n00b bmw name question :(

[Cherokee244]

Wow I feel like an idiot doing this....
I am in the market for a BMW, and no one around me knows anything about them. I have looked on the internet, and cannot find an answer to this question: what the hell do all the abbreviations after the engine code in the car names (the "is" in 325is, for example) mean? I assumed "is" must be some sort of package. I am trying to get the best performance for my limited budget, and I really want to do this right. Thanks.

[BMWL2]

i = 4door
is =2door

[KenCopperwheat]

They made a 2-door 325i in the e30. Also in 1991, they discontinued the 325is, however, the 325i was available with a sport package which essentiall made it a "325is"

[pogiboy9]

E=Eta
I=Injection
IS=Injection sport
ES=ETA sport i think

[laszloknight]

For example the old 325E was the ETA model, which also means economical. They had longer stroke (2.7L) motors with more torque and less horsepower for the economical families in germany. If you ever drive one, you'll notice it has better takeoff off the line, but less power in the higher rpm's. They are pretty fun cars.

[alanh]

i beilive for the e36 there was an is that was actually more sport like it came with limited slip diff and what not

[sonyprick]

http://208.234.12.209/codes.html

its got a pretty complete list of codes and model / year listing

have fun

[MrM3]

Originally posted by alanh@Jan 22 2004, 11:12 PM
i beilive for the e36 there was an is that was actually more sport like it came with limited slip diff and what not

same with the e30's. in 87 and 88 the 325is' were the only 2door (except for the cabrio) 2.5i e30's and had LSD, sports seats, Mtech1 steering wheel, basketweave wheels, deck spoiler, and the iS aridam(for 87's). in 1990 there was a 2door 325i and a 2door 325is, in 91 there was no 325is but there was a 325i sport which was essentially the same thing as a 325is. i'm very unsure about the way they were in 1989, but i think there were two variants of the 325is both a sport and non sport version since there was no 2door 325i that year.

[TECH]

The first number is the series, or style of the car. 3, 5, 6, 7. 8....etc
The next 2 indicate the engine displacement in liters, such as 30= 3.0 liter.
A 330i would be a 3 series with a 3.0 liter engine.
I= injection
S=Sport
L= Long wheelbase
C= covertible, or Coupe, depending on the application, IC or CI
M= Motorsport

.....that's the main gist of it.

[tri2fiveis]

i = sport there are i sedens
is= i w/ gas shocks and limited slip
e = economy
es = e w/ is trim eccept oil cooler
no letter is an e
L = long wheel base
ix or xi (in new models) = all wheel drive
ic = convertable(older model
cic or ci = new convertable or coupe

[MrM3]

Originally posted by tri2fiveis@Jan 30 2004, 01:10 PM
i = sport there are i sedens
is= i w/ gas shocks and limited slip
e = economy
es = e w/ is trim eccept oil cooler
no letter is an e
L = long wheel base
ix or xi (in new models) = all wheel drive
ic = convertable(older model
cic or ci = new convertable or coupe

both 'i' and 'is' had gas shocks, LSD was standard on the 'is' and optional on the 'i', and 325 or 325e/es are ETA's which is the greek letter for "efficiency".

[TECH]

i is NOT sport. It's INJECTION. Trust me.

[MrM3]

Originally posted by TECH@Jan 30 2004, 10:49 PM
i is NOT sport. It's INJECTION. Trust me.

i agree that it doesnt stand for sport, but do you know of any sources that say it means injection? the 'i' first started appearing with models like the 2002tii which is part of the same generation that was in production when BMW NA first started, so maybe it could stand for international. i honestly have no clue, but i'll take your word for it sense that seems to be the general consensus

[bry08]

Yea i'm kinda lost too...out of all of the e30 models...which one offers the most performance?...(besides m3)

[spiff325is]

Okay, lets break down the basics(for all those non-bmw-tech guys):

i=better then E
is=better then i

325 = 2.5 liter
318= 1.8 liter

a 325iS is nice, with some decent tires, some new shock mounts and maybe a short shifter, you have yourself a good lookin and runnin car.