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Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany

Type Aktiengesellschaft (AG)

Traded as FWB: BMW (http://www.boerse­frankfurt.de/en/equities/search/result?name_isin_wkn=BMW)

Industry Automotive

Predecessor Rapp MotorenwerkeBayerische Flugzeugwerke AG(BFW)[1]

Dixi Automobil Werke AG

Founded 7 March 1916

Founder Franz Josef Popp, Karl Rapp,Camillo Castiglioni

Headquarters Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Area served Worldwide

BMWFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG ( pronunciation ;English: Bavarian Motor Works), commonly known asBMW or BMW AG, is a German automobile,motorcycle and engine manufacturing companyfounded in 1916.

BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria. It alsoowns and produces Mini cars, and is the parentcompany of Rolls­Royce Motor Cars. BMW producesmotorcycles under BMW Motorrad. In 2012, the BMWGroup produced 1,845,186 automobiles and 117,109motorcycles across all of its brands. BMW is part of the"German Big 3" luxury automakers, along with Audiand Mercedes­Benz, which are the three best­sellingluxury automakers in the world.[3][4]

Contents

1 History2 Shareholder structure3 Production

3.1 Worldwide sales3.1.1 China sales

3.2 Annual production4 Motorcycles5 Automobiles

5.1 New Class5.2 Current models5.3 M models

6 Motorsport6.1 Motorsport sponsoring6.2 Motorcycle6.3 Formula One – F16.4 Sport cars6.5 Touring cars6.6 Rally

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Key people Norbert Reithofer (CEO)Joachim Milberg (Chairman of thesupervisory board)

Adrian van Hooydonk (Vice­President)Karim Habib (Director of Design)

Products Luxury Vehicles, motorcycles,bicycles

Productionoutput

1,861,826 Automobiles (2012)125,284 Motorcycles (2012)

Revenue €76.84 billion (2012)[2]

Operatingincome

€8.30 billion (2012)[2]

Profit €5.12 billion (2012)[2]

Total assets €131.85 billion (2012)[2]

Total equity €30.40 billion (2012)[2]

Owner Stefan Quandt: 17.4%Johanna Quandt: 16.7%Susanne Klatten: 12.6%Free Float: 53.3%

Number ofemployees

105,876 (2012)[2]

Divisions MiniBMW MotorsportBMW iBMW Motorrad

Subsidiaries

Website BMW Group(http://www.bmwgroup.com/)BMW Automobiles(http://www.bmw.com/)

7 Sponsorships8 Environmental record9 Bicycles10 BMW nomenclature

10.1 Exceptions11 Carsharing services12 Light and Charge13 Community

13.1 BMW slang13.2 The arts13.3 April Fools

14 Overseas subsidiaries14.1 Brazil14.2 Canada14.3 China14.4 Egypt14.5 India14.6 Japan14.7 Mexico14.8 South Africa14.9 United States

15 Marketing15.1 Audio logo15.2 Roundel logo

16 Theft using OBD17 Litigation

17.1 Bayerische Motoren WerkeAktiengesellschaft ­v­ BMW PropertiesLtd

18 See also19 References20 External links

History

List

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BMW Headquarters in Munich. Thetowers and museum are visible in theback right.

BMW Isetta with a front openingdoor

BMW model 3/15PS (BMW Dixi)from 1930

BMW 132 engine

BMW was established as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraftmanufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918,BMW was forced to cease aircraft­engine production by the termsof the Versailles Armistice Treaty.[5] The company consequentlyshifted to motorcycle production in 1923, once the restrictions of thetreaty started to be lifted,[6] followed by automobiles in 1928–29.[7][8][9]

The first car which BMW successfully produced and the car whichlaunched BMW on the road to automobile production was the Dixi,it was based on the Austin 7 and licensed from the Austin MotorCompany in Birmingham, England.

BMW's first significant aircraft engine (and commercial product ofany sort) was the BMW IIIa inline­six liquid­cooled engine of 1918,much preferred for its high­altitude performance.[10] With Germanrearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producingaircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. Among its successful World WarII engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air­cooledradial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial­flow turbojet,which powered the tiny, 1944–1945–era jet­powered "emergencyfighter", the Heinkel He 162 Spatz. The BMW 003 jet engine wasfirst tested as a prime powerplant in the first prototype of theMesserschmitt Me 262, the Me 262 V1, but in 1942 tests the BMWprototype engines failed on takeoff with only the standby JunkersJumo 210 mose­mounted piston engine powering it to a safelanding.[11][12] The few Me 262 A­1b test examples built used themore developed version of the 003 jet, recording an official topspeed of 800 km/h (497 mph). The first­ever four­jet aircraft everflown, the sixth and eighth prototypes of the Arado Ar 234 jetreconnaissance­bomber, used BMW 003 jets for power. Theimproving reliability of the 003 as 1944 progressed, earmarked it asthe required powerplant for airframe designs competing for theJägernotprogramm's light fighter production contract, won by theHeinkel He 162 Spatz design. The BMW 003 aviation turbojet alsofound itself under consideration as the basic starting point for apioneering turboshaft powerplant for German armored fightingvehicles in 1944–45, as the GT 101.[13] Towards the end of theThird Reich BMW developed some military aircraft projects for theLuftwaffe, the BMW Strahlbomber, the BMW Schnellbomber andthe BMW Strahljäger, but none of them were built.[14][15]

By the year 1958, the automotive division of BMW was in financialdifficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whetherto go into liquidation or find a way of carrying on. It was decided tocarry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boomenjoyed so successfully by some of Germany's ex­aircraft

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BMW 801 engine

BMW 3­Series (F30)

manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. The rights tomanufacture the Italian Iso Isetta were bought; the tiny carsthemselves were to be powered by a modified form of BMW's ownmotorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped thecompany get back on its feet. The controlling majority shareholderof the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family,which owns about 46% of the stock. The rest is in public float.

BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing,Germany, in 1966. Glas vehicles were briefly badged as BMW untilthe company was fully absorbed. It was reputed that the acquisitionwas mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in automotiveapplications,[16] although some saw Glas' Dingolfing plant as another incentive. However, this factory wasoutmoded and BMW's biggest immediate gain was, according to themselves, a stock of highly qualifiedengineers and other personnel.[17] The Glas factories continued to build a limited number of their existingmodels, while adding the manufacture of BMW front and rear axles until they could be closer incorporatedinto BMW.[18]

In 1992, BMW acquired a large stake in California based industrialdesign studio DesignworksUSA, which they fully acquired in 1995.In 1994, BMW bought the British Rover Group[19] (which at thetime consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG brands as well asthe rights to defunct brands including Austin and Morris), andowned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was incurring huge lossesand BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brandswere sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, whileLand Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained therights to build the new Mini, which was launched in 2001.

Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW in February 2009, after serving on thedesign team for nearly seventeen years.[20] He was replaced by Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's formerright­hand man. Bangle was known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7­Series and the 2002 Z4. InJuly 2007, the production rights for Husqvarna Motorcycles was purchased by BMW for a reported 93million euros. BMW Motorrad plans to continue operating Husqvarna Motorcycles as a separate enterprise.All development, sales and production activities, as well as the current workforce, have remained in place atits present location at Varese.

In June 2012, BMW was listed as the #1 most reputable company in the world by Forbes.com.[21] Rankingsare based upon aspects such as "people's willingness to buy, recommend, work for, and invest in a companyis driven 60% by their perceptions of the company and only 40% by their perceptions of their products."

Shareholder structure

by ownership[22]

Stefan Quandt: 17.4%

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BMW plant in Leipzig, Germany:Spot welding of BMW 3 series carbodies with KUKA industrial robots.

Johanna Quandt: 16.7%Susanne Klatten: 12.6%Free Float: 53.3%

by types

Strategic investors: 46.7%Institutional investors:

North America: 15.8%United Kingdom and Ireland: 11.8%Other Europe: 5.7%Germany: 4.8%Rest of the world: 2.5%

Other investors: 12.7%

Production

In 2006, the BMW group (including Mini and Rolls­Royce)produced 1,366,838 four­wheeled vehicles, which weremanufactured in five countries.[23] In 2010, it manufactured1,481,253 four­wheeled vehicles and 112,271 motorcycles (underboth the BMW and Husqvarna brands).[24]

The BMW X3 (E83) was made by Magna Steyr, a subsidiary ofMagna of Canada, in Graz, Austria under license from BMW until2010. More than 45,973 were produced in 2009. Starting October2010, the new BMW X3 (F25) is produced at BMW USManufacturing Company, Greer, Spartanburg County, SouthCarolina.

It is reported that about 56% of BMW­brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and theremaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27% are four­cylindermodels and about nine percent are eight­cylinder models.[25] BMW also has local assembly operation usingcomplete knock down components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, for 3, 5, 7series and X3.[22]

Worldwide sales

Vehicles sold in all markets according to BMW's annual reports.

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Year BMW MINI Rolls­Royce Motorcycle*2005 1,126,768 200,428 796 97,4742006 1,185,088 188,077 805 100,0642007 1,276,793 222,875 1,010 102,4672008 1,202,239 232,425 1,212 115,1962009 1,068,770 216,538 1,002 100,3582010 1,224,280 234,175 2,711 110,1132011 1,380,384 285,060 3,538 113,572

2012[2] 1,540,085 301,525 3,575 117,109

*Since 2008, motorcycle productions and sales figures include Husqvarna models.

China sales

BMW sells vehicles in China through "more than 440 BMW sales outlets and 100 Mini stores," delivering415,200 units to this network between January and November 2014.[26]

Annual production

Year BMW MINI Rolls­Royce Motorcycle*2005 1,122,308 200,119 692 92,0122006 1,179,317 186,674 847 103,7592007 1,302,774 237,700 1,029 104,3962008 1,203,482 235,019 1,417 118,4522009 1,043,829 213,670 918 93,2432010 1,236,989 241,043 3,221 112,2712011 1,440,315 294,120 3,725 118,8652012 1,547,057 311,490 3,279 125,2842013 1,699,835 303,177 3,354 110,129

Motorcycles

BMW began production of motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.[27] Its motorcyclebrand is now known as BMW Motorrad. Their first successful motorcycle, after the failed Helios and Flink,was the "R32" in 1923. This had a "boxer" twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air­flow fromeach side of the machine. Apart from their single­cylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all theirmotorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMWs are still produced in this layout,which is designated the R Series.

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The R32 motorcycle, the first BMWmotor vehicle.

BMW S1000RR

During the Second World War, BMW produced the BMW R75motorcycle with a sidecar attached. Having a unique design copiedfrom the Zündapp KS750, its sidecar wheel was also motor­driven.Combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle verycapable off­road, an equivalent in many ways to the Jeep.

