NationMaster - Encyclopedia: BMW M

BMW M GmbH (previously: BMW Motorsport GmbH) is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG established in May 1972 with just eight employees. BMW M, also known as M-Technik or just "M" (for Motorsport) was initially created to facilitate BMW’s racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s. The first racing project was BMW’s 3.0 CSL; in the late 1970s the first modified street legal road cars were produced for the contracted racecar drivers as their personal vehicles. By 1988, the amount of employees has risen to 400. Like the BMW symbol, the M is representative of BMW M GmbH File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... BMW 3. ...

BMW M: Modified street-cars for the public

After the success of BMW M in racing venues and the growing market for high performance sports cars, M introduced cars for sale to the public. The very first M badged car for sale to the public was the M1, revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1978. The M1, however, was more of a racecar in domestic trim than an everyday driver. The direction of the M cars changed with the 1979 release of the M535i, which was a high performance version of BMW’s popular 5-Series mid-size sedan. Since 1978 BMW M has offered modified versions of nearly every car on BMW’s production line, excluding the 7 Series and X Series sport utility vehicles. To this day BMW M continues to serve up some of the most highly tuned street-cars available in full production. BMW M offers modified engines, suspension, interior trim, aerodynamics and exterior styling. The objective of BMW M is to sell factory production sports cars that are comfortable enough for everyday use while offering uncompromised driving satisfaction and performance. BMW M3 at Bristol Car Show on The Downs, Bristol, England. ... BMW M3 at Bristol Car Show on The Downs, Bristol, England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 318is CoupÃ© 1995 316i Compact 1996 M3 CoupÃ© E36 convertible The E36 automobile platform was the basis for the 1991-1999 BMW 3 Series entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. ... The BMW M3 is a sports version of the popular compact BMW 3-Series automobile, made by BMW Motorsport. ... The BMW M1 is a supercar automobile, and was the first and only mid-engined BMW. It employed a twin-cam M88/1 3. ... The BMW 5 Series is a series of midsize luxury automobiles manufactured by BMW in Germany. ... The BMW 7 Series is a luxury sedan made by BMW. It replaced the New Six models in 1977. ... The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV sold by BMW since 2000. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...

Competition

Auto tuning has become a worldwide market providing mild to exotic modifications. Many aftermarket companies have been formed that will modify your car, independent of the manufacturers control. Alpina, AC Schnitzer and Hartge are other companies who rival BMW M, taking new cars for modification and having "semi-official" status with BMW regarding warranties, etc. Daimler-Chrysler is one of BMW’s top competitors, and offers a similar motorsports division to their customers known as AMG. AMG, like BMW M, is an in-house tuning company that has a direct relationship within the parent company. Also, Audi GmbH offers similar packages on its cars, which bear an "S" badge (such as the S4, S6, and S8). However, Audi's modifications are considered more of an optional package than a special construction by an historically significant counterpart. Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH is an automobile tuning company based in Buchloe, in the OstallgÃ¤u district of Bavaria, Germany specialising in BMW cars. ... AC Schnitzer automobile Technik is a third party tuning company founded in 1987 based in Aachen, Germany specialising in BMW and MINI cars, as well as BMW motorcycles. ... Hartge is a third party tuning company specialising in BMW, MINI and Range Rover cars. ... DaimlerChrysler AG (Xetra: DCX) , (NYSE: DCX), with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and Auburn Hills, Michigan, is a prominent automobile and truck manufacturer, formed in 1998 by the buyout of the Chrysler Corporation (USA) by Daimler-Benz (Germany). ... Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach or AMG is the tuning arm of the Mercedes-Benz car company. ... Audi is a German automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. ... The current Audi S4 is a high performance sport version of the popular Audi A4. ...

M-Cars vs. M-badged cars

There are several BMW models to which BMW Motorsport made changes without being full M-Cars. Vehicles which have been modified by BMW Motorsport but are not full M-Cars may feature plain 'M' badges with no number, whilst full M-Cars have 'M' badges with the model number. E.g. 'M3' or 'M5'. It should be noted however that the Z3-based M Roadster and M Coupe bore numberless 'M' badges as standard fitment.

