BMW

For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation)

BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. BMW is the world's largest premium carmaker and is the parent company of the BMW MINI and Rolls-Royce car brands, and, formerly, Rover.

The company's tagline in English is currently "The Ultimate Driving Machine". The original German slogan is "Freude am Fahren", which translates to "Joy in Driving" in English.

BMW's main competitors include Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Saab and Porsche.

History

BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany.

1938 328

The characteristic kidney grill was first seen on the BMW 303 in the early 1930s. Shown here is a BMW 2002.

Pre-WWII

BMW was founded by Karl Friedrich Rapp in October 1913, originally as an aircraft engine manufacturer, Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke. The Milbertshofen district of Munich location was chosen because it was close to the Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik site, a German aircraft manufacturer. The blue-and-white roundel BMW still uses (illustrated above right) alludes to the blue and white checkered flag of Bavaria and also indicates the origin of BMW by symbolizing a spinning white propeller on a blue-sky background.

In 1916 the company secured a contract to build V12 engines for Austria-Hungary. Needing extra financing, Rapp gained the support of Camillo Castiglioni and Max Friz, the company was reconstituted as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. Over-expansion caused difficulties; Rapp left and the company was taken over by the Austrian industrialist Franz Josef Popp in 1917, and named BMW AG in 1918.

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles (1919) prohibited the production of aircraft in Germany. Otto closed his factory and BMW switched to manufacturing railway brakes.

In 1919 BMW designed their first motorcycle engine, used in a model called the Victoria which was built by a company in Nuremberg.

In 1923 BMW built their first model motorcycle, the R32. This had a 500 cc air-cooled horizontally-opposed engine, a feature that would resonate among their various models for decades to come, albeit with displacement increases and newer technology. The major innovation was the use of a driveshaft instead of a chain to drive the rear wheel. For decades to follow, the driveshaft was the mark of the BMW motorcycle.

In 1927 the tiny Dixi, an Austin Seven produced under licence, began production in Eisenach. BMW bought the Dixi Company the following year, and this became the company's first car, the BMW 3/15. By 1933 BMW were producing cars that could be called truly theirs, offering steadily more advanced I6 sports and saloons (sedans). The pre-war cars culminated in the 327 coupe and convertible, the 328 roadster, fast 2.0 L cars, both very advanced for their time, as well as the upscale 335 luxury sedan.

World War II

BMW motorcycles, specifically the BMW R 12 and the BMW R 75 combination were used extensively by the Aufklärungsabteilung of German panzer and motorised divisions of the German Army, Waffen SS and Luftwaffe.

BMW was also a major supplier of engines to the Luftwaffe and of engines and vehicles, especially motorcycles, to the Wehrmacht. Planes using the aero-engines included the BMW 801, one of the most powerful available. Over 30,000 were manufactured up to 1945. BMW also researched jet engines, producing the BMW 003, and rocket-based weapons. BMW has admitted to using between 25,000 and 30,000 slave labourers during this period, consisting of both prisoners of war and inmates of infamous concentration camps such as Dachau.

The BMW works were heavily bombed towards the end of the war. Of its sites, those in eastern Germany (Eisenach-Dürrerhof, Wandlitz-Basdorf and Zühlsdorf) were seized by the Soviets. The factory in Munich was largely destroyed.

Post-war history

In 1952, BMW produced its first passenger car since the war, but its attempts to get into the premium sector were not commercially successful; models such as the acclaimed BMW 507 were too expensive to build profitably and were low volume. By the late 1950s, it was making bu-barrele cars such as the Isetta. In 1959 BMW's management suggested selling the whole concern to Daimler-Benz. Major shareholder, Herbert Quandt was close to agreeing such a deal, but changed his mind at the last minute because of opposition from the workforce and trade unions and advice from the board chairman, Kurt Golda. Instead Quandt increased his share in BMW to 50% against the advice of his bankers, and he was instrumental in turning the company around.

