Names are important in the automotive world. Almost every make and model name has a story or concept behind it. Customers differentiate one car brand model from the other because of its naming convention. In the same context, BMW – the German automaker, follows different naming conventions for different car models. In fact, BMW has a strategic naming and vehicle identification department to think of nomenclature for its models. Let’s go through the BMW naming system in detail.
Decoding the BMW Naming System for Cars
BMW offers a plethora of vehicles. Each model has unique features that differentiate it from the others. Another thing that differentiates various models is the BMW naming system.
BMW models have been following a naming system tradition forever. Case in point: all the BMWs made pre-war BMW had a ‘300’ designation, the ‘100’ designation was assigned to aircraft engines, and the ‘200’ designation models were for BMW motorcycles.
Moving on to the seventies, BMW followed a slightly different model name convention and introduced models like the 520i. Here, the number 5 meant that the car was a 5 Series, the number 20 meant it was powered by a 2.0-litre engine, and the letter “I” meant the car had a gasoline fuel injection.
Fast forward to today, the BMW naming convention is similar, whereby the first number stands for the segment and model series. Moreover, the larger the number, the bigger the BMW car. BMW has also added X or Z alphabets to model names. But these alphabets are exclusive for sports vehicles, roadsters or coupes.
Earlier the next two digits indicated engine placement, for instance, 20 for 2.0-litre and 30 for 3.0-litre. Today, they specify “virtual displacement” of performance in KW. Therefore, vehicles like the X5 and Z4 get an additional designation.
X and Z models have additional designations like x and s. Whereby the xDrive indicates all-wheel-drive models, and the sDrive indicates front- or rear-wheel drive, respectively.
Furthermore, in the end, the lowercase letter stands for the driving technology. For example, the letter “i” stands for injection, “d” for diesel and “e” for plug-in hybrids.
Let us clarify this with an example. The BMW 745e means it belongs to the 7 Series and has a virtual displacement of between 300 and 350 kilowatts (which is around 402 to 469 horsepower). And the letter “e” in lowercase means the car is a plug-in hybrid.
Then, the alphabet “Z” stands for the roadster. For instance: BMW Z4 is an RWD sports car.
BMW Nomenclature for Sub-Brands
All BMW models with an “M” before the model name or after the vehicle name are performance models. For example, the M340i and X5 M5oi are all BMW performance cars.
BMW Naming System for Battery-Electric Vehicles
Things are a bit different if you want to decipher the BMW naming system for battery-electric vehicles. For example, when deciphering the BMW iX, the alphabet I stands for an innovative flagship. The BMW iX electric flagship is positioned independently and follows no series designation.
BMW Naming System for SUVs
In the BMW nomenclature, the alphabet “M” represents the MotorSports segment. The letter “X” represents crossovers and SUV body styles. The letter “X” stands for “Cross-over” or a “Four-Wheel-Drive”.
Five SUVs offered by BMW start from the X1 to X6. The X1 & X3 are BMW compact SUVs, while X4 is a compact SUV, and X5 is a midsize luxury SUV. Moreover, X6 is a luxury sports activity vehicle.
BMW Naming System for Car models Starting with Numbers
All model names that begin with a number represent the “Series” of BMW cars. The higher the series number, the bigger the car.
1 Series– Examples include 118i and 118d. The 1 Series cars are the smallest luxury cars available as hatchbacks, coupes or convertible body shapes.
2 Series – Examples include 218d, 220d, 220i and 225d. BMW 2 Series are compact luxury cars available as coupé and convertible body styles.
3 Series – Examples include 316i, 318i, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, and 328i, among others. The BMW 3 Series is for compact executive sedans, wagons, coupés and convertibles.
4 Series– Examples include 428i, 435i, 420d, 420i, 420i xDrive and 420d xDrive among other models. The BMW 4 Series includes compact executive cars available in convertible, coupé and gran coupe body shapes.
5 Series – Examples include 520i, 523i, 528i, 530i, 535i, 518d, 520d, 525d and 530d. 5 series are mid-size luxury cars available in sedan, touring, and GT hatchback body shapes.
6 Series– Models include 640i, 650i and 640d. 6 Series includes the Luxury Grand Tourer cars available in coupe, convertible & Gran Coupe body styles.
7 Series– Models include 730d, 740d, 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive among others. The BMW 7 Series is made up of full-size luxury cars.
8 Series – Models include 840Ci, 850i, 850Ci, 850CSi, 860i. 8 Series referred to Luxury Grand Tourer performance cars (the series has now been discontinued).
Apart from series numbers, BMW’s naming system reserved odd numbers (3, 5, and 7) for its 4-door sedan models, and even numbers (2, 4, 6, and 8) were reserved for 2-door coupes and similar cars.
Letters used in BMW Naming System
Following is an overview of the letters and terms BMW models used earlier and those still being used.
- Ci – This was used earlier at a time when there was no clear difference between the BMW sedans and coupés. Today a distinction can be made with the help of odd and even numbers. For instance, the BMW 323 Ci (model year 1999 or 2000) meant the car was either a coupé or convertible from the BMW 3 Series.
- Compact – This was another term used earlier on for BMW three-door hatchback versions. For example, the BMW 3 Series Compact.
- Competition – This term is still used. For instance, BMW M models with a more athletic design have “competition” added to their name.
- CS – This is another currently used term. At one time, CS meant Coupé Sport, but the term evolved over time, and today it stands for Competition Sport. The ultra-sporty versions of the BMW M model have “CS” added to their name. For example, the BMW 3.0 CS.
- CSL – This is another term used at present, and it means “Coupé Sport Leichtbau” (the translation for Leichtbau is Lightweight), so the models with the term “CSL” are the ones that feature optimised lightweight technology. For example, the BMW M5 CSL
- e – The e term was used way back in the eighties. For instance, the 325e or the 525e. Here, the letter “e” indicated the term eta in Greek, representing a version of BMWs that were optimised for torque and RPM. Currently, BMW uses e for its PHEVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles).
- GT – The term is used at present, and it stands for Gran Turismo. GT in BMW indicates a hatchback model, for instance, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo and the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, to name a few.
- L – This is a term used at present, and it identifies cars with a longer wheelbase.
- ti/tii – This is another term used today, where ti stands for Turismo Internazionale, whereas tii is Turismo Internationale Iniezione, which means Touring International Injection in Italian. For example, the BMW 128ti.
That is all about decoding the BMW naming convention. It may take you a little time to get used to the BMW naming systems, but understanding them can help identify a lot in the car model.
That said, if you are still confused about the model’s name and its meaning, you can always visit BMW showrooms in the UAE and ask professionals to help you understand the BMW naming system.
If you’re a fan, go through these interesting BMW car facts. Moreover, if you are planning to buy a BMW, here is a list of used BMWs for sale in the UAE.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more on car DIY solutions, car repair tips and much more.
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