Not "bimmer",not "beemer" It's B-M-W [Archive]

BigD

02-23-2004, 07:42 PM

I think the real reason is it's just easier to say. North American English is a simplified version of the original (when was the last time you said "trousers") so why should brand names be immune (when was the last time you said "Chevrolet"). And no one here is going to tell me that status had nothing to do with their brand choice and have me believe them.

I lost the thread from an earlier post, but I wanted to add my 2 cents.
Bimmer was a term coined by the yuppies to create a higher level of
snobery. I think they also made "Nannies" and "Starbucks" icons of there self indulgent wealth. These yuppies with there selfish self centered ways created
the image we BMW drivers have to deal with on the road each day.

gordon

02-23-2004, 07:50 PM

Not sure which E34 you drive...but my first time driving a 535i 5 speed sold me... if it had been a "chevy" Chevette and pulled like that i would have scooped it up without a thought.....the fact that it was a BMW was just a bonus.

http://vaxxine.com/gblawson/vcs03.jpg

MarkD

02-23-2004, 07:53 PM

And no one here is going to tell me that status had nothing to do with their brand choice and have me believe them.

Why would you say that? I bought my first BMW in 1978, and they weren't known as status enhancers then. I bought it because I knew it was an interesting example of German engineering. If I was owning BMW's for status, I wouldn't be driving a 733i for 16 years before getting the M5.

Here's a story you have probably heard:

On the farm lived a chicken and a horse, both of whom loved to play together. One day, the two were playing when the horse fell into a bog and began to sink. Scared for his life, the horse whinnied for the chicken to go get the farmer for help!

Off the chicken ran, back to the farm. Arriving at the farm, he searched and searched for the farmer, but to no avail, for he had gone to town with the only tractor. Running around, the chicken spied the farmer's new Z-3 series BMW. Finding the keys inside, the chicken sped off with a length of rope, hoping he still had time to save his friend's life.

Back at the bog, the horse was surprised, but happy, to see the chicken arrive in the shiny BMW, and he managed to get a hold of the loop of rope the chicken tossed to him. After tying the other end to the rear bumper of the farmer's car, the chicken then drove slowly forward and, with the aid of the powerful car, rescued the horse!

Happy and proud, the chicken drove the BMW back to the farmhouse, and the farmer was none the wiser when he returned. The friendship between the two animals was cemented: best buddies, best pals.

A few weeks later, the chicken fell into a mud pit, and soon, he too, began to sink and cried out to the horse to save his life! The horse thought a moment, walked over, and straddled the large puddle.

Looking underneath, he told the chicken to grab his "thing" and he would then lift him out of the pit. The chicken got a good grip, and the horse pulled him up and out, saving his life.

The moral of the story?

When you're hung like a horse, you don't need a BMW to pick up chicks.

632 Regal

02-23-2004, 07:54 PM

yep, agree but BMW is easy to say too. I think the term started it's impact through television (tv to you yuppies)

BigD

02-23-2004, 08:01 PM

This is Dmitry, Gordon. :-) So you randomly drove every car until you found one you liked that pulled like that? I think it's the other way around. Most people were drawn by the fact that it's a BMW 5 series, and were sold by the way it pulls and handles. And you would have spent as much time and money making your Chevette look like that right. I'm not saying it was the ONLY reason why most people buy BMWs (some do) but image is most certainly part of it (the only variable is how big a part).

http://vaxxine.com/gblawson/vcs03.jpg

paul p (chi-town)

02-23-2004, 08:04 PM

And no one here is going to tell me that status had nothing to do with their brand choice and have me believe them.Uh, status had nothing to do with my purchase.

Name another early-mid 90s compact/mid size sports sedan, stick, IRS and most importantly Rear Wheel Drive. Certainly such an animal was not available from the Japanese.
Yeah my 1st bimmer (oh, sue me) was the 5er, which is auto, but i already had my compact sports sedan in the SE-R. That was all i could afford back in 96(?), i had yet to warm up to the e30. I did manage to test drive a 93 325 then; way out of my budget, but i knew then that i had found my perfect car. It still is, and when confronted w/ one in as nice a shape as the calypso one below i had to bite.
But here’s a clue. The 3er and the 5er are on street exposed to the elements this winter. I am protecting the newer SE-R in the garage from the evil salt that this city pours w/ abandon when it snows. And you know what, with some care the BMWs can take it and live. My tin can rice car might not.
First is the driving experience, then there’s the engineering excellence, then there is the sheer correctness of the exterior design.