In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water­cooled and witheither three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front toback. Shortly after, BMW also started making the chain­driven Fand G series with single and parallel twin Rotax engines.

In the early 1990s, BMW updated the airhead Boxer engine whichbecame known as the oilhead. In 2002, the oilhead engine had twospark plugs per cylinder. In 2004 it added a built­in balance shaft, an increased capacity to 1,170 cc andenhanced performance to 100 hp (75 kW) for the R1200GS, compared to 85 hp (63 kW) of the previousR1150GS. More powerful variants of the oilhead engines are available in the R1100S and R1200S,producing 98 and 122 hp (73 and 91 kW), respectively.

In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It had anengine producing 167 hp (125 kW), derived from the company's work with the Williams F1 team, and islighter than previous K models. Innovations include electronically adjustable front and rear suspension, anda Hossack­type front fork that BMW calls Duolever.

BMW introduced anti­lock brakes on production motorcyclesstarting in the late 1980s. The generation of anti­lock brakesavailable on the 2006 and later BMW motorcycles pave the way forthe introduction of electronic stability control, or anti­skidtechnology later in the 2007 model year.

BMW has been an innovator in motorcycle suspension design,taking up telescopic front suspension long before most othermanufacturers. Then they switched to an Earles fork, frontsuspension by swinging fork (1955 to 1969). Most modern BMWsare truly rear swingarm, single sided at the back (compare with the

regular swinging fork usually, and wrongly, called swinging arm). Some BMWs started using yet anothertrademark front suspension design, the Telelever, in the early 1990s. Like the Earles fork, the Teleleversignificantly reduces dive under braking.

BMW Group, on 31 January 2013 announced that Pierer Industrie AG has bought Husqvarna for anundisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. The company is headed byStephan pierer (CEO of KTM). Pierer Industrie AG is 51% owner of KTM and 100% owner of Husqvarna.

Automobiles

New Class

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BMW X1 SDrive 18i Front(Chennai,India

BMW 5­Series (F10)

BMW Z4 (E89)

The New Class (German: Neue Klasse) was a line of compact sedans and coupes starting with the 19621500 and continuing through the last 2002s in 1977. Powered by BMW's celebrated four­cylinder M10engine, the New Class models had a fully independent suspension, MacPherson struts in front, and frontdisc brakes. Initially a family of four­door sedans and two­door coupes, the New Class line was broadenedto two­door sports sedans with the addition of the 02 Series 1600 and 2002 in 1966.

Sharing little in common with the rest of the line beyond power train, the sporty siblings caught autoenthusiasts' attention and established BMW as an international brand. Precursors to the famed BMW 3Series, the two­doors' success cemented the firm's future as an upper tier performance car maker. NewClass four­doors with numbers ending in "0" were replaced by the larger BMW 5 Series in 1972. Theupscale 2000C and 2000CS coupes were replaced by the six­cylinder BMW E9, introduced in 1969 withthe 2800CS. The 1600 two­door was discontinued in 1975, and the 2002 was replaced by the 320i in 1975.

Current models

The 1 Series, originally launched in 2004, is BMW's smallest car.Currently available are the second generation hatchback (F20) andfirst generation coupe/convertible (E82/E88). The 3 Series, acompact executive car manufactured since model year 1975, iscurrently in its sixth generation (F30); models include the sportsedan (F30), and fourth generation station wagon (F30), andconvertible (E93), and the Gran Turismo. In 2014, the 4 Series hasbeen released and replaced the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible. The5 Series is a mid­size executive car, available in sedan (F10) andstation wagon (F11) forms. The 5 Series Gran Turismo (F07), whichdebuted in 2010, created a segment between station wagons andcrossover SUV.[28]

BMW's full­size flagship executive sedan is the 7 Series. Typically,BMW introduces many of their innovations first in the 7 Series,such as the iDrive system. The 7 Series Hydrogen, having one of theworld's first hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines, is fueledby liquid hydrogen and emits only clean water vapor. The latestgeneration (F01) debuted in 2009. Based on the 5 Series' platform,the 6 Series is BMW's grand touring luxury sport coupe/convertible(F12/F13). A 2­seater roadster and coupe which succeeded the Z3,the Z4 has been sold since 2002.

The X3 (F25), BMW's second crossover SUV (called SAV or"Sports Activity Vehicle" by BMW) debuted in 2010 and replacedthe X3 (E83), which was based on the E46 3 Series' platform, andhad been in production since 2003. Marketed in Europe as an off­roader, it benefits from BMW's xDrive all­wheel drive system. Theall­wheel drive X5 (E53) was BMW's first crossover SUV (SAV),based on the 5 Series, and is a mid­size luxury SUV (SAV) sold byBMW since 2000. A 4­seat crossover SUV released by BMW in December 2007, the X6 is marketed as a"Sports Activity Coupe" (SAC) by BMW. The X1 extends the BMW Sports Activity Series model lineup.

