[andyffer]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/03/w...-rear-drivers/


Remember the good old days when at least BMW nomenclature was straightforward? The first digit designated the series and the second and third the displacement of the engine. Maybe an extra letter would be tacked on, but that was it. Then they started with M this, Z that and X for the SUVs with xDrive all-wheel drive. So now we've got things like the X6 xDrive 35i. Now they're dropping another one on us: rear-wheel-drive models, which used to be the entire BMW line-up, will now bear the "sDrive" nameplate in addition to whatever else they stick on there.

We already knew this was coming for the upcoming X1, which will be offered in both xDrive (AWD) and sDrive (RWD) variants. (The current X3, X5 and X6 crossovers are all strictly all-wheel-drive models.) BMW has even reportedly registered the trademarks for sDrive18, sDrive20, sDrive30 and sDrive35, as if someone else would try and use the confusing nomenclature. Wait a second... sDrive35? As in the twin-turbo straight six in the 335i? That's bigger than the engine offered in the larger X3, so what is BMW up to?

Reports indicate that the sDrive nameplate could begin appearing on other BMW models driven through the rear axle, including the replacement for the Z4 roadster that was just caught nekkid today. If you look closely on the front fender, you can see a badge that looks an awful lot like "sDrive". We wouldn't expect to see the moniker on the standard series models (1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series), since those get the suffix "iX", but we're not sure we can even count on that anymore.

[Year's_End]

wowwwww are you serious?

[Mk23]

Glad I already got mine, I would hate that. It's making debadging look better and better...

[andyffer]

sounds kind of cool (not the idea of putting that badge on our cars)
S-Drive, nice.

It'll be just another thing to debadge...

[Rotary Rasp]

What year did the last two numbers on the name plate no longer refer to the engine displacement? 2005?

[VDPHB]

Originally Posted by Rotary Rasp

What year did the last two numbers on the name plate no longer refer to the engine displacement? 2005?

It's been like that for quite some time....for example, as far back as 1996, the 740i had a 4.4 liter V8 that was upped from the 1995 4.0L in the interest of increased torque. They didn't change it from 740i to 744 or 745i until 2001 with the new generation. In 1999, the 323i was actually a 2.5L to further differentiate it from the 328i, which was actually a 2.8L.

Fun huh?

On the Sdrive note, I'm wondering if the active rear differential with Torque Vectoring (a la X6) is coming to RWD BMWs?

[hanmaas]

as long as bmw offers a factory debadge option for that i dont care. i seriously wonder who would want all those badges on their car

[deletedelete]

sdrive, xdrive, m versions of the suvs. Its like mercedes all over again.

Soon a $599 factory debadge option will pop up.

[raceyBMW]

Uh, they have that debadge option in Europe from the factory, and its free I believe.

[Deda]

there will always be option without designation!

[deletedelete]

I know that have it in europe for free. I was just joking about BMW and how they charge for everything.

[GregL]

[Cloud9blue]

wtf??

[raceyBMW]

Originally Posted by Prowess Symphony

I know that have it in europe for free. I was just joking about BMW and how they charge for everything.

Sarcasm is hard to tell on the internets sometimes. I honestly was surprised they didn't charge for it since they don't even include floormats. And FWIW, the sDrive badge is just fugly and tacky.

[alex2112]

Ugh, why? I've always liked BMW's subtle way of badging the different models, i.e 'i' for rear wheel drive gas, 'xi' for all wheel drive, 'd' for diesel, even the older 328iS for sport and such was fine. Now we have 335i X-drive, and now what? 335i S-Drive for rear-wheel drive? It's become tacky. Thank god for debadging!

[shaddai]

Originally Posted by alex2112

Ugh, why? I've always liked BMW's subtle way of badging the different models, i.e 'i' for rear wheel drive gas, 'xi' for all wheel drive, 'd' for diesel, even the older 328iS for sport and such was fine. Now we have 335i X-drive, and now what? 335i S-Drive for rear-wheel drive? It's become tacky. Thank god for debadging!

+1

Bring back the easy and MEANINGFUL single letter additions. xDrive FTL. Almost makes me wish I got a 335xi instead.

[hanmaas]

Originally Posted by raceyBMW

Uh, they have that debadge option in Europe from the factory, and its free I believe.

so do i. all our european bmws have been ordered debadged.

[choopy]

Originally Posted by raceyBMW

Uh, they have that debadge option in Europe from the factory, and its free I believe.

My dealer refused to do it for me when I asked. My brother's mb dealership did debadge his tho no problem. Varies dealer to dealer i'm sure.

[hanmaas]

Originally Posted by choopy

My dealer refused to do it for me when I asked. My brother's mb dealership did debadge his tho no problem. Varies dealer to dealer i'm sure.

my US dealer refused to debadge as well, even though it was promised when the car was initially ordered. they "didn't know how to do that" . one out of many reasons i never went to that dealership again. my brother's US MB dealership refused to debadge as well. had to debadge both cars myself.

[deletedelete]

I wouldnt want to have the dealer do anything that I can do better and safer myself.

[hanmaas]

Originally Posted by Prowess Symphony

I wouldnt want to have the dealer do anything that I can do better and safer myself.

Well that's true, but in this case they weren't even able to do what was agreed upon beforehand.

[GregL]

Am I correct to assume that in Europe, when you select the debadge option while ordering the car, that the factory just won't put it on in the first place?