Instruct: Given a question, retrieve documents that can help answer the question.
Query: What was the first BMW?
BMW's origins can be traced back to three separate German companies: Rapp Motorenwerke, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, and Automobilwerk Eisenach. The history of the name itself begins with Rapp Motorenwerke, an aircraft engine manufacturer. In April 1917, following the departure of the founder Karl Friedrich Rapp, the company was renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW).[3](p11) BMW's first product was the BMW IIIa aircraft engine. The IIIa engine was known for good fuel economy and high-altitude performance.[4] The resulting orders for IIIa engines from the German military caused rapid expansion for BMW.
In February 2016, BMW announced the introduction of the "iPerformance" model designation, which was to be given to all BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles from July 2016. The aim is to provide a visible indicator of the transfer of technology from BMW i to the BMW core brand. The new designation will be used first on the plug-in hybrid variants of the latest BMW 7 Series, the BMW 740e iPerformance being the first of such plug-in hybrids.
BMW released their first electric car, the BMW i3 city car, in 2013. The i3 is also the first mass-production car to have a structure mostly made from carbon-fiber. BMW's first hybrid sportscar (and their first mid-engined car since the M1) is called the BMW i8 and was introduced in 2014. The i8 is also the first car to use BMW's first inline-three engine, the BMW B38.
The last BMW M car to roll off the assembly line at the main BMW Plant in Munich did so back in 1991. After that, production shifted to BMW Plant Regensburg. Almost 23 years later, the assembly process returned to the main factory – and just a few metres away BMW Motorsport engineers were hard at work tinkering with the racing version of the new car. However, the BMW Plants in Regensburg and Dingolfing were also involved in the development of the BMW M4 DTM. Among other things, the kilometre-long test tracks at the modern production facilities were used for aerodynamic tests. Throughout the development phase, the BMW M4 DTM car was to be seen at what is otherwise the venue for the exhaustive quality control checks performed on all BMW M cars.
The BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid is a concept vehicle developed by BMW and presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008. It is BMW's first mild hybrid and second hybrid concept vehicle after the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid, BMWs first full hybrid revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Both models will be ready for mass production at the end of 2009.
In 1983, BMW introduced its first diesel engine, the M21. The first all-wheel-drive BMW - the E30 325iX - began production in 1985, and in 1987 the E30 was BMW's first model produced in a wagon/estate body style.
Designed by Fritz Fiedler, the 326 featured a box-section frame that could readily be adapted for derivative models. Also innovative were the torsion bar rear suspension, inspired by the dead axle suspension of the Citroën Traction Avant, and the hydraulic braking system, the first to be used on a BMW car. Styled by Peter Schimanowski, the 326 was offered as a four-door sedan and as a two- or four-door cabriolet. The 326 sedan was the first BMW available with four doors. The BMW 320, BMW 321, BMW 327, and BMW 335 were based on the 326. The streamlined form of the body contrasted with previous relatively upright BMWs: drag was presumably reduced further by including a fixed cover over the spare wheel at the back.
Müller's 2015 season started shortly at the turn of the year, driving for the MPB Racing Team's BMW M235i Racing in the Dubai 24 Hour as a BMW works driver. However, a braking problem with the car resulting in a repair lasting at least two hours cost the team any chance of a class victory. Nevertheless, the MPB Racing Team's BMW still set the fastest lap in class. In addition to his outings with BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie, he joined BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS again for another running at the 24 Hours Nürburgring. However, a pit fire with his car cost the team 7 minutes, and by the end of the race Müller finished in an impressive 4th place (the sister car finished 2nd), with fellow works drivers Augusto Farfus, Nicky Catsburg, and Dirk Adorf.
On February 5, 2015, Müller was given the honour of driving the BMW M6 GT3 on first roll-out at the BMW factory in Dingolfing, in addition to providing crucial support in the development stage of the car. The BMW M6 GT3 being the successor to the Z4 GT3.
In 2016, Müller continued participating in what would be his third season in the Super GT Championship, alongside BMW Team Studie (renamed from BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie). As usual, he appeared at the 24 Hours Nürburgring; rejoining Schubert Motorsport in a BMW M6 GT3. On May 14, Müller, alongside DTM champion Marco Wittmann and BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn, recorded the BMW M6 GT3's first ever win, finishing first overall in a VLN 4-hour race. During the 24-hour race with Wittmann, Krohn, and Augusto Farfus, Müller was leading the field until his M6 GT3 suffered from a broken powertrain. The car was subsequently sent to the Schubert garage for extensive repairs lasting over twelve hours and by the end of the race finished 120th overall.