That same year, BMW launched the 700, a small car with an air-cooled, rear-mounted 697 cc boxer engine from the R67 motorcycle. Its bodywork was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and the 2+2 model had a sporty look. There was also a more powerful RS model for racing. Competition successes in the 700 began to secure BMW's reputation for sports sedans.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1961, BMW launched the 1500, a powerful compact sedan, with front disc brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. This modern specification further cemented BMW's reputation for sporting cars. It was the first BMW to officially feature the "Hofmeister kink", the rear window line that has been the hallmark of all BMWs since then.

The "New Class" 1500 was developed into 1600 and 1800 models. In 1966, the two-door version of the 1600 was launched, along with a convertible in 1967. These models were called the '02' series�"the 2002 being the most famous�"and began the bloodline that later developed into the BMW 3 Series.

In 1968, BMW launched its large "New Six" sedans, the 2500, 2800, and American Bavaria, and coupés, the 2.5 CS and 2800 CS.

By the 1970s, BMW was commercially successful and in December 1971, moved in to its present HQ in Munich, architecturally modelled after four cylinders.

In 1972, the 5 Series was launched to replace the New Class sedans, with a body styled by Paul Bracq. The new class coupes were replaced by the 3 Series in 1975, and the New Six became the 7 Series in 1977. Thus the three-tier sports sedan range was formed, and BMW essentially followed this formula into the 1990s. Other cars, like the 6 Series coupes that replaced the CS and the M1, were also added to the mix as the market demanded.

"The English Patient"

Between 1994 and 2000, under the leadership of Bernd Pischetsrieder, BMW owned the Rover Group in an attempt to get into mass market production, buying it from British Aerospace. This brought the active Rover, Mini and Land Rover brands as well as rights to many dormant marques such as Austin, Morris, Riley, Triumph and Wolseley under BMW ownership.

The venture was not successful. For years, Rover tried to rival BMW, if not in product, then in market positioning and "snob appeal". BMW found it difficult to reposition the English automaker alongside its own products and the Rover division was faced with endless changes in its marketing strategy. In the six years under BMW, Rover was positioned as a premium automaker, a mass-market automaker, a division of BMW and an independent unit.

BMW was more successful with the Mini and Land Rover brands, which did not have parallels in its own range at the time.

In 2000, BMW disposed of Rover after years of losses, with Rover cars going to the Phoenix Venture Holdings for a nominal £10 and Land Rover going to the Ford Motor Company. In the press, many years of under-investment by Rover before BMW's ownership were mainly blamed for the debacle; productivity and industrial relations were generally good during this period. The German press ridiculed the English firm as "The English Patient", after a film at the time. BMW itself, protected by its product range's image, was largely spared the blame �" even though it was the serious marketing issues that brought Rover down. Even the British press was not particularly sympathetic towards Rover.

BMW retained the rights to Mini, Rover, Triumph and other marques. MINI has been a highly successful business, though the other names have not been used yet.

The BMW logo is a circle (known as a roundel) divided into quadrants of alternating white and light blue colour. The logo is intended to be a stylized representation of an aircraft propeller against a blue sky. The colours of the logo are those of the flag of Bavaria.

Redesign Controversy

In the early part of the 2000s, BMW undertook another of its periodic cycles of redoing the styling design of its various series of vehicles, under the auspices of newly promoted design chief Christopher Bangle. These designs, which were much curvier and 'swoopier' -- a design cue called "flame surfacing" by Bangle, did not rest well at all with BMW enthusiasts or the automotive press which referred to the new designs as "Bangled" or "Bangle-ized". While Bangle did not pen all of these designs, and has indeed been promoted within the company, some question what long term effect the disaffection of BMW traditionalists for these designs will have on sales, and on the company's future. Despite the controversy, BMW sales have increased year after year, showing the buying public's embrace of the new design philosophy, which is to raise the contribution of design to equate with that of engineering in the production of a vehicle. Bangle seems to posture that he wants people to either "love" or "hate" a design, but not be indifferent to it. As such, his designs elicit much more emotional response than previous generations. It should also be noted that BMW's designs, both pre-Bangle and surprisingly since Bangle, are now resonating in the industry at the design level - the "Bangle-butt" rear end of the 7-series that most found difficult to digest when it first came out in early 2000s is now appearing in other brands, most notably on the new Lexus LS and the new Mercedes-Benz S-class for 2007. The iconic "kink" is also a staple of Infiniti as is the "M" moniker, made famous by the higher performance M-series of BMW.