I need a bumper sticker that says “I drive it, I don’t wear it.”
Not to say that i don’t appreciate the admiration that the vagon may occasionally receive. But i would trade it in a heartbeat not to deal w/ the loathing some other show. Thank god the 325 is now common as dirt.

But i speak for almost all here that whether or not they appreciate the cachet of the roundel, it is a secondary issue at best.

http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/sign05.jpg (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i ….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
”It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
It is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error."--Robert H. Jackson.

MarkD

02-23-2004, 08:05 PM

Hi Dmitry,

are you getting the M5? Did you look at the other one I mentioned?

Mark

BigD

02-23-2004, 08:07 PM

It seems no harder to say than GMC, but that 'W' is the killer. To say "double-u" in the course of speedy everyday speech is a real skill (unless you're a boring slow talker).

yep, agree but BMW is easy to say too. I think the term started it's impact through television (tv to you yuppies)

BigD

02-23-2004, 08:10 PM

Nothing eh. Alright, well, I don't believe you. ;-)

I've also got a snow king BMW, Bruno's old E28 535. I got that car because 535iM's are just about indestructable. Friggin thing has 320k km on it and it still runs like a champ. I wanted to get a bumper sticker saying "My other car is not a piece of ****!".

Uh, status had nothing to do with my purchase.

Name another early-mid 90s compact/mid size sports sedan, stick, IRS and most importantly RWD. Certainly such an animal was not available from the Japanese.
Yeah my 1st bimmer (oh, sue me) was the 5er, which is auto, but i already had my compact sports sedan in the SE-R. That was all i could afford back in 96(?), i had yet to warm up to the e30. I did manage to test drive a 93 325 then, way out of my budget, but i knew then that i had found my perfect car. It still is and when confronted w/ one in as nice a shape as the calypso one below i had to bite.
But here’s a clue. The 3er and the 5er are on street exposed to the elements this winter. I am protecting the newer SE-R in the garage from the evil salt that this city pours w/ abandon when it snows. And you know what, with some care the BMWs can take it and live. My tin can rice car might not.
First is the driving experience, then there’s the engineering excellence, then there is the sheer correctness of the exterior design.

I need a bumper sticker that says “I drive it, I don’t wear it.”
Not to say that i don’t appreciate the admiration that the vagon may occasionally receive. But i would trade it in a heartbeat not to deal w/ the loathing some other show. Thank god the 325 is now common as dirt.

But i speak for almost all here that whether or not they appreciate the cachet of the roundel, it is a secondary issue at best.

http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/sign05.jpg (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i ….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)
”It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
It is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error."--Robert H. Jackson.

BigD

02-23-2004, 08:19 PM

Aw man, too bad I started scrolling from bottom to top. Got the punchline first. Never heard that one actually!

Yeah, I'm picking up the M5 tomorrow. After a lot of mental suffering, I got a deal that I am happy with (not 16k, but still good). And I forced him to pay something half-assed decent for my car or I walked.

I tried to look at that other one, but it was far away and by the time I got there (we shop in North York on Saturdays) they were closed. But I really don't like black BMW's and it was dirty with winter rims on so the impression was bad and I never came back.

Realistically even if it was mint I'd never buy it. I told myself I'd never change my 535 for anything but my dream car - a blue/grey M5. Yeah, it's not perfect. But it doesn't cost like perfect. The important stuff is there. The body is in great shape, and so are the mechanicals. I might recondition the leather if I get around to it. But that's about it. Once I paint the taillights red, and put on M Parallels, this will be my dream car of 12 years (my introduction to E34 was in a Russian car mag in '91 or 92 when I saw that famous incline pic of the avus blue M5).

Why would you say that? I bought my first BMW in 1978, and they weren't known as status enhancers then. I bought it because I knew it was an interesting example of German engineering. If I was owning BMW's for status, I wouldn't be driving a 733i for 16 years before getting the M5.

Here's a story you have probably heard:

On the farm lived a chicken and a horse, both of whom loved to play together. One day, the two were playing when the horse fell into a bog and began to sink. Scared for his life, the horse whinnied for the chicken to go get the farmer for help!

