Why Did BMW Change Its Name to THE?
3 Answers
BMW THE refers to a series of BMW models, including THE3 and THE7. Below is an introduction to BMW: 1. BMW Overview: BMW, whose full Chinese name is Bavarian Motor Works, is a German luxury automobile brand. The company was founded on March 7, 1916. BMW originated as an aircraft manufacturer, initially renowned for producing streamlined biplane reconnaissance aircraft. Its predecessor was named BFW, and the company's founder was Gustan-Otto. 2. Meaning of the BMW Logo: B.M.W. stands for Bavarian Motor Works. The colors and design of the logo are derived from the coat of arms of Bavaria, the German state where BMW is headquartered. The blue and white pattern serves as a reminder of BMW's pure Bavarian heritage.
Recently, there have been many videos claiming that BMW has changed its name to THE, but this is actually a complete misunderstanding. BMW has not changed its name at all! The origin of this rumor was BMW's use of the emphasis word 'THE' when promoting its new electric models. For example, the new iX1 is called 'THE iX1' overseas, and the domestic official website also features model-specific prefixes like 'THE 8.' Some self-media outlets misunderstood the situation and mistakenly thought the entire brand had been renamed. Honestly, BMW's blue-and-white logo has been used for over 100 years, with a brand value in the hundreds of billions—how could it just casually change? The new naming approach is quite interesting, though—using 'THE' in the electric era to highlight flagship status, as if giving the car a prestigious title, while traditional fuel-powered cars retain pure numerical naming. If it really were renamed 'THE,' mechanics would be confused: should future parts orders say BMW or THE?
A couple of days ago, my son also asked me if BMW had changed its name to THE, which left me both amused and exasperated. This misunderstanding stems from BMW's new naming convention: starting this year, some key electric models have the English word 'THE' added before their model names, such as the new electric 7 Series being called 'THE i7'. However, the brand remains BMW, just as Mercedes is the brand name for what we commonly call Benz. This 'THE' is more like a qualifier, similar to 'Pro' in 'iPhone 15 Pro'. I checked the Munich headquarters' announcement, and they specifically explained that it's to distinguish flagship electric models. In fact, such minor tweaks are quite common among traditional automakers; last year, Audi even replaced the 'e-tron' badge with 'EV', but the brand name remained unchanged.
