--- title: "BMW Just Launched a Huge Online Encyclopedia, So There Goes Your Friday Afternoon" date: "2025-02-28" modified: "2025-02-28" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bmw-just-launched-a-huge-online-encyclopedia-so-there-goes-your-friday-afternoon" categories: - "BMW News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "BMW" --- # BMW Just Launched a Huge Online Encyclopedia, So There Goes Your Friday Afternoon ![BMW Z4 3.0i roadster front three-quarter view.]() *\BMW\* One of the things I've always appreciated about [BMW]() is how much it respects its rich history. I'd place the Munich-based manufacturer alongside Porsche as car companies that take the utmost care in honoring and preserving their legacies. The BMW Group Classic YouTube series showing off various [previously unseen prototypes]() and design studies, for example, was incredibly rewarding for me and I'm willing to bet many other enthusiasts, too. Now BMW's keeping up the trend with a new online [Historic Models Product Catalog]() that includes vehicles spanning eight decades, from 1928 until 2008. Yes, 2008 is considered "classic" in BMW parlance now, which is today's reminder that we're old. At any rate, the catalog is very conveniently laid out with many filters—you can refine searches by decade, body type, or model line—or just type what you're looking for into the text field. It's remarkably granular, too. For example, I've been obsessed with early BMW Z4s since [*Gran Turismo 7* added a launch 3.0i to the game's roster]() this past week, and the catalog allows you to see production dates, specs, and other information for that trim alone. A handy blurb also offers useful context; in the case of the Z4 3.0i, I didn't know that it was offered concurrently with the 3.0si in North America, while it was completely replaced by the 3.0si in Europe. Not everything is here, though; some vehicles from the tail end of that 80-year span, like the E65 7 Series and first-generation X3 (almost all the Bangle-era cars, weirdly), are strangely absent. Nevertheless, the catalog is naturally full of pedantic details that only the most passionate BMW fan is likely to recall from memory, and the wealth of knowledge here could make for either the most captivating or insufferable and cursed trivia night of your life. For example, raise your hand if you knew about the E36 "Baur Topcabriolet." These were four-door convertibles crafted by Stuttgart coachbuilder Baur starting in 1993, and they resembled what it would look like if you took a can opener to the top of a 3 Series sedan, as the pillars and door surrounds remained in place. ![]() *BMW 325i Baur Topcabriolet. *nakhon100 via Wikipedia, CC-by-2.0 license** That's just one of many curiosities concealed in this vast tome of BMW wisdom. So, settle into your office chair on this Friday afternoon, go grab yourself a cup of a warm beverage of your choosing, and click away your billable hours. And when you're done with that, you can do the same for [Mini]() and [BMW Motorrad](), whose catalogs have been online since 2021. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()