Off the chicken ran, back to the farm. Arriving at the farm, he searched and searched for the farmer, but to no avail, for he had gone to town with the only tractor. Running around, the chicken spied the farmer's new Z-3 series BMW. Finding the keys inside, the chicken sped off with a length of rope, hoping he still had time to save his friend's life.

Back at the bog, the horse was surprised, but happy, to see the chicken arrive in the shiny BMW, and he managed to get a hold of the loop of rope the chicken tossed to him. After tying the other end to the rear bumper of the farmer's car, the chicken then drove slowly forward and, with the aid of the powerful car, rescued the horse!

Happy and proud, the chicken drove the BMW back to the farmhouse, and the farmer was none the wiser when he returned. The friendship between the two animals was cemented: best buddies, best pals.

A few weeks later, the chicken fell into a mud pit, and soon, he too, began to sink and cried out to the horse to save his life! The horse thought a moment, walked over, and straddled the large puddle.

Looking underneath, he told the chicken to grab his "thing" and he would then lift him out of the pit. The chicken got a good grip, and the horse pulled him up and out, saving his life.

The moral of the story?

When you're hung like a horse, you don't need a BMW to pick up chicks.

paul p (chi-town)

02-23-2004, 08:35 PM

Nothing eh. Alright, well, I don't believe you. ;-)HA!

But seriously, there is also the maxim, ‘You get what you pay for’.
Almost any item that carries a status usually has a quality to it that earned it that elevation. Yeah, Starbucks is mass produced, overpriced, overroasted. A predatory company that purposefully puts in uncomfortable seating to keep traffic moving. But it's still damn good coffee. I buy the beans and make it at home. Don’t get me started on my Wamsutta sheets.........

Materialism is a double edged sword. I think we are touching on the negative side here, but look at positive materialism. Sure a poly shirt will likely be cheaper than cotton, and certainly silk. But which is more comfortable.....
Plus from a known designer, or outfitter the quality of the garment should be better. I know that LandsEnd makes the best turtleneck sweaters, period, end of story. I have ones going on 5 years that are grubby enough that they are only for dirty work. But the neck, sleeves and hem are still solid. Good elastic there, a no-name t-neck would be toast.

So D, it is an understandable drive to get the best. The finer things in life are sometimes justified. It is when we pursue them when they are not even needed that we get into trouble.

Perfect example, now that i’ve grown to like some 80s BMWs (ya know bimmer rolls off the keys faster w/o having to shift) i am jealous of yer snow beater. I want for an e28/M30 (or specially an e30/S52), but i certainly don’t need another bloody car!

93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i…….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)

Paul in NZ

02-23-2004, 09:05 PM

first off it certainly doesnt hurt that its a BMW but when i started looking at a car that filled the following criteria
1)Rear wheel drive
2)Manual transmision
3)Bigger than 2 litre
4)High enough roof line or adjustable enough seating to fit my long 6'3" body

it quickly became a very small pool..I originally was looking for a 325 manual but when I realised that a manual 535 was available in my price range...end of story

BigD

02-23-2004, 09:08 PM

Oh, I didn't mean it to be a negative. Status doesn't just say that you are a snob. It also usually means you have a damn fine product. If I had the cash for a topline watch, I wouldn't buy a Rolex, I'd buy a Breitling. It's still a status piece (well, maybe not to the New York pimps), but it's also supposed to have one of the most precise movements you can buy. A Mercedes is for the Rolex crowd. Nothing wrong with it, but it's a bit more status than car. A BMW (caps-lock bruddah, all about the caps-lock) is for the Breitling crowd.

All I'm saying is that people who buy the Roundel (ok, I was really referring to E34, or even '80's and on - not guys like Mark who bought it back when it was just another car) ALL have status on their mind but for most, that's not ALL they have on their mind.. There are other cars you could have bought for the money. For example, a 5 year+ newer Nissan Maxima 5 speed. Great car. Great handling, power, comfort, reliability. But...it's a Nissan (no offense Paul LOL).

HA!

But seriously, there is also the maxim, ‘You get what you pay for’.
Almost any item that carries a status usually has a quality to it that earned it that elevation. Yeah, Starbucks is mass produced, overpriced, overroasted. A predatory company that purposefully puts in uncomfortable seating to keep traffic moving. But is still damn good coffee. I buy the beans and make it at home. Don’t get me started on my Wamsutta sheets.........