What is not well known, however, is that Bangle was indeed responsible for many 'conservative' BMW designs and has worked at BMW for almost a decade. The first X5 sketches (which highly resembled the production car), were designed by him, and under his tenure the E46 3-series came to be.

Production outside Germany

BMW started producing automobiles at its Greenville, South Carolina-area plant in 1994. Today, the plant manufactures the BMW X5 and BMW Z4 Roadster.

The Spartanburg, SC plant is open six days a week, producing automobiles approximately 110 hours a week. It employs about 4,700 people and manufactures over 500 vehicles daily. Recently, the plant has undergone a major renovation switching from 2 production lines down to one. Now both the X5 and the Z4 are produced in the same line, one right after the other.

After a period of local assembly, BMW's Rosslyn, South Africa, plant now manufactures cars, with over 70% of its output destined for export. In the mid-1990s, BMW invested R1 billion to make Rosslyn a world-class facility. The plant now exports over 50,000 3 Series cars a year, mostly to the USA, Japan, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

Starting from October 2004, BMWs are produced in Shenyang, China [1]. BMW has established a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance to build BMW 3 Series and 5 Series vehicles for the local market.

The BMW Group is considering the establishment of a new plant which will be located either in Volos,Greece or Limasol,Cyprus.These plants will be manufacturing motorcycles as well as the BMW 1 Series and the BMW 3 Series and will be serving the markets of Eastern Europe and Middle East.The construction will start in 2009 even if it is finally built in Greece or in Cyprus.

Rolls-Royce

In the early 1990s, BMW and Rolls-Royce Motors began a joint venture that would see the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage adopt BMW engines.

In 1998, both BMW and Volkswagen tried to purchase Rolls-Royce Motors. Volkswagen outbid BMW and bought the company for £430 million, but BMW outflanked its German rival. Although Volkswagen had bought rights to the "Spirit of Ecstasy" mascot and the shape of the radiator grille, it lacked rights to the Rolls-Royce name. Rolls-Royce plc (the aero-engine business) retained the rights over the Rolls-Royce trademark and wished to strengthen its existing business partnership with BMW which extended to the BMW Rolls-Royce joint venture. Consequently, BMW was allowed to acquire the rights to the grille and mascot, and licensed the name and "RR" logo after 2003 for £40 million. Volkswagen was permitted to build Rolls-Royces at its Crewe factory only until 2003, but quickly shifted its emphasis to the Bentley brand.

In the meantime, BMW was faced with the need to build a new factory and develop a new model. The new factory at Goodwood produced the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, unveiled on January 2, 2003, and officially launched at the Detroit Auto Show on January 5, 2003. The model, priced around US$330,000, has experienced record sales worldwide of 796 Phantoms sold in 2005.

Models

Current

The current BMW model lineup is split into what they call "Series", traditionally identified by a single digit - e.g. the 3 Series.

In 2004 BMW announced plans to make odd-numbered models sedans and estates or wagons (BMW calls its estates/wagons Touring models), while even-numbered models will be two-door coupés and cabriolets. This convention started informally in 1976 with the introduction of the 6 Series and later continued in 1989 with the 8 Series, but died off when the latter was discontinued in 1999. This practice was revived as the Z4 replaced the aging Z3 roadster in 2003 and continues as the new 6 Series augments the existing BMW 5 Series.

Coupé versions of the 3 Series sedans have always been named 3 Series vehicles, as well. The company had considered renaming future 2-door derivatives of the 3 Series as 4 Series cars, but this plan has reportedly been shelved.

