Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Bavarian Motor Works

Saturday, 2nd July 2005 by James

The BMW world headquarters in Munich, Germany is the ‘four-cylinder’ building (which was built top-down), while the famous logo is atop the BMW museum.

Over in South Carolina is BMW’s North American home. The rather-cool crescent moon shaped building is the BMW Zentrum, the only BMW museum in North America, and sits next to the only BMW manufacturing facility in the United States.

The factory exclusively builds the Z4 roadsters and X5 sports activity vehicles which are then distibuted worldwide via the Port of Brunswick. You can clearly see the hundreds of Beemers waiting to be shipped out.

BMWs

Thanks: James, Jacob Tomaw, Carson Diltz, Paul, Jochen, Giampaolo Bellavite & Alex

20 Responses to 'Bavarian Motor Works'

  1. 1. Peter says:

    There’s a nice bridge shadow a short distance to the east of the Brunswick port:
    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
    It’s the Sidney Lanier bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that opened a couple of years ago. Just to its west you can see the remnants of the bridge it replaced, in the process of being removed.

  2. 2. Jeff says:

    Just a note that “Beemer” as you used it is meant to refer to a BMW motorcycle, while “Bimmer” refers to the cars….

  3. 3. TD says:

    They offer a performance driving course at the factory which you can take along with the tour. Might even be free if you are taking posession of your BMW from the plant directly. Track can be seen here
    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  4. 4. James says:

    Jeff,

    From Wikipedia…

    >In North America and some other regions, BMW cars may be referred to as “bimmers,” while BMW motorcycles are called “beemers,” although the terms are used interchangeably. Indeed, in the UK **all BMWs are ‘beemers’**.

    Zim zimmer!

  5. 5. Magnus says:

    Why are all the cars of white color ? I’ve seen this before at other locations, but never found an explanation.

  6. 6. espy says:

    Factory-new Cars are usually covered with big white plastic adhesive sheets to protect the paint during transport.

  7. 7. The Govinator says:

    The BMW Zentrum was a suggestion of mine… and here it is…. I’m so proud!

  8. 8. Michael says:

    I’ve lived in North America for 29 of my 32 years on this planet, and I’ve never heard the term Bimmers until today. BMW cars are Beemers to me.

  9. 9. Dave D says:

    Pan acroos the street to Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth for the 1972 Summer olympic housing complex. The apartment building in the center is where the Israli olympians were taken hostage.

  10. 10. gIMpSTa says:

    I agree with Michael 100%. All though I have lived here 22 out of 22 years, but still never heard of bimmer until this thread.

  11. 11. The Govinator says:

    For those of you who don’t know the plant in Greenville South Carolina is also home of the ZSCCA (Z Series Car Club of America) formally Z3CCA (Z3 Series Car Club of America) The plant gracility hosts a homecoming every year around labor day. The amount of cars accepted varies and registration is already open and fills up rather fast. Just a fun time for all Z3 and Z4 owners. All proceeds benefit the make a wish foundation I think.

    http://www.zscca.org/

  12. 12. Steve Zilko says:

    Hey Michael and Gimpster,

    In case you haven’t heard, there is an entire world of countries and peoples that live outside the borders of the US. Beleive it or not, many of these people use different words for things than we do here in America.

    Maybe you should look into this some time. :-)

    Beemers are Bimmers to most Europeans…

  13. 13. Chris G. says:

    That cable-stay bridge at the Port of Brunswick looks very nice; probably much better than what looked like an old iron girder bridge.

  14. 14. jedi55555 says:

    I have heard for a long while about the cars being beemers and the cycles being bimmers here in the US. And it is sad to say, I live in Greenville and have never been to the BMW Zentrum.

  15. 15. The Govinator says:

    Jedi, it is only worth it if you are in love with BMW’s

  16. 16. Jacob says:

    Steve Zilko,

    I don’t think Micheal or Gimpster were saying that people outside of the US might call things by different names. They were finding it odd that, as James pointed out, the Wikipedia says that North Americans call the cars bimmers. As a North American, I too find this odd because I thought they were all Beemers. Also, James is part of the “entire world of countries and peoples that live outside the borders of the US” and 3 Americans (Micheal, Gimpster, and I) are agreeing with him.

  17. 17. Matthew says:

    Whoo hoo! My submissions of the port of Brunswick and Sidney Lanier Bridge finally showed up! Thanks!

  18. 18. Will says:

    Hi from northern ireland. They are called beemers here as well.

  19. 19. Mike says:

    As the bumper sticker says; “I didn’t know that BMW made cars until I passed one.” Proud owner of a 2006 F650GS. If all goes according to plan, the wife will take it from me and I can get a 1200GS. Wish me luck.

  20. 20. Jeff D says:

    WOW!! I live in Brooklyn, NY and thought this was the only word I actually pronounced correctly. Reason, when I purchased my first 5 series, I distinctly remember the salesman calling it a beemer.

Leave a Reply

This form will auto-link URLs or you can use simple HTML, <a href="http://googlesightseeing.com">Like this</a>.

Link to specific places either as a Google Maps page or a decimal latitude and longitude written like this: lat/lng:55.949400,-3.200000.

If you've found an unrelated sight that you think should be posted in its own entry then use the suggestion form!