Materialism is a double edged sword. I think we are touching on the negative side here, but look at positive materialism. Sure a poly shirt will likely be cheaper than cotton, and certainly silk. But which is more comfortable.....
Plus from a known designer, or outfitter the quality of the garment should be better. I know that LandsEnd makes the best turtleneck sweaters, period, end of story. I have ones going on 5 years that are grubby enough that they are only for dirty work. But the neck, sleves and hem are still solid. Good elastic, a no-name t-neck would be toast.

So D, it is an understandable drive to get the best. The finer things in life are sometimes justified. It is when we pursue them when they are not even needed that we get into trouble.

Perfect example, now that i’ve grown to like some 80s BMWs (ya know bimmer rolls off the keys faster w/o having to shift) i am jealous of yer snow beater. I want for an e28/M30 (or specially an e30/S52), but i certainly don’t need another bloody car!

93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i…….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)

paul p (chi-town)

02-23-2004, 09:37 PM

really referring to E34, or even '80's and on - not guys like Mark who bought it back when it was just another car) ALL have status on their mind but for most,
For example, a 5 year+ newer Nissan Maxima 5 speed. Great car. Great handling, power, comfort, reliability. But...it's a Nissan (no offense Paul LOL).None taken, but then again one compromises, like the RWD w/ any Nissan sedan and no i don’t in this case mean Infinity. Give the company credit at least for commonly offering the Max w/ a stick. The SE-R was a brilliant compromise of Nissan’s smallest sedan and their best 4cyl. In memory of the giant killer Datsun 510 sedan if i’m not mistaken, BUT that car WAS rwd. Then again, the SE-R is simply soooo affordable. Always was. And for a mere $1500 (if carefully shopped and assembled DIY) can be turboed to 220hp. And this is OEM like reliability, not really pushing the mill. Try boosting any modern BMW's power by 40% and it will cost you a bit more. And the M30 is nowhere near as modern as an SR20.

Now as far as watches go......i never used to wear one. Then in the space of 6 months i was given one by my mom and inherited one from my dad. But they were Victoronox and a Seiko, nothing fancy. I never considered anything more that a timex myself, in this easy to lose bauble. Now considering that my dad’s tells the days in French and that’s the way he had it set (mind you, 100% ukrainian all of us) and it looked pretty good w/ a suit, it gets worn for formal occasions. Swiss Army was the work watch until it broke..............6 months ago. I work in a lab, there are at least 3 sources of the time in every room...........again not a need.

But most of us need a car to live in a modern society. Ergo some of us want the least compromise in this area. And for anyone owning a 8+ year old car (any e34), status is no longer a concern. Or at least in a sense.
I suppose we all do chase a status of knowing something about cars.

93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i…….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)

kiNGMak

02-23-2004, 10:25 PM

BigD you are not looking for "status" by buying an M5?

BigD

02-23-2004, 11:19 PM

I think you've got me on the wrong side of the argument.

BigD you are not looking for "status" by buying an M5?

BigD

02-23-2004, 11:27 PM

Yeah, agreed. That wasn't meant to be a put down on Nissan by any means. I really like the Maxima (well, not the current boat). Infinity is a good example. While I'm not sure if it was available in manual, the early Q45's were awesome. Didn't they have 4 wheel steering?

Get a Skyline GTR. Hehehe On the other hand though, I wonder how reliable all those forced rice rockets are. I was talking to Bruno a while back about this. He was saying that expecting 700 reliable hp out of an M30 is silly. It was built tough, but it was still built to handle the power it was designed for. I was then asking why are all those ricers pushing their 1.6 or 1.8L 4 bangers the way they are and doing it reliably. He said that if you think that, you should come out to an open lapping day - where one of those things breaks down every lap. It's another story when you have guys that have an infinite supply of engines so they can simply replace it if they burn one.

I think you get my point about the watches. But speaking of which, I love Timex. I think it's the most accurate watch I've ever had. I had one when I was like 15, then someone stole it. I suddenly had a need for a watch last term (because the lab I worked in had a clock that would take a step back for every 2 forward and due dates in University are important) so I bought another one. I love these things!

