--- title: "Longtime BMW Tuner Blames Closure on Bureaucracy, Logistics, and Failing to Inspire the Youth" date: "2026-03-20" modified: "2026-03-20" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/longtime-bmw-tuner-blames-closure-on-bureaucracy-logistics-and-failing-to-inspire-the-youth" categories: - "BMW News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "BMW" - "Coupe" - "luxury" - "sedan" - "sports car" --- # Longtime BMW Tuner Blames Closure on Bureaucracy, Logistics, and Failing to Inspire the Youth ![AC Schnitzer 635 CSi racing in DTM]() *\AC Schnitzer\* BMW racing team-turned-tuner AC Schnitzer will regrettably shut down at the end of 2026, according to a statement from its parent company, the Kohl Group, which belongs to the same family that started ACS way back in 1987. Today, the brand produces parts for [BMW]()s and motorcycles, but all of its inventory is to be sold off by the end of the year, and Kohl is seeking a buyer for the name. In other words, AC Schnitzer as we know it will be no more. In the [statement](), the company mentions various circumstances that led to this point—some indisputable, others more...*editorial*. "Tariffs in the key U.S. market, rising global raw material prices, highly volatile exchange rates in international currencies, \[and\] the demise of suppliers on the supplier side" are all cited and certainly valid factors. An "extremely long approval process" for automotive parts in Germany also hasn't helped. But Kohl's statement also ventures into cultural shifts, saying that "buyers of vehicle enhancements through aftermarket parts are often portrayed in the media as eccentrics or posers," and that, like other tuners, it failed to "inspire young customers" as their fathers did. Look, you'll never see us making fun of aftermarket customers, unless they're enlisting the services of [Mansory](). But that's the only exception. Whatever the reasons, this is sad news. [AC Schnitzer]() got its start 39 years ago following the merger of the Kohl Group and Team Schnitzer, which had made a name for itself campaigning BMWs in various motorsport categories. It was a mainstay during those golden years of the DTM, when E30 M3s faced off against Mercedes 190Es and Alfa 155s. And when the tuning craze of the late '90s and early 2000s arrived, it certainly carved out a unique presence. We've watched so many of ACS's counterparts fold over the years, but that doesn't make this story any easier to take in. Here's hoping that if the brand does live on in some form, it does so in a way that honors its past. *Got a tip? Reach out 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]()