The 1995 BMW 3 Series Compact

The M letter was used prior to the shift to Series-named cars to designate special "Motorsport" models, beginning with the M1 supercar. Later the M letter was used as a prefix to top-of-the-range models which had received special treatment by the BMW Motorsport division. The first such car was the M535i of 1979. As these models started gaining popularity the Motorsport division was split into a separate company. BMW M GmbH now makes sporty models based on the production cars with very extensive chassis and engine upgrades. The M3, M5, and M6 are based respectively on the 3, 5, and 6 Series and are recognised by enthusiasts all over the world as truly excellent sports cars while retaining the practicality of the models they extend.

With the advent of the SUV, BMW also added the X5 - and in 2004 the X3 - to their model range to capitalize on this growing market. BMW calls its SUV models Sports Activity Vehicles. A possible future V Series multi-purpose vehicle will offer practicality for large families, similar to the Mercedes-Benz R-Class.

1 Series

2006 1 Series

A small family car launched in autumn 2004 in Europe; whether or not it will be launched in the USA has yet to be determined. It is the only rear wheel drive vehicle in its class. A coupé has been announced for 2006, and there are concepts of a hatchback and a minivan. Plans to label these variants as 2 Series have reportedly been scrubbed. It has the same engines as the 318i, 318d, 320i, 320d and 330i as well as a small 1.6L I4 in the 116i.

3 Series

2007 3 Series Coupé

The successor to the 2002, the 3 series is a compact entry-level luxury car, now in its fifth generation (E90). The E90 line has been available in the United States and Canada since the 2006 model year. The E90 is currently available in the 318i (detuned 2.0L I4 engine producing 129 hp), 318d (detuned 2.0L I4 diesel producing 122 hp), 320i (with 2.0L I4 producing 150 hp), 320d (with I4 diesel producing 163 hp), 323i (with I6 producing 174 hp), 325i (with a detuned 3.0 L I6 engine producing 215 hp or a 2.5L I6 producing 218 hp), 330d (3.0L I6 producing 231 hp) and the 330i (with a 3.0 L I6 engine producing 255 hp), as well as the AWD-versions of these 2 models, named 325xi and 330xi. The new BMW 3 series sedan (E90) and coupé (E92), both soon to be released (start of production in September, 2006) will both carry the 328i, 328xi, 335i, and 335xi badging. There will not be a separate "ci" designation for coupés. The 328i will feature a 3.0L I6 with 230 hp and 200 lb-ft while the new 335i will feature BMW's new 3.0L I6 twin turbo motor bolsting 300 hp and 300 lb-ft. As 2006 models, the 3 series coupé and convertible are only available in the fourth generation E46 body style (with a 2.5 L I6 producing 184 hp for the 325ci/cic and a 3.0 L I6 producing 225 hp for the 330ci/cic) until the fall of 2006, when the new 2007 model year coupés will be available. Unlike past generations, the 2006/7 3-series coupés would have its own internal code of E92. Also available is the all wheel drive Touring (wagon) model. A special edition 320si that is the production version of the 2006 World Touring Car.
*M3: The motorsport division's race-inspired version of the 3 Series. Currently available only in the fourth generation E46 body style and with a 3.2 L engine producing 333 hp. A new revision is expected in 2007 with a 400 hp V8.

5 Series

2005 5 Series

A mid-size luxury car / executive car. This series is available with different engines: the 525i with the same engine as the 325i, the 530i with the same engine as the 330i, and the 545i with a 4.4 L V8 producing 325 hp. For the 2006 model year, the 545i has been phased out in favour of the 550i, with a 4.8 L V8 producing 360 hp. The 520d with the same engine as the 320d, the 530d with the same engine as the 330d and a high performance 535d with a twin turbo 272 bhp version of the standard 3.0L I6 diesel.
*M5: The motorsport division's version of the 5 Series. The new M5 (E60) is powered by an F1-inspired V10 engine, producing 507 hp and is mated with a 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) transmission, which is capable of an unlimited top speed of 200 mph.

