~BMW~

Regarded as one of the most successful auto manufacturers in the world, if not the best, BMW
was founded on the 7th of March 1916 as Bayerische Motorenwerken. It was actually born as an
aircraft engine manufacturer, and their first product was an aircraft with a straight-six engine,
named the BMW IIIA. BMW actually became an automobile manufacturer in 1928, and in the
present they now produce renowned luxury sedans, SUVs and electric/hybrid cars as well as
motorcycles and separate engines. Along with Mercedes-Benz, it is regarded as the best current
automobile manufacturer by the public.

~Heritage~

The origins of BMW can be tracked back to three different German companies: Rapp
Motorwerken, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and Automobilwerk Eisenach. In 1917 the company
was renamed Bayerische Motorenwerken. An interesting fact is that the current BMW
headquarters are designed to replicate the BMW engine. In 1929 BMW’s first car went on sale,
named the “Dixi”, and had three subsequent versions. Other notable cars include the BMW X5,
which was at one point the most popular and sought after SUV on the planet, BMW M models
which added extra performanc and speed to cars, the BMW i series: e.g i8 and i3, which are
electric vehicles, and lastly the 7 series, regarded as the last name in luxury.

~Racing~

BMW has been widely successful in a range of motorsport events, for cars as well as
motorcycles. In addition, BMW also provides engines for Formula One and Formula Two, as
well as BMW having their own team in the World Touring Car Championship, the Isle of
Man TT, the North West 200, and the Superbike World championship. Furthermore,
BMW motorcycles have also competed in the Dakar rally in which they have
won six times.

~In Popular Culture~

In modern times BMW has released a hybrid supercar called the i8, part of BMW’s electric fleet
called “Project i”. It has a total range of 330 miles, and global sales in mid 2014 totaled more than 10 000 units, making the i8 the world’s top selling plug-in electrified
sports car. Along with the i8, BMW have aksi rekeased a 5-door family hatchback called the BMW i3, also a hybrid car, with a range of 180 miles maximum per charge.