For the remainder of the 2016 season, in addition to Super GT, Müller continued to participate in the VLN. There, he - with Jesse Krohn and Victor Bouveng - recorded three podium finishes (two 3rd place finishes, one 2nd place) and a 5th place finish in a Walkenhorst Motorsport M6 GT3, and a 2nd place finish in a BMW Team RBM-operated M6 GT3 in the last race.
The BMW M102 is a turbocharged straight-6 SOHC petrol engine which was produced from 1980–1982. The four-cylinder BMW 2002 Turbo (introduced in 1972) was BMW's first turbocharged engine, however the M106 is BMW's first turbocharged six-cylinder engine.
Production of automobiles resumed in 1952, with the BMW 501 large sedan. Throughout the 1950s, BMW expanded their model range with sedans, coupes, convertibles and sports cars. In 1954, the BMW 502 was BMW's first to use a V8 engine. To provide an affordable model, BMW began production of the Isetta micro-car (under license from Iso) in 1955. Two years later, the four-seat BMW 600 was based on a lengthened version of the Isetta design. In 1959, the BMW 600 was replaced by the larger BMW 700 coupe/sedan.
The Chennai BMW Plant opened on March 29, 2007, and has since assembled over 57,000 vehicles. Among these include: the BMW 3 Series, the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, the BMW 5 Series, the BMW 7 Series, the BMW X1, the BMW X3 and the BMW X5. Assembly of the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, is expected to begin in 2018.
As of April 1, 2018 BMW has launched its first production line of the MINI Countryman model in India, the delivery of which will begin by June of the same year. MINI has established five exclusive dealerships in India.
With the BMW acquisition of the Glas business, the GT was refitted to accommodate the 1,573 cc BMW engine already fitted in the BMW 1600. The BMW “new class” models introduced in 1962 had attracted press comment concerning the fact that the engine was canted over at an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical plane, permitting a lower bonnet/hood line, and this feature was retained when the engine was fitted in the Glas GT body to create what was now branded as the BMW 1600GT. By using the BMW engine the car also acquired a further increase in power output, now up to 77 kW (105 PS). Handling was improved by applying the BMW's relatively sophisticated semi-trailing arm rear axle with coil springs in place of the more old fashioned rigid rear axle and leaf spring configuration previously employed by the Glas GT. BMW also took the opportunity to fit “new” round rear lights – being those that from 1966 also featured on the BMW 1602, and to reconfigure the front grill to incorporate the BMW “twin kidney” grill
The BMW 3/15 was BMW's first car, produced in its first version as a "Dixi" between 1927 and 1929 and then, following BMW's acquisition of the Dixi business in October 1928, in three subsequent versions as BMWs from July 1929 till March 1932, when BMW gave up the licence under which the Austin designed cars were produced.
9,307 Dixi 3/15s were manufactured between 1927 and 1929, which was almost as many cars as all the earlier Dixi models together.
18,976 BMW 3/15s were manufactured between 1929 and 1932.
Another legacy of the 600 was its independent semi-trailing arm rear suspension. This was BMW's first use of this suspension system and, with the exception of the BMW M1, it was used on every BMW production automobile until the 1990s. It was eventually supplanted by the "Z-axle" multi-link suspension introduced with the BMW Z1 in 1988. The last BMW cars with semi-trailing arm suspension were the BMW Compact and the BMW Z3.
Gregg retracted his retirement and won the 24 Hours of Daytona three more times, in 1975, 1976, and 1978. His 1976 Daytona victory in the #59 BMW E9 Coupe Sport Leicht (CSL) "Batmobile" (the first product of what would become the BMW M Motorsport subsidiary) with co-driver Brian Redman is cited as BMW's first major victory on American soil.
The 1978 BMW M1 was BMW's first mid-engined sports car and was developed in conjunction with Lamborghini. It was also the first road car produced by BMW's motorsport division, BMW M. In 1980, the M division produced its first model based on a regular production vehicle, the E12 M535i. The M535i is the predecessor to the BMW M5, which was introduced in 1985 based on the E28 platform.