For example, the E28 M535i featured suspension, styling, and transmission improvements over the standard 535i. These changes were carried out by BMW Motorsport, thus the car carried 'M' stripe badges on the front grille and boot, but not the full 'M5' badging. The E28 M5 was sold along side the M535i. Motorsport modifications have been made to almost every BMW model, hence it is not unusual to see 'standard' BMW's with 'M' badges. The BMW E28 automobile platform was the basis for the 1982 through 1988 BMW 5-Series automobiles. ... The front suspension components of a Ford Model T. Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. ... Image:Gearbox. ... The BMW M5 is the high-performance version of the BMW 5-Series automobile made by BMW Motorsport. ...

The opposite occurred with the 850CSi where it was an M car in all but its name (it had BMW M sourced engine and it's VIN indicated that it was developed by BMW Motorsport, like all other M cars), this was possibly because a true M8 was in development. This M8 however was cancelled for reasons known only to BMW. 1997 BMW 850 CSi The BMW 8-Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8- or V12-powered 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW as a substitute for the original BMW 6_Series in 1989. ... 1997 BMW 850 CSi The BMW 8-Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8- or V12-powered 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW as a substitute for the original BMW 6_Series in 1989. ... 1997 BMW 850 CSi The BMW 8-Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8- or V12-powered 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW as a substitute for the original BMW 6_Series in 1989. ...

Current and future products

The BMW M3 is a sports version of the popular compact BMW 3-Series automobile, made by BMW Motorsport. ... The BMW M5 is the high-performance version of the BMW 5-Series automobile made by BMW Motorsport. ... BMW M6 The BMW M6 is a high-performance version of the BMW 6-Series automobile, designed by BMW Motorsport. ... The BMW M Coupe, nicknamed the Shoe, Clown Shoe, Boot, or Bread Van by enthusiasts, is a high-performance automobile produced by BMW from 1998 to 2002. ... BMW M Roadster The BMW M Roadster is a car produced from 1998 to 2002. ...

Previous models

The BMW M1 is a supercar automobile, and was the first and only mid-engined BMW. It employed a twin-cam M88/1 3. ... The BMW M3 is a sports version of the popular compact BMW 3-Series automobile, made by BMW Motorsport. ... The BMW M5 is the high-performance version of the BMW 5-Series automobile made by BMW Motorsport. ... BMW M6 The BMW M6 is a high-performance version of the BMW 6-Series automobile, designed by BMW Motorsport. ... The BMW M Coupe, nicknamed the Shoe, Clown Shoe, Boot, or Bread Van by enthusiasts, is a high-performance automobile produced by BMW from 1998 to 2002. ... BMW M Roadster The BMW M Roadster is a car produced from 1998 to 2002. ... 1997 BMW 850 CSi The BMW 8-Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8- or V12-powered 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW as a substitute for the original BMW 6_Series in 1989. ... 1997 BMW 850 CSi The BMW 8-Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8- or V12-powered 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW as a substitute for the original BMW 6_Series in 1989. ... The BMW E12 automobile platform was the basis for the 1972 through 1981 BMW 5-Series automobiles and the first platform to bear the 5-Series name: the 5 denoting BMWs fifth New Class platform. ...

