Please help me identify this BMW.

April 22, 2010 11:49 AM

Please help me identify the approx. year and model of this BMW (another angle). Thanks.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese to Grab Bag (5 answers total)

Best answer: Looks like E36, but can't pin it down much more than that
posted by jckll at 11:51 AM on April 22, 2010

Best answer: It's definitely an E36, and the cheesy wheels lead me to suspect that it was one of the lower-price models, maybe a 318 or 323.
posted by saladin at 11:57 AM on April 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It's definitely an E36, and the cheesy wheels lead me to suspect that it was one of the lower-price models, maybe a 318 or 323.

Correct. This is likely an early E36 (this body style was sold model year 92-99) 318i (tipoff is the wheels, BMW Style 6).

You can find out for sure by doing a RealOEM search by Vehicle Identification Number, which will tell you exactly what it is. You should be able to find the VIN on the driver's side dashboard near the windshield, on a little black plaque with white lettering, visible from the outside of the car. Putting the last 7 digits of that VIN into RealOEM will give you everything you need to know.
posted by weaponsgradecarp at 12:27 PM on April 22, 2010

Best answer: Since it has California plates, you can look up the smog check history if you have the license number. The history includes the model year.
posted by zombiedance at 2:44 PM on April 22, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks everyone.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 3:56 PM on April 22, 2010