Watch This BMW Button Fry Itself And Emit Freaky Pink Smoke In Real Time
This is the strangest electrical failure we've seen on camera in a long time.
German cars are known to decline in reliability as they age, but we've never seen one exhibit a mechanical failure like this.
The Speed Academy YouTube channel published a short clip to Instagram in November showing what is perhaps the oddest electrical fault we've ever seen in a BMW. The video shows host Peter Tarach attempting to solve an issue with his E90-generation M3's EDC button, responsible for controlling the stiffness of the dampers. All of a sudden, a strange pink smoke begins to emit from under the button.
"Well that's a new one," Tarach says. "I've never seen that happen."
Tarach quickly shuts off the car, but not before we see more smoke pour its way into the cabin. The video's comment section is unsurprisingly full of gold. "Typical BMW gender reveal," one reads. "That's the BMW strawberry diffuser scent test trial. $50 monthly sub if you want that all the time," says another.
It's unclear how this electrical short occurred or how it was eventually fixed, as Speed Academy doesn't mention the weird failure in its latest update video on the M3. Commenters suggest the smoke could've been caused by a pinched wire or liquid inadvertently entering the center console. Either way, we hope Tarach avoided breathing that stuff in.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
The New BMW M3 Will Probably Look Like This
Man Puts A Deposit On A Truck. Then The Dealership Puts It Back Up For Sale: 'A Dealership Is Not A Bank'
Every Manual Car You Can Still Buy In 2026
Here's What GM CEO Mary Barra Drives: 'It's Just A Great Performance Vehicle'
Holy Crap: The BMW M3 Wagon Is Actually Going Racing
Woman Buys Hyundai. Then Someone Tries To Steal It: ‘I Can’t Believe They Bothered Even Making Keys For This Car’
Every BMW M3 Generation: Explained