None taken, but then again one compromises, like the RWD w/ any Nissan sedan and no i don’t in this case mean Infinity. Give the company credit at least for commonly offering the Max w/ a stick. The SE-R was a brilliant compromise of Nissan’s smallest sedan and their best 4cyl. In memory of the giant killer Datsun 510 sedan if i’m not mistaken, BUT that car WAS rwd. Then again, the SE-R is simply soooo affordable. Always was. And for a mere $1500 (if carefully shopped and assembled DIY) can be turboed to 220hp. And this is OEM like reliability, not really pushing the mill. Try boosting any modern BMW's power by 40% and it will cost you a bit more. And the M30 is nowhere near as modern as an SR20.

Now as far as watches go......i never used to wear one. Then in the space of 6 months i was given one by my mom and inherited one from my dad. But they were Victoronox and a Seiko, nothing fancy. I never considered anything more that a timex myself, in this easy to lose bauble. Now considering that my dad’s tells the days in French and that’s the way he had it set (mind you, 100% ukrainian all of us) and it looked pretty good w/ a suit, it gets worn for formal occasions. Swiss Army was the work watch until it broke..............6 months ago. I work in a lab, there are at least 3 sources of the time in every room...........again not a need.

But most of us need a car to live in a modern society. Ergo some of us want the least compromise in this area. And for anyone owning a 8+ year old car (any e34), status is no longer a concern. Or at least in a sense.
I suppose we all do chase a status of knowing something about cars.

93 SE-R---94 530iT&A---92 325i…….”Hang up & Drive!” (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~motria/pablosgarage.html)

wool

02-24-2004, 09:35 AM

Most of us, if not all like our BMWs for what they are, and yes-they do have alot of curb appeal, and we don't mind getting under the car to keep them running

Mr Project

02-24-2004, 09:58 AM

I have to agree with some of what has been posted...

I bought my 535i 5-speed, because, like several others, this was my criteria:

RWD
5-speed
sub-16 second 1/4 mile
4 doors
Good rear seat room
Reliable, easy DIY work, drivetrain and body good for over 200k.
$4-5k.

What other choices did I have? E30s are too small and it's too hard to find a decent one. Maxima's, which I looked at carefully, are FWD and not known to hold up well body-wise in the long term.

Somebody made the comment that you could build up a Chevette to pull like the 535. Sure, maybe you could, but nothing else I could find offered the 'total package' of luxury, power, and sport like the E34. And no built-up Chevette ever could. Believe me, I've always been a fan of building stuff myself, and you just can't get here from there. :)

Snob? I don't think so. I'm the biggest cheapskate I know, but I know a good value when I see it, and I don't regret this purchase at all. My wife's VW, however.... :(

MarkD

02-24-2004, 10:07 AM

BigD you are not looking for "status" by buying an M5?

He may not be. Most people don't know the difference between a 535 and an M5 unless they actually own a BMW. I bought mine mainly because after installig quite a few chips in M5 and taking them out for a spin, I thought it would be a fun car to have. I remember how fast the car I developed the M5 chip in (back in 1998) was. But now, I'm thinking I could have bought something like a 1999 540i/6 and got similar performance, and a test vehicle to develop OBD-II upgrades.

Mark

Bill R.

02-24-2004, 10:48 AM

wax, haven't done a single improvement to the exterior of the car, still have the wheels on it that have received many comments about how ugly they are. Overall I have spent a fraction to own mine that most of you have spent.http://www.bimmernut.com/%7Ebillr/images/535Shady3.jpg
Our cats frequently use it as a resting placehttp://www.bimmernut.com/%7Ebillr/images/The%20real%20owner.jpg

My daily driver is a toyota previa van and this is what the van i had before it looked like that nissan bought backhttp://www.preferredautos.com.au/nissan/van.gif

I bought it just because i work on a lot of different cars and get the chance to drive a lot of them, my decisions are not based on appearance but on how they drive, how cheap and easy for me to repair, longevity,safety usefulness.. status never enters into my thoughts on buying a car.. I don't want to buy a car thats had serious body work but i don't mind buying one that has small dents dings and scratches if it lowers the price. You'll notice that I never express opinions on here about wheels, paint, body accessories etc

QUOTE=BigD]Oh, I didn't mean it to be a negative. Status doesn't just say that you are a snob. It also usually means you have a damn fine product. If I had the cash for a topline watch, I wouldn't buy a Rolex, I'd buy a Breitling. It's still a status piece (well, maybe not to the New York pimps), but it's also supposed to have one of the most precise movements you can buy. A Mercedes is for the Rolex crowd. Nothing wrong with it, but it's a bit more status than car. A BMW (caps-lock bruddah, all about the caps-lock) is for the Breitling crowd.

