BMW drops “i” as suffix to Series names. No more M340i, 430i, M550i

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by IcewaterPete

Don’t sweat it so much. If you like it then own it and enjoy it. If it still bugs you find a Comp to take for a drive. If it feels good find a way to swap out for it. At the end of the day you still have a machine that is at the top of the hill.

Oh I don't sweat it, and definitely enjoy what I own. It doesn't but me at all, as I much prefer the OG in every way, and never race my car, so 450/490 is more than enough power for me.

Finished. by Andrew Thompson, on Flickr

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Well, I consider the OG M2 a real M car!!



It was kind of sad when the motors stopped matching the number designation. But, I think (I’m not certain) that was happening in Europe with the lower level models before it started happening in the U.S. I don’t think the 316 and 318 each had a 1.6 and a 1.8, did they?

My '88 325 'super ETA' (no letter after the 325 by the way, ahem..) definitely had a 2.7L engine. All of this is nothing new.

[dizz81]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

The true nature of ///M is Motorsports, and cars made for that purpose, but IMO it's ok to have some factory upgrade parts on other performance oriented BMW's, they just shouldn't have put an M-anything on it, but since that's their Motorsport division, it does make a sort of sense.

At least it's obvious when it's a real M-Car, since it's just the M and the number...oh wait, some say the OG M2 isn't a real M-Car. Never mind. Carry on.

I had a 2006 330ci ZHP and you wouldn't know that had any M parts in the car unless you looked inside the cabin where there was an M badge on the steering wheel and shifter.

In today's fashion, that car would have ///M badges on every panel and it would be M330ci.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

The first M3 was the 2-door E30, and later BMW made the choice to call the 2-dr and 4-dr versions "M3" as well, so changing the 2-dr to "M4" made no sense whatsoever. Very surprised they didn't make a sub-compact hatch the M5 with their idiot naming system.

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I agree, I think the 4 Series is stupid. But, the four door ///M3 sedan dates back to the E36. I’m a little biased, because I love a four door and I’m a big fan of the E90 ///M3 sedan.

BMW - Coupes in even numbers, Sedans in odd numbers. It has been this way for decades and the 3-series was coupe was the outlier.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

BMW - Coupes in even numbers, Sedans in odd numbers. It has been this way for decades and the 3-series was coupe was the outlier.

But...

The original M3 was a 2-door, made for a 2-door racing series, so in many minds (mine included) the M3 (as in racing 3-series) should always be a 2-door.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

But...

The original M3 was a 2-door, made for a 2-door racing series, so in many minds (mine included) the M3 (as in racing 3-series) should always be a 2-door.

Well it was a 2-door 3 series. . It makes no sense to race a 4-door.

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

It was kind of sad when the motors stopped matching the number designation. But, I think (I’m not certain) that was happening in Europe with the lower level models before it started happening in the U.S. I don’t think the 316 and 318 each had a 1.6 and a 1.8, did they?

Pretty sure they were 1.6 and 1.8L engines, but I'm not sure about the displacement of the 1980 introduced 315 in Europe.

1980 was the year here in the US when the E21 320i went to a 1.8L engine, but they kept the 320i moniker. I think that's the first instance in the US for straying from engine displacement in the model name? In 1979 the E12 went from a 530i to a 528i, but it actually dropped displacement appropriately. People used to argue that all the six cylinder cars weren't actually 3.3L since the M30 displacement for 633CSi/733i/etc was actually 3210cc.

It doesn't seem like it's been almost 50 years (to an old timer like myself) that BMW switched from carbs to injection. 1975 and onward for the M30 six cylinder cars, and 1977 for the M10 four cylinder (when the E21 320i was introduced).

As an aside the E21 3-series was always a coupe. Oh, and in the US when the E30 was introduced it adopted the correct 318i designation for its 1.8L M10 engine.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

It makes no sense to race a 4-door.

Blasphemy!

Let me give you a little gift, as in one of the best racing series to ever grace this earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Touring

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

Blasphemy!

Let me give you a little gift, as in one of the best racing series to ever grace this earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Touring

Sure but the E30 M3 predates this.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Sure but the E30 M3 predates this.

Predate or not, I'd rather watch 4-door Super Touring cars race than E30's race!

[pbonsalb]

The numbers stopped meaning much a decade ago. The displacement is no longer part of the model number and every car is injected. Only the first digit means anything — identifying the series.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Until now, I was never curious to understand what the "i" stood for...

[KevinC]

M used to mean Motorsport. Today it’s Marketing. And Mexico.

[Kowalski2011]

We have a lot of fine choices from the '90s' '00s' up to mid '10s' and they are way more affordable so for me it's party on.

I couldn't give less of a crap for what BMW is doing today.

Just my 2 cents.

-K