i signifies a fuel-injected engine

[Radiation Joe]

On BMWUSA website describing the new X3 xDrive28i.

Unless you are upgrading from a 1984 Buick, I'm pretty sure every car on the planet has fuel injection. How truly stupid are the BMW marketing people? This is how companies go from #1 to #11 in a few short years.

320i was a unique identifier back in 1977. I'm guessing that's a little played out by now.

[Erhan]

IBTL

[e1000]

My M3 has no i!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[e1000]

.....unless it's the NEW BMW i...... then it means something completely different. lol

[FStop7]

Quattroporte means 4 doors.

There are lots of obvious things to be found in the names of cars.

[frenchM3dreamer]

"direct" fuel injection (into each cylinder directly) seems to still be a marketing argument here in North America... i remember hearing about it about 6-7 years ago back in Europe..

[3XTR3M3]

Stupid marketing people huh? I assure you only a slight percent of BMW buyers even know that i stands for fuelinjection. So if something is not part of a marketing effort or pitch but a naming structure grown into heritage... How can anyone use this to hastily call the marketing guys stupid?

i has represented injection for a long enough time to transform into the heritage and naming que of today's BMWs, including the X3.

C used to stand for coupe. S used to stand for sport. c used to stand for convertible. None of these have stuck in the BMW brand and identity like the letter i and M. And there is nothing wrong with i. Would you rather they pull the letter i from BMW names or make up some bullshit explanation as to what i stands for? It is true to it's original meaning and not posing as something it's not.

Yea, we'll for sure see BMW at number 11 because of this.

[Edjay]

Fwiw other parts of the world, carburated motors are still available. Mostly in asia.

[r53s65e90]

i = fuel injection gasoline engine
d = diesel engine (turbo only nowadays)
(nothinnnn) = carburetor engine. There are still some around.
e = some older BMW marketing for economy engine in Europe

Lookz ok to me.

[duk]

i means i am hungry

[Serious]

Am I to assume you prefer something along the lines of x3iSXdriveM-sportTdi???

[CrazyIvan]

Originally Posted by r53s65e90

i = fuel injection gasoline engine
d = diesel engine (turbo only nowadays)
(nothinnnn) = carburetor engine. There are still some around.
e = some older BMW marketing for economy engine in Europe
Lookz ok to me.

Incorrect. E means the same as i from German Einspritzung (injection)

[pmeloche]

The styling of the Porsche 911 has barely changed in over 40 years, I guess it's a little payed out also. Epic Fail for the OP.

[r53s65e90]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

Incorrect. E means the same as i from German Einspritzung (injection)

This is how MB uses E. BMW never used e for "Einspritzung". Back in the 80s in Germany at least, 325i and 325e used to co-exist. 325i was a more powerful 2.5l engine. 325e was a 2.7l less powerful more torquey engine with fewer emissions.

See this: http://www.e30info.com/pages/diff.htm

[DDS2015]

Originally Posted by pmeloche

The styling of the Porsche 911 has barely changed in over 40 years, I guess it's a little payed out also. Epic Fail for the OP.

Lol 1

The i differentiates it from the d.

[M3tallicar]

Looks like it will also indicate electric - the i3 and the i8

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by r53s65e90

i = fuel injection gasoline engine
d = diesel engine

+1

I guess they should change the first one so it makes more sense in today's world. Maybe p for petrol injection, or g for gasoline injection.

But yes, Joe, the "injection" part has been superfluous for a long time now. Back in the day BMW did sell carbureted engines, so the i made sense. They just never bothered to update it to something more appropriate once the carb'd engines died out.