BMW

Overview

To some, the blue, white and black badge of BMW represents modern design, while others find anything built by the Bavarian Motor Works to be the quintessential status symbol. What attracts buyers to BMW may vary, but once behind the wheel most would agree that the brand's Ultimate Driving Machine moniker is well deserved.

A visit to your local dealer will introduce you to a bevy of BMW cars ranging from the two-passenger BMW Z4 to the incredible M products, including the BMW M3, BMW M5, and BMW M6. Those high-performance machines are variants of the BMW series cars - the BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, and BMW 6 Series - a lineup that also features the small but powerful BMW 1 Series and the large and luxurious BMW 7 Series. BMW also sells three SUVS: the BMW X3, BMW X5, and coupe-like BMW X6.

To lure shoppers away from alternative models offered by the likes of Audi and Lexus, BMW's engines have been made more powerful. For example, the 215-horsepower BMW 325i has been replaced by the 230-horsepower 328i. Other engines offered by BMW include a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter, a six-cylinder diesel, four V-8s, and a 500-horse V-10 packed into the BMW M5 and BMW M6. All BMW models come with free maintenance for four years or 50,000 miles.

BMW History

BMW began selling cars in the U.S. starting in the late 1960s. The first model was the BMW 2002, a small but entertaining vehicle that led to the development of one of today's most popular German cars, the BMW 3 Series. That iconic model has flourished over the year and has been made available in configurations ranging from the BMW 318ti to the BMW 325i and the BMW M3. The launch of the 3 Series in 1975 loosely coincided with the debut of the larger BMW 5 Series and BMW 7 Series sedans, as well as the BMW 6 Series coupe. The company was on a roll during the '70s, so it's not surprising to learn that these were the first days of BMW Motorsport, the group responsible for the development of the BMW M3, BMW M5, BMW M, BMW M1, and BMW M6. A new model dubbed the BMW 8 Series, powered by a massive V-12 engine, hit the scene in the early 1990s.

By the mid 1990s, BMW had constructed a new manufacturing plant in South Carolina and started building the BMW Z3 roadster, which has since become the BMW Z4. A few years later, the brand's first SUV, the BMW X5, was being built alongside the BMW X3 in the American south. The BMW X6 has since been added to the same assembly line.

BMW is a company with a rich heritage built on long-established reputations of several solid models. The future will not only include advancements in terms of alternative powertrains, but also the continued development and refinement of existing nameplates. The BMW 1 Series tii, for example, harkens back to the days of the BMW 2002 tii, while the BMW Concept 5 Series GT demonstrates a willingness to think beyond the parameters of typical sedan styling.