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BMW X3 (F25)

BMW M6 (F13)

In 2013, the company announced that it was to launch its first fully electric car range. This would beginwith the launch of the BMW i3 in the second quarter of 2014.[29]

1 Series (F20) (2011–present) 5­door Hatchback1 Series (F21) (2011–present) 3­door Hatchback2 Series (F22) (2014–present) Coupe and convertible2 Series Active Tourer (F45) (2014–present) Compact MPV3 Series (F30) (2012–present) Sedan and wagon4 Series (F32/F33/F36) (2014–present) Coupe and convertible5 Series (F10/F11) (2009–present) Sedan and wagon6 Series (F12) (2010–present) Coupe, convertible, GranCoupe7 Series (F01) (2008–present) Sedan3 Series Gran Turismo (2013–present) Progressive Activity Sedan5 Series Gran Turismo (2009–present) Progressive Activity SedanBMW i3 (2014–present) Electric vehicleBMW i8 (2014–present) Hybrid sports carX1 (E84) (2009–present) Compact Crossover SUV/Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)X3 (F25) (2010–present) Compact Crossover SUV/Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)BMW X4 (F26) (2014–present Sports Activity CoupeX5 (F15) (2014–present) Mid­Size Crossover SUV/Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)X6 (F16) (2014–present) Sports Activity CoupeZ4 (E89) (2009–present) Sports Roadster

M models

BMW produce a number of high­performance derivatives of theircars developed by their BMW M GmbH (previously BMWMotorsport GmbH) subsidiary.

The current M models are:

M3 – F80 Sedan, (2013 to present)M4 – F82 Coupé, (2013 to present)M5 – F10 Saloon (2011 to present)M6 – F06/12/13 (2012 to present)X5 M – F15 SAV (2014 to present)X6 M – F16 SAV (2014 to present)

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BMW S1000RR

BMW Sauber F1 Team Logo.

BMW first entered Formula One as afull­fledged team in 2006.

Motorsport

BMW has been engaged in motorsport activities since the dawn of the first BMW motorcycle in 1923.

Motorsport sponsoring

Formula BMW – A Junior racing Formula category.Kumho BMW Championship – A BMW­exclusive championship run in the United Kingdom.

Motorcycle

Isle of Man TT – Georg 'Schorsch' Meier won the 1939running of the Grand Prix.Dakar Rally – BMW motorcycles have won the Dakar rally

six times. In 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1999, and 2000.[30]

Superbike World Championship – BMW returned to premierroad racing in 2009 with their all new superbike, the BMWS1000RR.

Formula One – F1

BMW has a history of success in Formula One. BMW powered carshave won 20 races. In 2006 BMW took over the Sauber team andbecame Formula One constructors. In 2007 and 2008 the teamenjoyed some success. The most recent win is a lone constructorteam's victory by BMW Sauber F1 Team, on 8 June 2008, at theCanadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica driving. Achievementsinclude:

Driver championship: 1 (1983)Constructor championship: 0 (Runner­up 2002, 2003, 2007)Fastest laps: 33Grand Prix wins: 20Podium finishes: 76Pole positions: 33

BMW was an engine supplier to Williams, Benetton, Brabham, and Arrows. Notable drivers who havestarted their Formula One careers with BMW include Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya, Robert Kubicaand Sebastian Vettel.

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In July 2009, BMW announced that it would withdraw from Formula One at the end of the 2009 season.[31]The team was sold back to the previous owner, Peter Sauber, who kept the BMW part of the name for the2010 season due to issues with the Concorde Agreement. The team has since dropped BMW from theirname starting in 2011.

Sport cars

Le Mans 24 Hours – BMW won Le Mans in 1999 with the BMW V12 LMR designed by WilliamsGrand Prix Engineering. Also the Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing team won the 1995 edition with a BMW­engined McLaren F1 GTR race car.Nürburgring – BMW won the 24 Hours Nürburgring 19 times and the 1000km Nürburgring twice(1976 and 1981).24 Hours of Daytona – BMW won three times (1976, 2011, 2013)Spa 24 Hours – BMW won 21 timesA BMW works team E36 320d was the first diesel­powered overall winner ever at the 24 Hours

Nürburgring.[32]

McLaren F1 GTR – Successful mid­1990s GT racing car with a BMW designed engine. It won theBPR Global GT Series in 1995 and 1996 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.American Le Mans Series – BMW has won three (2001, 2010, 2011) GT Team Championships andGT Automobile Manufacturer titles. Twice (2010, 2011) with Team RLL in the Crowne Plaza V8powered M3 GT coupe and once (2001) with the BMW Motorsport team in the V8 powered M3GTR.

Touring cars

BMW has a long and successful history in touring car racing.

British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) – BMW won the drivers' championship in 1988, 1991,1992 and 1993 and manufacturers' championship in 1991 and 1993.The DRM (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft) was won by Harald Ertl in a BMW 320i Turbo in1978DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) – the following won the DTM drivers' championshipdriving BMWs:

1987: Eric van der Poele, BMW M31989: Roberto Ravaglia, BMW M32012: Bruno Spengler, BMW M3 DTM

European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) – Since 1968, BMW won 24 drivers' championshipsalong with several manufacturers' and teams' titles.Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) – BMW (Schnitzer) flew from Europe to Japan to

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compete in the JTCC and won the championship in 1995.Mille Miglia – BMW won the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix with a 328 Touring Coupé. Previously in1938 the 328 sport car won the Mille Miglia 2000 litre class.SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Touring Car Series(WC) – BMW won the manufacturer'schampionship in 2001 and Bill Auberlen, driving a Turner Motorsport BMW 325i, won the 2003 and2004 Driver's Championships.World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) – BMW won four drivers' championship (1987, 2005,2006 and 2007) and three manufacturers' titles (2005–2007).

