BMW is expanding its brand portfolio through a flurry of trademark filings, recently registering dozens of new marks for almost 48 different car models. The filings were submitted to the German Patent and Trade Mark Office as part of a broader strategy to cover all current and future variants the company plans to offer over the coming years.
This wave of filings helps explain why the automaker is moving ahead with so many potential names. It reflects an intent to lock in identifiers for every version of a model, including future trims and powertrain configurations, so the company can roll them out with clear, distinct branding when the time comes.
The familiar BMW naming scheme, which uses a sequence of digits to signal model lines and engine displacement or trim, will likely continue to evolve with these registrations. Common practice assigns digits to denote the base model and engine size or level, sometimes prefaced by the letter M to signal performance and sometimes followed by letters such as i or e to indicate the powertrain type. For example, within the 3 Series lineup, suffixes ranging from 318i to M340i illustrate this structure and its breadth of options.
Names in BMW marketing materials generally function as indexing cues rather than human names. The company often introduces prefixes like i and X to denote electric models and crossovers, respectively. Instances such as i120, iX130, and X750 illustrate this approach, where the i prefix typically signals an electric variant and the X prefix indicates an SUV or crossover model line. The plain numeral following the prefix points to the specific variant or series within that lineup.
Looking at the broader system, the X family matches SUV and crossover offerings, while the i family highlights electrified versions. For instance, the i4 represents an electric sedan, whereas the X models point to the larger, roomier utility vehicles. The implication is that future iterations will retain this convention, even as powertrain technology shifts toward electrification and hybrid configurations.
With a continued emphasis on internal combustion engines alongside electric options, the existing naming framework appears likely to stay in place for petrol and diesel variants. This means familiar designations such as 530i or 530d could carry forward into new generations. Hybrid variants may appear as 530e, while fully electric options could adopt an i530 designation when appropriate. Such continuity provides a sense of lineage for longtime customers while still allowing room for modernization as the product family expands.
The filings reveal a solitary registration within the M series, namely M350, which could denote a model positioned above or alongside the M340i. The lack of clarity around this mark leaves open several possibilities about its ultimate powertrain and performance configuration, whether it will be petrol, electric, or a hybrid solution. This ambiguity is a natural byproduct of a proactive brand strategy that aims to preserve flexibility for future engineering decisions.
In summary, BMW’s patent and trademark activity signals a deliberate push to secure a comprehensive suite of names across its growing lineup. The approach anticipates the evolution of the model range, aligns with the shift toward electrification, and preserves the ability to introduce new variants without confusion. For enthusiasts and market observers, the trend underscores BMW’s intent to maintain a structured, recognizable brand language while expanding into new technologies and vehicle formats as the roadmap unfolds. The result is a catalog of identifiers designed to map onto a diverse array of vehicles, engines, and configurations as the company continues to innovate on its storied heritage.