Not major news by any account but the name change of the X3 3.0si has been officially confirmed.As we mentioned here several months back BMW will be readjusting their naming schemes due upcoming regulations. So following the same rules as the X6 in naming the X3 will follow as is the X5 xDrive35.
This still leaves us wondering what the new name of the upcoming “Z ” will be if there is more than one engine version.Is it possible that if a 4 cylinder engine is an option it would be the Z4 and if it is a 6 it would be the Z6? We will let you know as soon as we hear!
Update
No sooner was this written it was brought to our attention that BMW has already given us a clue to the possible naming game of the next Z4, sDrive.
sDrive, as in SPORT drive could be utilized in much of the same way Xdrive is. Last year BMW filed for a trademark on ‘ “sDrive “. According to the trademark application it lists applications as: electronics, motors, transmissions, differentials, axles, brakes and coupling drive shafts, gear change and gear reduction mechanisms in the nature of gearboxes, gear shifts and gear wheels.
This could be what we were originally clued in on as “Agile Drive ” but details are still thin.
BMW has also registered trademarks on a possible vehicle names, such as: sDrive35, sDrive18, sDrive20, sDrive30.
So we could see: Z4sDrive35
Sources:United States Patent and Trademark Office
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