External links

Categories: BMW | Auto parts suppliers | Motor vehicle companies | Automotive companies of Germany | 1972 establishments Engine tuning or engine building is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield more performance, either in terms of power output or economy. ... Abt Sportsline, based in Kempten im AllgÃ¤u, is a company with 40 years of experience in motor racing and tuning, mainly of Audi and the related Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT cars. ... AC Schnitzer automobile Technik is a third party tuning company founded in 1987 based in Aachen, Germany specialising in BMW and MINI cars, as well as BMW motorcycles. ... Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH is an automobile tuning company based in Buchloe, in the OstallgÃ¤u district of Bavaria, Germany specialising in BMW cars. ... Mercedes-AMG is the tuning arm of the Mercedes-Benz car company. ... Brabus EV12 Brabus is a high-performance aftermarket tuning company which specializes in Mercedes-Benz and Maybach vehicles. ... Breyton design GmbH is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in BMW cars. ... Carlsson is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Mercedes-Benz cars. ... Gemballa is a the company based in Leonberg near Stuttgart, Germany. ... Hartge is a third party tuning company specialising in BMW, MINI and Range Rover cars. ... Irmscher is a German automobile tuning company specialising in Vauxhall and Opel (General Motors) cars. ... JE DESIGN is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Volkswagen, Audi and SEAT cars. ... MK-Motorsport Krankenberg GmbH is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in BMW cars. ... PPI Automotive Design GmbH is an automobile tuning company based in Fellbach, in the Baden-WÃ¼rttemberg district of Germany specializing in Audi cars. ... Reiger (Full Name: Rieger Tuning Kfz-Kunststoffteile Design und Tuning GmbH) are a German based tuning and bodykit manufacturer. ... RUF is a German automobile manufacturer. ... Steinmetz is an automobile tuning company specialising in Opel (General Motors) cars, based in Aachen, Germany. ... Autech is a tuner of Nissan cars but sells the cars through Nissan dealers. ... HKS Co. ... Mazdaspeed is Mazdas in-house race and street car tuning arm and is highly involved in both amateur and professional motorsports. ... MINES is an automotive tuning company based in Yokosuka, Japan. ... Mugen Motorsports (M-Tec Co. ... Nagisa Auto Nagisa Auto is a privately owned tuning shop based in Osaka, Japan that also fabricates a wide variety of performance parts that they brand and retail under the same name. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ralliart is the motorsports division of Mitsubishi Motors. ... Spoon Sports (Spoon Co. ... Sti Logo Subaru Tecnica International, or STi is Fuji Heavy Industries motorsports division. ... Toms refers to two apartments rented consecutivly which became famous as a late night hot spot in Lisle, Illinois. ... Toyota Racing Development or TRD is the in-house tuning shop for all Toyota, Lexus, and Scion cars, which are Toyota brands and domestically branded as such in Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Callaway is an engine tuning company that has been involved with vehicles for: Alfa Romeo Holden Special Vehicles - providing the engine for the revived Holden Monaro GTS Mazdaspeed External links Callaway Cars dot com Category: ... Dinan Cars designs and manufactures aftermarket performance parts for BMW automobiles. ... Greenwood Corvettes is a tuning company started by brothers John and Burt Greenwood. ... International Product Development, more commonly known as IPD or IPD USA, is an automotive aftermarket company that manufactures high-performance upgrade components for Volvo and Subaru brand automobiles. ... Mopar (short for MOtor PARts) is the automobile parts and service arm of the DaimlerChrysler American brands that were formerly owned by the Chrysler Corporation. ... RENNtech is an aftermarket tuner of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. ... Roush Performance Performance parts for Ford Motor Vehicles ... Saleen, Incorporated, commonly known as Saleen, is an American manufacturer of high performance sports cars and high performance automotive parts based in Irvine, California. ... Street and Racing Technology (commonly called SRT) is a high-performance automobile group within DaimlerChryslers Chrysler Group. ... SVT, short for Special Vehicle Team is an arm of Ford Motor Company responsible for the development of the companys highest-performance vehicles, much like Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, and Chryslers SRT division. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The current FPV logo Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) is the Melbourne-based official performance tuning division of Ford Australia, founded in 2002. ... Holden Special Vehicles (usually abbreviated to HSV) is the official performance vehicle division of Australian motor car manufacturer Holden. ... Tickford is a automobile tuning company most famous for the 140mph Tickford Turbo Capri. ... A Kleemann SLK 55K S8 awaiting delivery. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937â€“1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... Prodrives logo Prodrive is an auto racing and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, United Kingdom. ... Gillet is a Belgium automobile manufacturer, started in 1994 by Tony Gillet, which produced the Vertigo sports coupe powered by a 3. ... Renault Sport Technologies (commonly known as Renault Sport or RST) is the motorsport division of Renault. ... Abarth was an Italian racing car maker founded by Carlo Abarth, of Austrian origins. ... Racing Dynamics is an Italian tuning company specialising in BMW Group motorcars. ... Rinspeed is a Swiss automobile manufacturer and tuning designer. ...

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