6 Series

2004 6 Series

The coupé version of the 5 series, the 6 series is currently available in the 650i version with a 4.8 L V8 producing 360 hp and the 630i version with a 3.0 R6 Straight Six engine (it was the first model to use this engine).
*M6: A high performance version of the 6 Series. Developed by BMW's M Division, it is powered by the same 5.0 L V10 507 hp engine seen in the BMW M5. It is currently available in Europe and America.

7 Series

2005 7 Series

A full-size luxury car competing with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, and Jaguar XJ. The 7 series comes in the 730i/730Li, 730d/730Ld, 740i/740Li, 745d, 750i and 750Li with the same engine as their respective 5-Series equivalent, and in the 760i and 760Li, with a 6.0 L V12 producing 438 hp. The 760Li is also made in a bulletproof version for clients who need extra protection. BMW plans to offer a car that runs on both petrol and hydrogen (hybrid).

2005 X3

X3

A compact SUV based on the 3 series, with emphasis on practicality and affordability, but lacking any significant off-road ability.

2002 X5

X5

BMW's first SUV (called SAV or Sports Activity Vehicle by BMW) competing against the Porsche Cayenne, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. Althougth marketed in Europe as an off-roader, it lacks the off-road the capabilities of Land Rover models.

2005 Z4

Z4

A 2-seater roadster and coupé which succeeded the Z3. For 2006 the Z4 is available as a 3.0i (3.0L I6 with 215 hp), a 3.0si available with the new generation 3.0L I6 with 255 hp, a 2.5si with a 2.5 I6 with 218 bhp or a 2.0i with a 150 bhp 2.0L I4.
*Z4 M The new Z4 M roadster has been released as a Z4 with an E46 M3 motor (3.2L, 333 hp), sharing same braking and suspension systems. The new M Coupe shares the same features but in a coupé version.

Future

* Z10: A supercar to succeed the Z8, to be produced in 2008

Prototypes

*1999 Z9: a concept car designed by Adrian van Hooydonk marked a departure from BMW's traditional conservative style, and has caused some controversy among BMW enthusiasts.
*2001 xCoupe

Out of production

* M1: a 1970s mid-engine sports car, designed in conjunction with Lamborghini. As Lamborghini went into bankruptcy the production was shifted to the German Karmanwerke.
* Z3: a 2-seater roadster.
** M coupé and roadster: high-performance hard-top and soft-top versions of the Z3, very popular among enthusiasts
* 8 Series: a fast, high-technology coupé of the 1990s meant to replace the older 6 Series. Only car in its class with a v12 offered to the customer.
* Z1: a late 1980s two-seater with innovative modular construction; only 8,000 were made. Best known for the feature of the vertically sliding doors.
* Z8: a roadster with design based on the classic 507 roadster from the 1950s. Only 5000 were built, the last 500 being a special edition built by Alpina but sold directly from BMW. This exciting halo car was built on an aluminium space frame design.

Classics

BMW made many cars over the years which have had great impact on the world of motoring.
*3.0 CSL
* M1
* Dixi, 3/20, 303, 309, 315, 319, 320, 321, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 335
* Isetta, 600, 700
* 501, 502, 503, 507
* 3200 CS, 2000 CS
* New Sixes (2500/2800/Bavaria/2.5/2.8/3.0/3.3) - Predecessor to today's 7 Series
* New Class (1500/1502/1600/1800/1802/2000/2002) - Acknowledged as the first modern sports saloon and the predecessor to BMW's core product, the 3 Series