BMW announced on 15 October 2010 that it will return to touring car racing during the 2012 season. Dr.Klaus Draeger, director of research and development of the BMW Group, who was in charge of the returnto DTM racing (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), commented that "The return of BMW to the DTM is afundamental part of the restructuring of our motorsport activities. With its increased commitment toproduction car racing, BMW is returning to its roots. The race track is the perfect place to demonstrate theimpressive sporting characteristics of our vehicles against our core competitors in a high­poweredenvironment. The DTM is the ideal stage on which to do this."[33]

Rally

RAC Rally – The 328 sport car won this event in 1939.Paris Dakar Rally – BMW motorcycles have won this event 6 times total including 1981, 1983, 1984,1985, 1999, 2000.Tour de Corse – The BMW M3 – E30 won this event in 1987.

Sponsorships

In football, BMW sponsors Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.[34]

It is an official sponsor of the London 2012 olympics providing 4000 BMWs and Minis in a deal made inNovember 2009.[35] The company also made a six­year sponsorship deal with the United States OlympicCommittee (USOC) in July 2010.[36]

BMW has sponsored various European golf events such as the PGA Championship at Wentworth, theBMW Italian Open and the BMW International Open in Germany.[37]

Environmental record

The company is a charter member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) NationalEnvironmental Achievement Track, which recognizes companies for their environmental stewardship andperformance.[38] It is also a member of the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program.[39]

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BMW M5 (F10)

In 2012, BMW was named the world's most sustainable automotive company for the eighth consecutiveyear by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The BMW Group is the only automotive enterprise in theindex since its inception in 1999. In 2001, the BMW Group committed itself to the United NationsEnvironment Programme, the UN Global Compact and the Cleaner Production Declaration. It was also thefirst company in the automotive industry to appoint an environmental officer, in 1973.[40] BMW is amember of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.[41]

BMW is industry leader in the Carbon Disclosure Project's Global 500 ranking and 3rd place in CarbonDisclosure Leadership Index across all industries. BMW is listed in the FTSE4GoodIndex. The BMWGroup was rated the most sutainable DAX 30 company by Sustainalytics in 2012.[42]

BMW has taken measures to reduce the impact the company has on the environment. It is trying to designless­polluting cars by making existing models more efficient, as well as developing environmentallyfriendly fuels for future vehicles. Possibilities include: electric power, hybrid power (combustion enginesand electric motors) hydrogen engines.[43]

BMW offers 49 models with EU5/6 emissions norm and nearly 20 models with CO2 output less than 140g/km, which puts it on the lowest tax group and therefore could provide the future owner with eco­bonusoffered from some European countries.

However, there have been some criticisms directed at BMW, and in particular, accusations of greenwash inreference to their BMW Hydrogen 7. Some critics claim that the emissions produced during hydrogen fuelproduction outweigh the reduction of tailpipe emissions, and that the Hydrogen 7 is a distraction from moreimmediate, practical solutions for car pollution.[44]

Bicycles

BMW has created a range of high­end bicycles sold online and through dealerships. They range from theKid's Bike to the EUR 4,499 Enduro Bike.[45] In the United States, only the Cruise Bike and Kid's Bikemodels are sold.

BMW nomenclature

BMW vehicles follow a certain nomenclature; usually a 3 digitnumber is followed by 1 or 2 letters. The first number represents theseries number. The next two numbers traditionally represent theengine displacement in cubic centimeters divided by 100.[46]However, more recent cars use those two numbers as a performanceindex, as e.g. the 116i, 118i and 120i (all 2,0L gas­powered), justlike the 325d and 330d (both 3,0L diesel) share the same motorblock while adjusting engine power through setup andturbocharging. A similar nomenclature is used by BMW Motorradfor their motorcycles.

The system of letters can be used in combination, and is as follows:

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BMW 650i (F12)

BMW 730d xDrive (F01)

BMW X5 (E70)

BMW X6 (E71)

A = automatic transmissionC = coupé, last used on the BMW E46 and the BMW E63 (dropped after 2005 model year)c = cabriolet

d = diesel†

e = eta (efficient economy, from the Greek letter 'η')g = compressed natural gas/CNGh = hydrogeni = fuel­injectedL = long wheelbase

s = sport, also means "2 dr" on E36 model††

sDrive = rear­wheel driveT = touring (wagon/estate)Ti = hatchback for the BMW 3 Series hatchbackx / xDrive = BMW xDrive all­wheel drive

† historic nomenclature indicating "td" refers to "Turbo Diesel", nota diesel hatchback or touring model (524td, 525td)

†† typically includes sport seats, spoiler, aerodynamic body kit,upgraded wheels and Limit Slip Differential on pre­95 model etc.

For example, the BMW 750iL is a fuel­injected 7 Series with a longwheelbase and 5.4 litres of displacement. This badge was used forsuccessive generations, E65 and F01, except the "i" and "L"switched places, so it read "Li" instead of "iL".

When 'L' supersedes the series number (e.g. L6, L7, etc.) it identifiesthe vehicle as a special luxury variant, having extended leather andspecial interior appointments. The L7 is based on the E23 and E38,and the L6 is based on the E24.

When 'X' is capitalised and supersedes the series number (e.g. X3,X5, etc.) it identifies the vehicle as one of BMW's Sports ActivityVehicles (SAV), their brand of crossovers, with BMW's xDrive. Thesecond number in the 'X' series denotes the platform that it is basedupon, for instance the X5 is derived from the 5 Series. Unlike BMW cars, the SAV's main badge does notdenote engine size; the engine is instead indicated on side badges.

