bighersh

I am relatively new to the BMW Reich, but I have appreciated the cars from a distance for many years now.

What I haven't quite been able to understand, is what makes BMW owners describe their cars by the factory codes for them, as opposed to the way in which most other enthusiasts love/appreciate their vehicles.

I've been a member of F150online.com for nearly a decade now- and trust me; there are some F-150 fanatics on that website. According to them, any purchase outside of an F-150 is a waste of money, kinda like the sentiment on this board- but, I digress.

What is it about the BMW fan, that makes them refer to their cars as E60, E61, E46, F10, etc- as opposed to 5**, 3**, M*, etc...

Is calling the vehicle by its given name, somehow less demonstrative of one's appreciation for it? A friend of mine has a 2003 530i, and when I e-mailed him and told him I had a 5 series, the first thing he asked me was, "Did you get the E39 or the E60?" I replied,? I got the 2004 525i". He replied, "Oh, you got the E60- we have the E39 version".

Not that there's anything wrong with it. It's just funny to me. No other enthusiast site that I've been a member of, have I witnessed this type of in-depth vehicular knowledge or affection. It's kinda like getting on a boat and getting "nautical"- as Joe Pesci said, "port, starboard, etc..." LOL.

What gives?

EuroCarFan

Using body codes has nothing to do with our appreciation of the cars. It just helps people identify which specific model you have.

pjinca

+1 and version, there is a big difference between the E39 and the E60 530i - not in powertrain but in styling. The E39 is a classic and beautiful design. The E60 is a more modern interpretation of BMW's design direction and just as beautiful (although I think the E60 design had to "grow on" many of us before we loved it)

speedmeister

Add to that wheel styles... 172, 166, 128, 138, 123, 124, hahaha IDK what it is but everything BMW makes has an identity. Not so with other manufacturers. They just make a copy and call them premium wheels

Part of what makes BMW's so special I guess

flyingpuck

BMW always has certain number cars (1,3,5,7 etc.) so it's to explain which version of a 5 series for example!

skelevirus

bro is simple, it makes it easier! if you got 172's you dont tell people you have those 19 inch bmw rims with a buncha kinda square bent spokes.. yada yada

EuroCarFan

Porsche's the same way, the main car is the 911 but throughout the years, there have been different iterations. Like the current model's body code is the 997. The one before that was the 996 and the one before that was the 993.....

speedmeister

Mercedes is similar too. Like w210, w211, r107 etc. etc.

JeffNNJ

NOT true, My Friend. Google our first car, the Dixi.

swajames

I was just going to post the very same thing! All the Porsche forums are organized the same way, referencing specific model iterations. In a year or two we'll see the end of the 997, and will see the debut of the 998 or 991 (both have been floated out as the model designation).