Series Generations

Internally, BMW associates an "e-code" for each generation of a series ("E" stands for Entwicklung, German for development or evolution). These "chassis codes" only change to signify a major redesign of a series, or the introduction of a new series. Motor Trend reported in April of 2006 that BMW will switch to the letter "F" for their future models, beginning with the F10 5 Series replacement.
* BMW E3 �" (1968�"1977) 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.3 "New Six" sedans
* BMW E9 �" (1969�"1975) 2800CS, 3.0CS, 3.0CSL "New Six" coupés
* BMW E12 �" (1972�"1981) 5 Series
* BMW E21 �" (1975�"1983) 3 Series
* BMW E23 �" (1977�"1986) 7 Series
* BMW E24 �" (1976�"1989) 6 Series
* BMW E26 �" (1978�"1981) M1
* BMW E28 �" (1981�"1988) 5 Series
* BMW E30 �" (1982�"1991) 3 Series
* BMW E31 �" (1990�"1999) 8 Series
* BMW E32 �" (1986�"1994) 7 Series
* BMW E34 �" (1988�"1995) 5 Series
* BMW E36 �" (1991�"1999) 3 Series/Z3 (as E36/7) (1999 model as M3 only)
* BMW E38 �" (1994�"2001) 7 Series
* BMW E39 �" (1996�"2003) 5 Series
* BMW E46 �" (1998�"2005) 3 Series
* BMW E52 �" (2000�"2004) Z8
* BMW E53 �" (2000�"present) X5
* BMW E60 �" (2004�"present) 5 Series
* BMW E61 �" (2004�"present) 5 Series Touring
* BMW E63 �" (2004�"present) 6 Series coupé
* BMW E64 �" (2004�"present) 6 Series convertible
* BMW E65 �" (2002�"present) 7 Series short wheelbase
* BMW E66 �" (2002�"present) 7 Series long wheelbase
* BMW E70 �" future X5
* BMW E83 �" (2004�"present) X3
* BMW E85 �" (2003�"present) Z4
* BMW E87 �" (2004�"present) 1 Series
* BMW E90 �" (2005�"present) 3 Series
* BMW E91 �" (2005�"present) 3 Series Touring
* BMW E92 �" (2006�"present) 3 Series Coupé
* BMW E93 �" (2007-present) 3 Series Convertible
* BMW F10 �" (2009) 5 Series
* BMW F01 �" (2009) 7 Series
* BMW F02 �" (2009) 7 Series long wheelbase

Related companies

* Automobilwerk Eisenach
* Isetta
* Glas
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited
* Rover: briefly owned by BMW, which retained the Mini after selling off the rest of the company (see MG Rover Group).
* Land Rover: sold to Ford; the current Range Rover was developed mostly by BMW during their ownership of the company and until recently was powered by their 4.4 L V8 petrol (gasoline) engine and continues to use the BMW 3.0 L I6 diesel engine
* BMW MINI: a small hatchback; inspired by the original Mini, which was the British competitor to the Volkswagen Beetle.
* Wiesmann: A company making sporty 2-seater roadsters and coupes for which BMW supplies the engine and transmission components.
*DesignworksUSA: Design studio founded in 1972 by Charles W. Pelly, and owned by BMW AG since May 1995. DesignworksUSA has worked on various designs for BMW and other companies, not just automobile. One of the latest designs is computer keyboard and mouse, which were sold by BenQ as x700 Pro keyboard, x730 Pro wireless keyborard and mouse combo, M306 wireless mouse.
*Bavaria Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH: BMW Group subsidiary that offers insurance services.
*Softlab GmbH: IT consulting and systems integration.