All I'm saying is that people who buy the Roundel (ok, I was really referring to E34, or even '80's and on - not guys like Mark who bought it back when it was just another car) ALL have status on their mind but for most, that's not ALL they have on their mind.. There are other cars you could have bought for the money. For example, a 5 year+ newer Nissan Maxima 5 speed. Great car. Great handling, power, comfort, reliability. But...it's a Nissan (no offense Paul LOL).[/QUOTE]

BigD

02-24-2004, 11:08 AM

I believe you Bill. I bought my E28 with the same type of motivation. But can you honestly tell me that when you were buying the car, the fact that it is a BMW did not ring any bells of luxury/snob status connotations? I can honestly tell you that when I was buying the 535 and now the M5, I couldn't help but also be a little tickled that it's a BMW - certainly NOT the reason why I was there, but it's nice! IE, it WAS on my mind. It was also on my mind when I bought the E28 - but in a different way. I was thinking that people would be looking at me and the car and think that I'm just desperate to wear a roundel even though it seems I can't afford much beyond a Chevette.

The reason I was so confident in my original statement is that there is simply no way around it. Unless you live in an isolated tribe in Africa, and have never been exposed to any modern Western culture/pop culture, you WILL think of the roundel as a status symbol. Now, whether or not that's a big reason why you bought one is a different matter. But I KNOW it was a factor, however insignificant.

wax, haven't done a single improvement to the exterior of the car, still have the wheels on it that have received many comments about how ugly they are. Overall I have spent a fraction to own mine that most of you have spent
Our cats frequently use it as a resting place

My daily driver is a toyota previa van and this is what the van i had before it looked like that nissan bought back

I bought it just because i work on a lot of different cars and get the chance to drive a lot of them, my decisions are not based on appearance but on how they drive, how cheap and easy for me to repair, longevity,safety usefulness.. status never enters into my thoughts on buying a car.. I don't want to buy a car thats had serious body work but i don't mind buying one that has small dents dings and scratches if it lowers the price. You'll notice that I never express opinions on here about wheels, paint, body accessories etc

QUOTE=BigD]Oh, I didn't mean it to be a negative. Status doesn't just say that you are a snob. It also usually means you have a damn fine product. If I had the cash for a topline watch, I wouldn't buy a Rolex, I'd buy a Breitling. It's still a status piece (well, maybe not to the New York pimps), but it's also supposed to have one of the most precise movements you can buy. A Mercedes is for the Rolex crowd. Nothing wrong with it, but it's a bit more status than car. A BMW (caps-lock bruddah, all about the caps-lock) is for the Breitling crowd.

All I'm saying is that people who buy the Roundel (ok, I was really referring to E34, or even '80's and on - not guys like Mark who bought it back when it was just another car) ALL have status on their mind but for most, that's not ALL they have on their mind.. There are other cars you could have bought for the money. For example, a 5 year+ newer Nissan Maxima 5 speed. Great car. Great handling, power, comfort, reliability. But...it's a Nissan (no offense Paul LOL).[/QUOTE]

632 Regal

02-24-2004, 12:15 PM

I wanted a Yugo and i saw my BMW sittin on the side of the road...drove nicer so I bought it.

:)

shragon

02-24-2004, 12:15 PM

I lost the thread from an earlier post, but I wanted to add my 2 cents.
Bimmer was a term coined by the yuppies to create a higher level of
snobery. I think they also made "Nannies" and "Starbucks" icons of there self indulgent wealth. These yuppies with there selfish self centered ways created
the image we BMW drivers have to deal with on the road each day.

Why are the bikes called Beemer and the cars called Bimmer? A Very Highly Placed BMW Spokesperson sent me the following (reproduced here with permission).

While I can't point to any official document that supports this, my understanding of the origins are as follows.

The term Beemer was first used with motorcycles. Back when British bikes dominated the market and BSA was a well-known marque, riders referred to them as Beezers -- a way to say the letters BSA as if it were a word.

