is shifting to "M-specific high-performance" steel drive-shafts that are smaller and will liberate more room for the particulate filter to be seated.
Although BMW claims that the performance and handling qualities of the M3 and M4 will remain the same, aficionados believe otherwise. It is understood that steel will add more weight, and the motor may also turn out to be slightly less eager to rev. We will just have to wait it out and see how BMW goes about implementing this change. Stay tuned for more information.