Motorsport

BMW Sauber F1 Team Logo

BMW has been engaged in motorsport activities since the dawn of the first BMW motorcycle. BMW has competed and won many of the most coveted and prestigious races and motoring events.
* BMW Sauber F1 Team - current BMW works Formula One team
* WilliamsF1 - former Formula One partner, and designer of BMW's Le Mans winning sports car
* Brabham Racing Organisation - Former Formula One partner, winning the Drivers Championship in 1983
* McLaren F1 - Successful mid-1990s GT racing car with a BMW designed engine. It won FIA GT in 1995 and 1996 and the 24 Hours Le Mans in 1995.
* Touring car racing - BMW have a long and very successful history in this category. Since 1968 BMW won 24 drivers championships in European Touring Car Championship along with several manufacturer and team titles.
* The World Touring Car Chamionship was won twice.
* DTM succeses:# 1988: Roberto Ravaglia, BMW M3# 1987: Winfried Vogt, BMW M3# 1983: Dieter Quester, BMW 635 CSI# 1982: Umberto Grano, Helmut Kelleners, BMW 528i# 1981: Umberto Grano, Helmut Kelleners, BMW 635 CSI# 1980: Siegfried Müller Jr., Helmut Kelleners, BMW 320i# 1979: Carlo Facetti, Martino Finotto, BMW 3.0 CSL# 1978: Umberto Grano, BMW 3.0 CSL# 1977: Dieter Quester, BMW 3.0 CSL# 1976: Pierre Dieudonné, Jean Xhenceval, BMW 3.0 CSL# 1975: Siegfried Müller, Alain Peltier, BMW 3.0 CSL
* Also BMW won the British Touring Car Championship in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993.
* Le Mans 24 Hours - BMW won Le Mans in 1999 with a car designed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Also the McLaren BMW team won the 1995 24 Hours Le Mans in a modified McLaren F1 car.
* Mille Miglia - BMW won Mille Miglia in 1940 in with a 328 Touring Coupe. Previously in 1938 the 328 sport car also obtained a class victory.
* Nürburgring - BMW won the 24 Hours Nürburgring 18 times.
* RAC Rally - The 328 sport car won this event in 1939.
* Paris Dakar Rally - BMW motorcycles have won this event 6 times.

Motorcycles

A modern BMW motorcycle

BMW introduced the R32 in 1923. It had an unusual "boxer twin" engine, with two air-cooled cylinders protruding from opposite sides of the machine for efficient cooling. Prior to this BMW built the "Flink" 2- stroke and "Helios" motorcycles, as well as supplying M2B15 motors to other companies such as Victoria.

The R series currently designates machines with a boxer-twin engine, the K series has an I4 engine (1000 and 1200 cc) or an I3 (750 cc), and the F series has a single cylinder Rotax engine.

During WWII BMW produced the BMW R75 motorcycle with a sidecar attached. This motorcycle was essentially an 80% interchangeable copy of the ZUndapp KS750, made by BMW to avoid producing the KS750 under licence. Unusually, the sidecar's wheel was also driven. Combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle very capable off-road, an equivalent in many ways to the Jeep.

BMW motorcycles tend to be relatively large and heavy, and relaxed and comfortable to ride. All BMW motorcycles except for the F series (which have a chain or belt drive) use shaft drive, a characteristic of BMW motorcycles since 1923.

BMW updated the traditional R design in 1993. These new bikes were principally oil-cooled (hence, called oilheads) and had 4 valves per cylinder. (Older Rs are principally air-cooled, and called airheads.) In 2004, BMW updated the oilhead boxer engine, adding double spark plugs per cylinder, a built-in balance shaft, an increased capacity to 1200 cc and enhanced performance to 100 hp (75 kW) for the R1200GS, compared to 85 hp (63 kW) of the previous oilhead s R1150GS.

In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It is both powerful (the engine is a 167 hp unit derived from the company's work with the Williams F1 team) and significantly lighter than previous K models. It was BMW's latest attempt to keep up with the pace of development of sports machines from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Innovations include a unique electronically adjustable front and rear suspension, and a Hossack-type front fork BMW calls Duolever.

BMW was one of the earliest manufacturers to offer anti-lock brakes on production motorcycles.

BMW is an innovator in motorcycle suspension design. Most modern examples use single-sided rear swingarms. Their trademark front suspension design, called the Telelever, was first seen in the early 1990s. The Telelever significantly reduces dive under braking, and is sometimes criticized by sport riders as insulating the rider from road inputs, therefore reducing the rider's "feel" for the roadway.