The 'Z' identifies the vehicle as a two­seat roadster (e.g. Z1, Z3, Z4, etc.). 'M' variants of 'Z' models havethe 'M' as a suffix or prefix, depending on country of sale (e.g. 'Z4 M' is 'M Roadster' in Canada).

Previous X & Z vehicles had 'i' or 'si' following the engine displacement number (denoted in litres). BMWis now globally standardising this nomenclature on X & Z vehicles by using 'sDrive' or 'xDrive' (simplymeaning rear or all­wheel drive, respectively) followed by two numbers which vaguely represent the

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vehicle's engine (e.g. Z4 sDrive35i is a rear­wheel­drive Z4 roadster with a 3.0 L twin­turbo fuel­injectedengine).[47]

BMW last used the 's' for the E36 328is, which ceased production in 1999. However, the 's' nomenclaturewas brought back on the 2011 model year BMW 335is and BMW Z4 sDrive35is. The 335is is a sport­tunedtrim with more performance and an optional dual clutch transmission that slots between the regular 335iand top­of­the­line M3.[48][49]

The 'M' – for Motorsport – identifies the vehicle as a high­performance model of a particular series (e.g.M3, M5, M6, etc.). For example, the M6 is the highest performing vehicle in the 6 Series lineup. Although'M' cars should be separated into their respective series platforms, it is very common to see 'M' cars groupedtogether as its own lineup on the official BMW website.

Exceptions

There are exceptions to the numbering nomenclature.[50]

The M version of the BMW 1 Series was named the BMW 1 Series M Coupe rather than the traditionalstyle "M1" due to the possible confusion with BMW's former BMW M1 homologation sports car.

The M versions of the Sports Activity Vehicles, such as the X5 M, could not follow the regular namingconvention since MX5 was used for Mazda's MX­5 Miata.

For instance in the 2008 model year, the BMW 125i/128i, 328i, and 528i all had 3.0 naturally aspiratedengines (N52), not a 2,500 cc or 2,800 cc engine as the series designation number would lead one tobelieve. The '28' is to denote a detuned engine in the 2008 cars, compared to the 2006 model year '30'vehicles (330i and 530i) whose 3.0 naturally aspirated engines are from the same N52 family but had moreoutput.

The 2008 BMW 335i and 535i also have 3.0­litre engine; however the engines are twin­turbocharged (N54)which is not identified by the nomenclature. Nonetheless the '35' indicates a more powerful engine thanprevious '30' models that have the naturally aspirated N52 engine. The 2011 BMW 740i and 335is sharesthe same twin­turbo 3.0 engine from the N54 family but tuned to higher outputs, although the badging isnot consistent ('40' and 's'). The 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe's twin­scroll single turbo 3.0L inline­6 enginemakes similar output to the older twin turbo inline­6 engines.[51]

The E36 and E46 323i and E39 523i had 2.5­litre engines. The E36 318i made after 1996 has a 1.9 L engine(M44) as opposed to the 1.8 L (M42) used in the 1992 to 1995 models. The E39 540i had a 4.4 L M62engine, instead of a 4.0 L as the designation would suggest.

The badging for recent V8 engines (N62 and N63) also does not indicate displacement, as the 2006 750iand 2009 750i have 4800 cc (naturally aspirated) and 4400 cc (twin­turbocharged) engines, respectively.

Carsharing services

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BMW logo sign in Düsseldorf

In June 2011, BMW and Sixt launched Drivenow, a joint­venture that provides carsharing services inseveral cities in Europe and North America. As of December 2012, DriveNow operates over 1,000 vehicles,which serve five cities worldwide and over 60,000 customers.[52]

Light and Charge

BMW has developed street lights equipped with sockets to charge electric cars, called Light and Charge.[53]

Community

From the summer of 2001 until October 2005, BMW hosted The Hire,showcasing sporty models being driven to extremes.[54] These videosare still popular within the enthusiast community and proved to be aground­breaking online advertising campaign.

Annually since 1999, BMW enthusiasts have met in Santa Barbara, CAto attend Bimmerfest. One of the largest brand­specific gatherings inthe U.S., over 3,000 people attended in 2006, and over 1,000 BMWcars were present. In 2007, the event was held on 5 May.

BMW slang

The initials BMW are pronounced [ˈbeː ˈɛm ˈveː] in German.[55] Themodel series are referred to as "Einser" ("One­er" for 1 series), "Dreier" ("Three­er" for 3 series), "Fünfer"("Five­er" for the 5 series), "Sechser" ("Six­er" for the 6 series), "Siebener" ("Seven­er" for the 7 series).These are not actually slang, but are the normal way that such letters and numbers are pronounced inGerman.[56]

The English slang terms Beemer, Bimmer and Bee­em are variously used for BMWs of all kinds,[57][58]

cars and motorcycles.[59][60]

In the US, specialists have been at pains to prescribe that a distinction must be made between using Beemerexclusively to describe BMW motorcycles, and using Bimmer only to refer to BMW cars,[61][62][63] in themanner of a "true aficionado"[64] and avoid appearing to be "uninitiated."[65][66] The Canadian Globe andMail prefers Bimmer and calls Beemer a "yuppie abomination,"[67] while the Tacoma News Tribune says itis a distinction made by "auto snobs."[68] Using the wrong slang risks offending BMW enthusiasts.[69][70][71]An editor of Business Week was satisfied in 2003 that the question was resolved in favor of Bimmer bynoting that a Google search yielded 10 times as many hits compared to Beemer.[72]

The arts

Manufacturers employ designers for their cars, but BMW has made efforts to gain recognition forexceptional contributions to and support of the arts, including art beyond motor vehicle design. Theseefforts typically overlap or complement BMW's marketing and branding campaigns.[73] BMW

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1975 BMW 3.0CSL painted byAlexander Calder

Wikimedia Commons hasmedia related to BMW ArtCars.

