Development Codes (Entwicklungscodes)
During vehicle development, BMW models and chassis are designated with an internal code to tell them apart. Every BMW production model, and even some prototypes and concept cars, are given designation following this development code format.
People refer to this using different terms:
- Development codes
- Entwicklungscodes
- Model codes
- BMW E-codes, F-codes, and G-codes…
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:BMW_model_codes for a list of known codes.
Nomenclature format
A development code is usually composed of a letter followed by two digits. The leter is referred to as the chassis code and is correlated to the product years of that chassis. The two digits are the body style of the car and are assigned during engineering, not keeping a strict rule of their meaning.
For example, the F01 development code corresponds to an F chassis produced between 2008 and 2015. The 01 body style corresponds to a 7 series sedan version.
Sometimes, the development code is followed by the LCI acronym. LCI refers to Life Cycle Impulse, also known as a facelift. This is used to mark a significant revision to either the body or drivetrain of a model from the earlier release.
Main Series
Sometimes, development codes are grouped into the main series. The following table illustrates some of the groups:
| Main series | Development codes |
|---|---|
| F001 | F001, F002, F003, F004, F007, RR04, RR05, RR06 |
| F010 | F005, F006, F010, F011, F012, F013, F018 |
| F020 | F020, F021, F022, F023, F030, F031, F032, F033, F034, F035, F035, F080, F082, F083, F087, F088 |
| F025 | F015, F016, F025, F026, F085, F086 |