Nicknames

In German, the acronym BMW is pronounced "beh emm veh". This is often pronounced as one word. In North America, BMW automobiles are referred to as "beemers". In the United Kingdom the abbreviation 'BM' is widely used. In the rest of the world mainly the pronunciation "bee emm double-u" is used.
*Bimmer - slang for BMW cars
*Beamer/Beemer- slang for BMW motorcycles
*B M - Arab countries
*Bavaretz (Bavarian) - Bulgaria
*宝马 / 寶馬 (báo mǎ / bou2 ma5) (prized horse) - Chinese-speaking countries
*Bemari/Bemm/Bavarets - Estonia
*Bemari - Finland
*Béhème - France
*beh emm veh or Beba (Μπέμπα ,Greek word for female baby) - Greece
*bimmari - Iceland
*Biemvù - Italy
*ベンベ / Benbe - Japan
*BMVEC - Kosovo
*Bambalis/Bimbalas - Lithuania
*Bembis - Latvia
*BM - Mexico
*Beh emm veh - Norway
*Beemka/Beemwica/Buma/Bejca/Beta - Poland
*Boomer - Russia
*Benve - Serbia
*Be eme uve - Spain
*Bee Emm Vé - Iran
*Be Am Vé/Be Amv - Romania
*Be My Wife/Beamer/BM-Nigeria
*Be M Wei-Indonesia
*Be Eme Doble v-Argentina
*Bömös - Hungary
*Benga/Benđo/Be Em Ve - Bosnia
*Banyak Makan Wang - Malaysia (means eat a lot of money - malay language)
*Brings More Women - Malaysia
*Bimma' - Jamaica

Culture

The term "beemer" started as a pronunciation of the acronym "BMW," adapted from the early-20th-Century British pronunciation of BSA (as "beeser" or "beezer"), whose motorcycles were often racing BMW's. Over time, the term became closely associated with BMW motorcycles.

The term "bimmer" was later coined to refer (exclusively) to BMW automobiles. As such, use of the word "beemer" to refer to a BMW automobile is frowned upon by BMW enthusiasts, because it is the term used for motorcycles. Although the distinction is somewhat arbitrary, to this day, the media, movies, and most people still use the term "beemer" to refer to the automobiles due to their ignorance of this fact. Interestingly, in the German language, the correct pronunciation of the term "bimmer" is "beemer."

The initials BMW are pronounced "beh emm veh" in German.

BMW is also the acronym in the UK for a cocktail of Baileys, Malibu and Whisky.

Community

BMW has always had a very tight and loyal community following. They're one of the few automakers that support driving their cars to their limits, suggesting "spirited driving" in certain operation manuals. In the summer of 2001, BMW even went as far as starting the BMW Films website, showcasing some sporty models being driven to extremes. These videos are very popular within the enthusiast community and have opened the eyes of many owners looking for a sporty/fun car. However, even with all this success, on October 21st, 2005, the BMW Films were taken offline.

The BMW enthusiast community however, remains extremely active. Online forums like bimmerfest.com, E46fanatics.com, M3forums.com, E90Fanatics.com, and bimmerforums.com are examples of how loyal BMW enthusiasts are. They are some of the most active car forums on the web.

Every year since 1999, BMW enthusiasts have met up in Santa Barbara, CA to attend "Bimmerfest." Perhaps one of the largest brand-specific gatherings in the U.S. Over 3000 people attended this past year (2006), and there were over 1000 cars present.

See also

* BMW Steptronic
* List of automobile manufacturers
* List of Formula One constructors
* BMW films
* List of BMW engines
* BMW Headquarters
* BMW CleanEnergy

References

External links

*BMW Group International
**BMW Group English
***BMW International
****BMW USA
****BMW Financial Services (US)
****BMW Motorcycles USA
****BMW Dewan Motors Pakistan
****BMW Group archives
****BMW History
****BMW CleanEnergy
***MINI International
****MINI USA
***Rolls-Royce Motors
* bimmerportal.com - BMW Tech Help Forum and Community
*DesignworksUSA homepage
* BMW Tuning BMW Guides & Pics
* BMW Galleries and Guides at Boompa
* Bimmershops: BMW Repair Shops An extensive listing of BMW repair shops in the United States
*BMW Engine Technology Explained