Headquarters designed in 1972 by Karl Schwanzer has become a European icon,[74] and artist GerhardRichter created his Red, Yellow, Blue series of paintings for the building's lobby.[75][76] In 1975, AlexanderCalder was commissioned to paint the 3.0CSL driven by Hervé Poulain at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thisled to more BMW Art Cars, painted by artists including DavidHockney, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, and others. The cars,currently numbering 17, have been shown at the Louvre,Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and, in 2009, at the Los AngelesCounty Museum of Art and New York's Grand Central Terminal.[74]BMW was the principal sponsor of the 1998 The Art of theMotorcycle exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum andother Guggenheim museums, though the financial relationshipbetween BMW and the Guggenheim was criticised in manyquarters.[77][78]

In 2012, BMW brought out the BMW Art Guide by IndependentCollectors, which had, amongst others, the Dikeou Collection. It is the first global guide to private andpublicly accessible collections of contemporary art world wide.

The 2006 "BMW Performance Series" was a marketing event gearedto attract black car buyers, and included the "BMW Pop­Jazz LiveSeries," a tour headlined by jazz musician Mike Phillips, and the"BMW Blackfilms.com Film Series" highlighting blackfilmmakers.[79]

April Fools

BMW has garnered a reputation over the years for its April Fools pranks, which are printed in the Britishpress every year. In 2010, they ran an advert announcing that customers would be able to order BMWs withdifferent coloured badges to show their affiliation with the political party they supported.

Overseas subsidiaries

Brazil

On October 9, 2014, BMW's new South American automobile plant in Araquari, Santa Catarina producedits first car. BMW intend to increase its production capacity to over 30,000 vehicles a year. The new site isintended to create around 1,300 new jobs, of which 500 have already been filled.[80]

Canada

In October 2008, BMW Group Canada was named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers by MediacorpCanada Inc., which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.[81]

China

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BMW X1 ­ Chennai, India

Signing a deal in 2003 for the production of sedans in China,[82] May 2004 saw the opening of a factory inthe North­eastern city of Shenyang where Brilliance Auto produces BMW­branded automobiles[83] in ajoint venture with the German company.[84]

Egypt

Bavarian Auto Group is a multinational group of companies established in March 2003 when it wasappointed as the sole importer of BMW and Mini in Egypt, with monopoly rights for import, assembly,distribution, sales and after­sales support of BMW products in Egypt. Since that date, BAG invested a totalamount of US$100 million distributed on seven companies and 11 premises in addition to three stores.

India

BMW India was established in 2006 as a sales subsidiary inGurgaon (National Capital Region). A state­of­the­art assemblyplant for BMW 3 and 5 Series started operation in early 2007 inChennai. Construction of the plant started in January 2006 with aninitial investment of more than one billion Indian Rupees. The plantstarted operation in the first quarter of 2007 and produces thedifferent variants of BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series,BMW X1, BMW X3, Mini Cooper S, Mini Cooper D and MiniCountryman.[85]

Japan

Yanase Co., Ltd. is the exclusive retailer of all imported BMW (passenger cars and motorcycles) productsto Japanese consumers, and has had the exclusive rights to do so since the end of World War II.

Mexico

In July 2014 BMW announced it was establishing a plant in Mexico, in the city and state of San Luis Potosiinvolving an investment of $1 billion. Taking advantage of lower wages in the country, and the terms offree trade agreements Mexico has with a host of other countries, were the motivating factors the companysaid. The plant will employ 1,500 people, and produce 150,000 cars annually, commencing in 2019.[86]

South Africa

BMWs have been assembled in South Africa since 1968,[87] when Praetor Monteerders' plant was opened inRosslyn, near Pretoria. BMW initially bought shares in the company, before fully acquiring it in 1975; in sodoing, the company became BMW South Africa, the first wholly owned subsidiary of BMW to beestablished outside Germany. Three unique models that BMW Motorsport created for the South Africanmarket were the E23 M745i (1983), which used the M88 engine from the BMW M1, the BMW 333i(1986), which added a six­cylinder 3.2­litre M30 engine to the E30,[88] and the E30 BMW 325is (1989)which was powered by an Alpina­derived 2.7­litre engine.

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BMW Spartanburg factory

Unlike U.S. manufacturers, such as Ford and GM, which divested from the country in the 1980s, BMWretained full ownership of its operations in South Africa. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, and thelowering of import tariffs, BMW South Africa ended local production of the 5­Series and 7­Series, in orderto concentrate on production of the 3­Series for the export market. South African–built BMWs are nowexported to right hand drive markets including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom,Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as Sub­Saharan Africa. Since 1997, BMW SouthAfrica has produced vehicles in left­hand drive for export to Taiwan, the United States and Iran, as well asSouth America.

BMWs with a VIN starting with "NC0" are manufactured in South Africa.