BMW riders said Beemer as a way of saying BMW as a word. This was long before the popularity of BMW cars, so whenever the term Beemer was spoken, it referred to the motorcycle. In theory, one could apply Beemer to either cars or bikes since it is only a reference to the name BMW. In fact some folks do call BMW cars Beemers.

When the cars became popular, many people referred to them as Bimmers as well as Beemers. I don't know why this was adopted instead of simply using the existing Beemers.

But generally speaking, one calls the bikes Beemers and the cars Bimmers. While it would be ok to refer to a car as a Beemer, it doesn't seem appropriate to refer to a bike as a Bimmer.

Warren N.CA

02-24-2004, 12:32 PM

BMWs became yuppy cars. (This started with E21 in 1977).

According to BIMMER magazine, "Bimmer" refers to cars and "Beamer" refers to motorcycles. One reason there is a great deal of confusion about it, is that the movie makers have gotten in wrong on numerous occaisions.

I lost the thread from an earlier post, but I wanted to add my 2 cents.
Bimmer was a term coined by the yuppies to create a higher level of
snobery. I think they also made "Nannies" and "Starbucks" icons of there self indulgent wealth. These yuppies with there selfish self centered ways created
the image we BMW drivers have to deal with on the road each day.

Warren N.CA

02-24-2004, 12:56 PM

nuclear (new- klee- ahr) proliferation?

I think the President of the U.S. should be able to pronounce common words correctly, whether or not he may have been born and reared in Texas.

Perhaps there should be a pronunciation test for candidates. Only those who can pronounce simple common words at least close to correctly should be allowed to become candidates. This would prevent incompetent individuals from embarrassing our nation every time they open their mouths to speak.

I lost the thread from an earlier post, but I wanted to add my 2 cents.
Bimmer was a term coined by the yuppies to create a higher level of
snobery. I think they also made "Nannies" and "Starbucks" icons of there self indulgent wealth. These yuppies with there selfish self centered ways created
the image we BMW drivers have to deal with on the road each day.

Bimmer Nut Ed

02-24-2004, 05:03 PM

I got to throw my 2 cents in here. I never bought a bimmer as a status symbol. I bought it for many of the reasons Bill R bought his. Ease of repair, safety, price, longevity. I drove beat up 240 series Volvos for 20 years. Yes, the Brick. You might think that there is status in that, but I drove Volvo's cause I worked at my uncle's Volvo dealership for two summers (only). And learned a little about repairing them. They were easy to repair, and I knew how to work on them (at least a little). All I thought cars were for were to get you from one place to another. Everyone thought my 240 Volvo's were ugly. I owned maybe a dozen of them in 20 years. All over 100k miles on them. Never gave a rats ass about looks. It was all about ease to fix, plus the safetly factor Volvo's provide.

I had repaired many (all) of my Volvo's and always felt I was alone. Always buying dealer parts, no one left to ask how to repair them (uncle passed on). I'd prolly still drive a Volvo, if they made an entry level Volvo after the 240, but they didn't. BUT, once I learned about BMW, and the aftermarket products available, I rejoiced, no more buying products from dealers at 120% markup! Yes, 120% markup, anyone who ever worked at a dealer knows this.

And once that happened, I rejoiced again, all of the sudden there were others repairing there own cars available to share info with on the net. Holy cow, I was in heaven. And I stayed with bimmers every since.

The other joy came when I began to enjoy driving the cars. I thought I could toss a 240 Volvo around pretty good. Then I felt what my 535 could do. Again, rejoice. Another purpose for a car, to have fun! kewl. Who would have thought!

And maybe now, only after Wifey got her Z3, has there been any inclination towards buying something for how it looked (hey, and that's wifeys car anyway). Heck, I don't know if you all remember, after I got my 535 I thought there was something wrong with it because of that big gap above the kidneys (between the kidney and the hood)! I really didn't like it's looks. They were OK, and have certainly grown on me. But if you have driven 240 Volvos for 20 years, you know looks don't matter much.

But yes, all said and done, I am enamoured by BMW and how "cool" they might be new, but I probably will never buy a new one. I'll wait till they get old, and "age" certified, and affordable. You just pay too much money for new cars. I don't think they are worth that much! So if you're going to buy used, I find nothing at all wrong with buying quality, no matter what other's opinions are. Show me quality, affordable, safe, and easy to repair, and I'll buy it.

ttyl