BMW nomenclature is getting ridiculous.Can you be a better Marketer to name the cars?

[K-A]

I was randomly reading a Review by Motor trend on the M1, and this excerpt was in it: "...Powered by exactly the same 335-hp twin-turbo engine that powers the Z4 sDrive35is, which not only carries one of the industry’s dumbest names, but...."

Now, I've been annoyed by such terrible and clusterfracked naming since I learned of it. But clearly, BMW Marketing has ran out of ways to keep tight, non-embarrasing ways to fully speak out, clean phrases to describe some of their cars ("M5", "M3", etc. are perfect examples of how to instantly iconicize a name/car). It seems that after the core models "3/5/6/7", all the newer models have had trouble sticking to the BMW way of naming cars without sounding stupid or nonsensical.

Using that Z4 example, or any of the X's, GT's, etc. where they have to drag out these crazy names/numbers/terms, do you think you can make a better, tighter, and classier/cleaner name to variate the individual motors/designations/models that exist underneath each general model umbrella?

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Cue BMW Fanboi's in 3...2...1....

 

[330CIZHP]

Could not agree with you more.

 

[Top Secret]

As opposed to the Mercedes-Benz GLK220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 4Matic?

 

[deity]

I agree, way too long .

But at least with the Merc you know what it means...

 

[DblPen]

its not going to get any better with new lines introduced with 3 series

 

[mini_cooper4]

I couldn't care less I would love to drive an M4 PimpDriveGoldenEdition... will be a classy ride

 

[K-A]

its not going to get any better with new lines introduced with 3 series

OMG. I mean, this is a Marketers job. The name "Z4 sDrive35is" (and I'll bet that isn't even the worst of them) is a joke.

As for the M-B name, that certainly doesn't sound good, but it looks cleaner and more pleasing than the clusterf*ck of letters that no one knows the meaning of, bunched together.

Also, I don't believe M-B names a car "CDI Bluefficiency". If I'm not mistaken, it's either "CDI" or "Bluetech", not both (when talking about Diesels), therefore the name of that particular model would be "GLK220 CDI 4Matic", or "GLK220 Bluetech 4Matic" (whatever they're calling their Diesels these days). Much better.

 

[K-A]

I couldn't care less I would love to drive an M4 PimpDriveGoldenEdition... will be a classy ride

Looks like you just found a much better name than what BMW's Marketers have come up with.

I vote "PimpDriveGoldenEdition" over "X6 35isXDriveM-Performance.

 

[MikeJ]

OMG. I mean, this is a Marketers job. The name "Z4 sDrive35is" (and I'll bet that isn't even the worst of them) is a joke.

As for the M-B name, that certainly doesn't sound good, but it looks cleaner and more pleasing than the clusterf*ck of letters that no one knows the meaning of, bunched together.

Also, I don't believe M-B names a car "CDI Bluefficiency". If I'm not mistaken, it's either "CDI" or "Bluetech", not both (when talking about Diesels), therefore the name of that particular model would be "GLK220 CDI 4Matic", or "GLK220 Bluetech 4Matic" (whatever they're calling their Diesels these days). Much better.

There are quite a few CDI Bluefficiency models on European price lists... Heck, the price list in Finland even includes a GLK 250 CDI Bluefficiency 4Matic Premium Business...

 

[Kowalski]

When it comes to ridiculous nomenclatures, no one beats the Chinese.

How about the Shuanghuan S-CEO HBJ 6474-Y, for example? It's much easier to just call it Fake old X5, though.

 

[K-A]

There are quite a few CDI Bluefficiency models on European price lists... Heck, the price list in Finland even includes a GLK 250 CDI Bluefficiency 4Matic Premium Business...

Wow, "Premium Business" is also in the title? Never heard of that with M-B's, sounds stupid. They need to drop the Bluefficiency too.

Still, I prefer anything over BMW's oddball naming. Gotta be a better and cleaner/simplified way they can designate some of those models.

Holy crap, LOL @ the Chinese car name. Sounds like the name of something cheap you'd buy at Radio Shack.

 

[EnI]

VW anyone?

Volkswagen Passat Variant Highline EcoFuel 1.4 TSI

Volkswagen Golf Plus CrossGolf Comfortline 2.0 TDI

Volkswagen Passat Variant Trendline BlueTDI 2.0 TDI

Volkswagen Golf Comfortline BlueMotion Technology 1.2 TSI

Volkswagen Golf Comfortline 4MOTION 2.0 TDI

 

[EnI]

Audi?

Audi A6 allroad quattro 3.0 TFSI

Audi A3 Sportback Attraction 1.8 TFSI

Audi A4 Avant Ambition 2.0 TFSI FlexibleFuel quattro

Audi Avant 3.0 TDI CleanDiesel quattro S-Line

 

[K-A]

Lol.

I think I've figured out where the problem stems from. It's those dumb creative terms they try and put on these cars.

Forget "Comfortline", "BlueEfficiency", "S/XDrive",Trendline, etc. What is this garbage?!

The simple days were better here: Model designation, engine size, and Sport or whatever. The rest is really gibberish.

If only Steve Jobs put his hands on our beloved Auto Industry. The revolution of under-inflated, non bloated, simplified clarity would have been something to behold.

 

[EnI]

^ Compared to mentioned VW & Audi nomenclature BMW Z4 sDrive35si or BMW X5 xDriveM50d or even BMW M550d xDrive Touring sound very memorable & compact.

Obviously today there are so many different versions of a same car - regarding shape (sedan, wagon etc), fuel type (diesel, clean diesel, bio diesel, gas, gasoline, plug-in electricity, fuel cell electricity, hydrogen, hybrid drives), special eco features, engine "size", drive type (RWD, AWD etc), special packages etc - the nomenclature HAS TO BE complicated to be able to describe the car.

In the past everything was simple - because cars were simple.

 

[K-A]

I think they're all practically equally bad. The other guys for trying to make clever names, and BMW for literally having theirs look like an eye-sore, too many numbers and letters that are clustered together and will make no sense or have any cachet or value to most people. The other guys are trying to make it look more "soothing" with actual words that are spelled out (easier for people to figure out), but that just elongates the nomenclature. I still think BMW is overall the worst in this aspect. Theirs might not be the longest, I'm coming to find out, but it's still the most nonsensical and harsh to hear/see/say.

.... But, reading VW/Audi's again, I think they're keeping it damn close as to who's approach is worse.

 

[MikeJ]

Wow, "Premium Business" is also in the title? Never heard of that with M-B's, sounds stupid. They need to drop the Bluefficiency too.

It is, and it's actually the base spec here...

 

[Gianclaudio]

And when Pagani introduced the Huayra people started to complain about the name.

BTW, the McLaren MP4-12C is much worse IMO, because is a sport car, and has to evoque a special feeling, which doesn't.

Regards!

 

[MikeJ]

^ Compared to mentioned VW & Audi nomenclature BMW Z4 sDrive35si or BMW X5 xDriveM50d or even BMW M550d xDrive Touring sound very memorable & compact.


Obviously today there are so many different versions of a same car - regarding shape (sedan, wagon etc), fuel type (diesel, clean diesel, bio diesel, gas, gasoline, plug-in electricity, fuel cell electricity, hydrogen, hybrid drives), special eco features, engine "size", drive type (RWD, AWD etc), special packages etc - the nomenclature HAS TO BE complicated to be able to describe the car.

Yes. So why include something in the model designation that does not differentiate that particular model version in any way?
Here's the Finnish price list for the Z4:

No matter which model version you choose, it's going to be sDrive and TwinPower Turbo...