United States

The BMW Manufacturing Company opened in 1994 and has beenmanufacturing all Z4 and X5 models, and more recently the X6 andX3, including those for export to Europe, on the same assembly linein Greer near Spartanburg.[89] In an average work day the companybuilds 600 vehicles: 500 X5s and 100 Z4s. The engines for thesevehicles are built in Munich, Germany. BMWs with a VIN startingwith "4US and 5US" are manufactured at Spartanburg.

In 2010 BMW announced that it would spend $750 million toexpand operations at the Greer plant. This expansion will allowproduction of 240,000 vehicles a year and will make the plant thelargest car factory in the United States by number of employees.[90]BMW's largest single market is the United States.

Currently, the facility produces all BMW X3, X5 and X6 models. The X4, which will be launched in 2014,will also be produced in Spartanburg.

Marketing

BMW began using the slogan 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' in the 1970s. In 2010, this long­livedcampaign was mostly supplanted by 'Joy', a campaign intended to make the brand more "approachable" andto better appeal to women, but by 2012 they had returned to "The Ultimate Driving Machine", which has astrong public association with BMW.[91]

Audio logo

In 2013, BMW replaced the 'double­gong' sound used in TV and Radio advertising campaigns since 1998.The new sound, developed to represent the future identity of BMW, was described as "introduced by arising, resonant sound and underscored by two distinctive bass tones that form the sound logo's melodic andrhythmic basis."[92] The new sound was first used in BMW 4 Series Concept Coupe TV commercial.[93]

The sound was produced by Thomas Kisser of HASTINGS media music.[94]

Roundel logo

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The round BMW logo used for allmodels

The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel evolved from thecircular Rapp Motorenwerke company logo, from which the BMWcompany grew, combined with the blue and white colors of the flagof Bavaria.[95] The logo has been portrayed as the movement of anaircraft propeller with the white blades cutting through a blue sky—first used in a BMW advertisement in 1929, twelve years after theroundel was created—but this is not the origin of the logo itself.[96]

Theft using OBD

In 2012, BMW vehicles were stolen by programming a blank keyfob to start the car through the on­board diagnostics (OBD)connection.[97][98][99] The primary causes of this vulnerability lie in the lack of appropriate authenticationand authorization in the OBD specifications, which rely largely on security through obscurity.[100]

Litigation

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft ­v­ BMW Properties Ltd

On 30 March 2009, BMW wrote to the respondent saying that the latter were using the acronym BMW intheir name and were therefore in breach of their registered UK and EC trademarks. On 27 April 2009, therespondent replied saying they were in the process of changing their name; BMW Properties Ltd didnothing about this and so BMW wrote again on 26 November 2009.

Nothing happened by 1 March 2010 and so BMW instructed their lawyers to write to the respondentcompany giving them until 5 March 2010 to change their name arguing they were committing the tort ofpassing off.

On 15 March 2010, BMW applied under s.69(1)(b) Companies Act 2006 for a change in name of BMWProperties Ltd which had been registered since 30 March 2010.

The respondent changed its name on 30 April 2010 to GRLC Ltd and so BMW informed the CompanyNames Tribunal that they would not be proceeding against the respondent, save as to costs. [101]

See also

BMW Central BuildingCleanEnergyI would rather cry in a BMW

List of BMW enginesStreetcarver – BMW Skateboard

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60. ^ Lighter, Jonathan E. (1994). Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang: A­G 1. Random House.p. 159. ISBN 978­0­394­54427­4. "Bimmer n. BEEMER."

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63. ^ Yates, Brock (12 March 1989). "You Say Porsch and I Say Porsch­eh". The Washington Post. p. w45."'Bimmer' is the slang for a BMW automobile, but 'Beemer' is right when referring to the company'smotorcycles."

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69. ^ 25­Wed­2005/news/26427972.html "ROAD WARRIOR Q&A: Freeway Frustration"(http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May). Las Vegas Review­Journal. 25 May 2005. "I wasinformed a while back that BMW cars are 'Bimmers' and BMW motorcycles are 'Beemers' or 'Beamers.' I knowthat I am not here to change the world's BMW jargon nor do I even own a BMW, but I thought I would passalong this bit of info as not to offend the car enthusiast that enlightened me."

70. ^ "GWINNETT VENT.(Gwinnett News)". The Atlanta Journal­Constitution (Atlanta, GA). 11 February 2006.p. J2. "It is Bimmers people, Bimmers. Not Beamers, not Beemers. Just Bimmers. And start pronouncing itcorrectly also.No, it's BMWs, not Bimmers.WOW! Some Beamer driver must be having a bad hair day."

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97. ^ Titcomb, James (6 July 2012). "Alarming moment thieves silently steal BMW by programming a blank keythat cost just £70 in new crime trend sweeping Britain" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article­2169857/Alarming­moment­thieves­silently­steal­BMW­programming­blank­key­cost­just­70.html). London:Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 August 2012.

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99. ^ Torchinsky, Jason (6 July 2012). "Watch Hackers Steal A BMW In Three Minutes"(http://jalopnik.com/5923802/watch­hackers­steal­a­bmw­in­three­minutes). Jalopnik. Retrieved 28 August 2012.

100. ^ Van den Brink, Rob. "Dude, Your Car is Pwnd" (https://isc.sans.edu/presentations/sansfire2012­Rob_Vandenbrink­obd­preso.pdf) (PDF). SANS Institute.

101. ^ Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft ­v­ BMW Properties Ltd (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/o31910.pdf)Retrieved 24 September 2014