In 1933 BMW started to develop bigger cars with 6-cylinder engines. The first car of which was the "BMW 303". Later successors were the "BMW 315", "BMW 319", "BMW 327" and the elegant sports coupe "BMW 328".
The BMW 802 was a large air-cooled radial aircraft engine, built using two rows of 9 cylinders to produce what was essentially an 18-cylinder version of the 14-cylinder BMW 801. Although promising at first, development dragged on and the project was eventually cancelled to concentrate on jet engines instead.
The first model made its first appearance in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aero Lab on 22 April – 13 days before the opening race of the 2013 season in Hockenheim. In the summer of 2013, while continuing with aerodynamic testing, the experts in Munich turned their attention to designing new suspension parts. The new components made their first on-track outing in December 2013 – but still within the BMW M3 DTM at that point. The final parts for the chassis of the BMW M4 DTM were in production by the turn of the year, allowing the BMW teams to assemble the first models of the new car in January and February. Three hundred days after the first test in the wind tunnel, the BMW M4 DTM took to the track for its track debut in Monteblanco on 11 February 2014. 
The production version of the BMW M4 Coupé provided BMW Motorsport with a perfect basis for developing the DTM racing car. Hardly surprising, given the fact that the primary goal of the BMW M GmbH engineers working on the BMW M4 Coupé was to create a robust car suitable for use on the racetrack. Among those to make valuable contributions towards achieving this goal were DTM drivers Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock, who took part in tuning tests at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. "I am proud to have played my part in the fine-tuning,” said Spengler. “The chassis of the BMW M4 Coupé is very sporty. The feedback from the front axle is extremely direct, and the grip on the rear axle is phenomenal. This car is the ideal basis for our car in the DTM."
The BMW X5 xDrive40e is the first plug-in hybrid released under the core BMW brand. The use of BMW's eDrive technology on the established X5 platform is a direct technology transfer from the BMW i cars, in particular, from the BMW i8 technology.
The BMW 501 was a luxury car manufactured by BMW from 1952 to 1958. Introduced at the first Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the 501 was the first BMW model to be manufactured and sold after the Second World War, and as the first BMW car built in Bavaria. The 501 and its derivatives, including the V8 powered BMW 502, were nicknamed “Baroque Angels” by the German public. The BMW 502 was the first postwar German car to be manufactured with a V8 engine.
The BMW CS Concept is a concept car was first displayed by the German car manufacturer BMW in 2007 at the Shanghai Auto Show. BMW claimed that CS Concept could be produced, following positive initial comments in 2007 by BMW dealers. This was followed up in 2008 by an announcement by BMW that the concept goes into production in the form of the BMW Gran Turismo. BMW later cancelled in November 2008 because of financial reasons.
Sales of BMW i and iPerformance designated plug-in hybrid drive models have grown strongly in Europe, accounting for 4% of all BMW vehicles sold in Western Europe in June 2016. The percentage is significantly higher in markets with strong incentives and infrastructural measures, such as Netherlands, with 14.9% of all BMW vehicles sold in June were BMW i or BMW iPerformance models, and Scandinavia with 13.2%. Combined global sales of BMW i or BMW iPerformance models totaled 23,675 units during the first half of 2016. This is the result of the expanded range of electrified models, which includes seven electrified models including plug-in hybrids. Sales of this type of vehicle during the first half of 2016 were just under 87% higher than the same period in 2015. Combined global sales of BMW i and iPerformance plug-in hybrid models achieved the 100,000 unit milestone in early November 2016, three years after the inception of the BMW i3.
Stylistically, however, the 3200 CS gave a view of what was to come. The low beltline, tall greenhouse and thin pillars of the 3200 CS became a template for BMW's later coupes, including the 2000 C and CS coupes based on the New Class sedans, and the E9 "New Six" coupes. Both BMW cars introduced at the 1961 Frankfurt show, the 3200 CS and the 1500, featured what became known as the Hofmeister kink, but sales started only in 1962 and it was the 3200 CS, sold from February 1962, which was the first BMW offered for sale incorporating this styling cue.
BMW's first SUV, the BMW X5 (E53), was introduced in 1999. The X5 was a large departure from BMW's image of sporting "driver’s cars", however, it was very successful and resulted in other BMW X Series being introduced. The smaller BMW X3 was released in 2003.