Just to nitpick...a Beemer is a BMW motorcycle and a Bimmer is a BMW car. Of course even GM's ads got that screwed up just like they called a Porsche a Porsch.

First time I'd ever heard that. What about everyone else? Or am I that much in the dark? :p

Bud, do you have anything to back this up or is this just something you've "heard" over the years? I'm not trying to be condescending, I'm just really curious.

The lights are out there...:D

That is convention. I've owned two BMW cars, but no bikes. However, as a biker, I've run into literally thousands of BMW riders. Both have highly active clubs.

Beemer is a bike. Bimmer is a car.

It used to be kind of an insider code that BMW nuts knew, but has gone well beyond that now. However, among BMW nuts, refering to your car as a Beemer paints you as non-enthusiast Yuppie scumbag that bought the flying propeller (you did know the Roundel was a flying propeller, right?) for it's cache and not it's driving experience and superb engineering.

I have met a few older MB enthusiasts of late that thinkt he same thing of the term "Benzo." It shows someone that likes the Star for it's "Star" quality and knows little about the car. My jury is still out.

And yes, there is a difference in Ferry and Butzi's last name and the thing that hangs around the door to your house.

The difference between Beemer and Bimmer is well known among long time BMW owner's. The BMW Club magazine (Roundel) always calls the cars Bimmers.

I've never owned a BMW motorcycle but I suspect that it's well known among long time BMW motocycle owners that Beemer is a motorcycle.

I lived in Germany for a year and had a 316I. Everyone called it a Bimmer.

Actually, I never heard cars called Beemers in the U.S. until professional people and other non-enthusiests starting buying BMWs.

It also drives me crazy when someone calls a Porsche a Porsh (even Jay Leno who should know better).

I considered buying an E36 3-series coupe instead of the E420 W124. However, I did not quite find a nice one.

To add to that, I didn't like the interior of the E36 that much.

However, now I'd still like to have an E34 / E39 5- series. Especially with an 8 ;) or that lovely BMW Inline6 would do just fine!

I had forgotten about the motorcycle
 

I owned a 1988 BMW R100RT touring motorcycle in the late 80's/early 90's. The wife and I rode it to Washington, DC one summer:).

How do people tell the difference between the two words in conversation? It looks to me like they would be pronounced the same.

Unless, that is, if Bimmer is pronounced like "dinner".

Well I don't know much about "Beemer" or "Bimmer" but I do know about E39 M62.

In the archives one can find a similar pict of that guy. I sold him recently and even though she is just as fast in a straight line and has better AC; the E430 just isn't the driving car that E39 M62 was.

The cars are called Beemers in the UK!

And Brits mis-pronounce Porsche too. I think they do it on purpose:D

Strange things happen when you mispronounce words as shown by this joke:
An elderly lady was sitting on the front porch of her mansion with a sign on the lawn "Painter Wanted". A down and out poorly educated man comes along and asks her "what do you want painted?" She replys "My porch in the back". He asks "What does the job pay?" She replys "$100 and you will find all the paint and equipment in the back by the porch". He says "I'll take the job" and goes to the back of the house. Five hours later he comes back up front covered in green paint. "All finished" he says. She asks " Well, how does it look???" He says "It looks great - but if it was MY CAR I'd have chosen a different color!!!!"

I just bought a "Bimmer"

it's a 1974 2002tii, rust free AZ car, being delivered on Monday. I CAN"T WAIT!

Not sure if it's a complete restoration project or a nice daily driver.

Craig

Sorry to go off topic, but...
Which pronunciation is correct? "Porsch" or "Porsch-uh"? I've heard both from owners and enthusiasts alike.

I'd think it's more por'sheh, like Goethe is geh'teh. Kinda like how Americans say mur say'dees and continental Europeans say mer seh'des. I was talking to someone in France (yes, we still talk) and they say a'di das where I hear is as a dee'das over here.

I won't bring Gray v Arnold into it :)

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD

You should here the Cambodian (Khmer) pronunciation of Mercedes. Muhcedeees, or something like that. :) The "Muhced" part is really clipped, so it's difficult to type out phonetically.