Overview
- KOHL Group confirmed the BMW and MINI tuner will cease tuning operations at the end of 2026 after nearly four decades in business.
- The company is marketing the AC Schnitzer name to potential buyers, will sell existing inventory through 2026, and will honor warranties and after-sales support beyond year-end.
- Managing director Rainer Vogel cited an eight- to nine-month delay from Germany’s approval process as a core competitive handicap.
- The decision also reflects tariffs in the U.S., rising raw-material costs, volatile exchange rates, supplier failures, and a weaker German domestic market.
- Demand has softened as electrification grows and younger buyers prove harder to engage, with KOHL warning the brand will be wound up if no buyer is found.