--- title: "BMW I6, V8 M Cars Will Survive Emissions Crackdown With No Performance Loss" date: "2025-07-21" modified: "2025-07-21" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bmw-i6-v8-m-cars-will-survive-emissions-crackdown-with-no-performance-loss" categories: - "BMW News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "BMW" - "M5" - "sedan" - "sports car" - "Wagon" --- # BMW I6, V8 M Cars Will Survive Emissions Crackdown With No Performance Loss ![Image of BMW M5 V8]() *\Fabian Kirchbauer/BMW\* It may seem half a world away, but Europe's stringent Euro 7 emissions laws threaten enthusiast cars on our side of the pond, too, regardless of what the U.S. does. If a company like [BMW]() is able to certify its engines for sale in its home market, it's far likelier it will continue offering them around the globe. Thankfully, that's exactly what the M brand has achieved, according to CEO Frank van Meel. The chief executive of BMW's performance arm told *[Autocar]()* that its engineers have made "very interesting" tweaks to ensure that its trademark straight-six and V8 engines will persist through the new constraints. They'll need to for a good while, as Euro 7 mandates that new engines stay compliant for 10 years or 124,000 miles. Though Van Meel didn't precisely outline these changes, he did offer some context as to the challenges BMW and others have been facing: It all comes down to cooling. "Normally, if you are in high-performance situations, you cool using the fuel," Van Meel told the publication. "With EU7, that’s impossible, so you need to find different ways of avoiding temperature buildup. The combustion process has to be improved in regards to heat build-up and also the cooling, and those are the challenges. Of course you can \[reduce\] performance to avoid this temperature increase, but you don’t want to—that’s where we started." ![Rear quarter image of BMW M5]() *2026 BMW M5 Touring. *Andrew P. Collins** As Van Meel sees it, these engines are core to BMW's high-performance internal-combustion offerings. "The six-cylinder inline engine is our legacy, and the V8 has got a long history in racing, so we intend to keep going," he said. In other words, don't count on BMW lopping off cylinders to meet regulations, [as its local rival infamously did](). "I couldn’t imagine putting a four-cylinder in an M5," Van Meel said. Naturally, electrification has assuredly helped the automaker cover some of the difference, and we've already seen that play out in [the new, 5,500-pound M5](). But it's comforting to know that as BMW introduces its first fully battery-powered M car with the ["Heart of Joy" ECU](), traditional performance isn't going anywhere. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com*[]()[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()