Most BMW's will have identifying Model Numbers normally on the rear of the trunk
lid or sometimes in other locations. and will look similar to this;
In this case "5" refers to the Series, the 5 Series.
Some other current Series numbers are 3 and 7. The Series 6 and 8 were used in the past.
BMW has recently announced a 1 Series future model.
The "30" refers to the engine displacement, 3.0 liters.
Most current models will run from 1.6 in the 3 Series Compact to 5.0 in the
7 Series Sedan. However these numbers are not always accurate. For example the E30 325e and the
E28 528e were delivered with the same engine, a 2.7 liter!
Many model numbers have a suffix, like "d" in the picture shown above.
The "d" refers to a diesel engine. A common popular suffix is
"i", which originally indicated an Injected (fuel-injected) model, but over the years
it has come to represent BMW performance, and it is applied to a number of models.
Here are some other common suffix codes and what normally refer to:
| s = Sport model |
|
These models have sporting options like larger brakes, stronger suspension, etc. |
| e = Economy engine |
|
Technically, the "e" refers to the Greek letter "eta", which means
"efficiency". The eta engine was used in the 325e and 528e models. |
| t = Turbo charged engine |
|
When used alone, "t" it can refer to gasoline or diesel models. |
| t = Touring |
|
For early models, "touring" sometimes could refer to hatchback,
wagon, or even sport versions. |
| td =Turbodiesel |
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The "td" stands for the Turbodiesel (not to be confused with
the "tds" which refers specifically to the Intercooled turbodiesels. |
| M = Motorsport |
|
The "M" stands for Motorsport. Rarely seen but do turn up because
BMW Motorsport division specializes in high performance versions of BMW production
automobiles. M cars have built in the 3, 5 and 6 Series models such as the M535i
and the M635Csi. |
| x = All Wheel Drive model |
|
The original model was the E30 "ix", but later the E46 3 Series AWD
model were designated "xi". |
| L = Long wheelbase model |
|
For example this includes the 7 Series Sedan, 750iL. And sometimes, "L"
is used as a prefix, like the "L6" and "L7" models. These models
are not only long, but this also can refer to some of the premium models, usually
with extra luxury features. |
| C or c = Coupe |
|
This sometimes is used with an "S", like in the case of "Coupe
Sport". Remember the "C" code is sometime also used for luxury coupes
like the 6 and 8 Series. |
| A = Automatic transmission |
|
This is very rarely seen, because of the fact that BMW does not usually advertise
automatic transmissions. But is does show up, for example an in the case of the
"525iA". |
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