- BMW has updated its iconic logo and if you squint closely you might be able to spot the differences.
- The changes are subtle, but tThat’s a good thing as the company gets ready to roll out its Neue Klasse design language.
- The new logo first appeared on the 2027 BMW iX3 EV SUV and will also be spread to other Bimmers from February.
BMW’s simple blue and white logo will get a refresh for new models from February, starting with the new 2027 iX3, as shown first reported by BMW Blog. In fact, the change in the brand’s famous rondel has already happened; it was just so subtle that you probably didn’t notice it.
The basics are all still there: a black ring with the three initials of Bayerische Motoren Werke (translation: Bavarian Motor Factory), surrounding a circle divided into four quadrants, two blue, two white. The inner chrome ring is now gone and the black bezel finish is matte instead of glossy. It’s the kind of evolution that would probably give a graphic design team several sleepless nights, but even a BMW fan would shrug at it.
However, tampering with a brand’s badge is like juggling nitroglycerin, something that must be done quite gingerly. The BMW roundel has been around so long that it is the actual name of the BMW Car Club of America newsletter.
A free history lesson
The origins of the BMW roundel go back more than a century, to the merger of two aircraft companies in the early 1920s. Originally the logo was the name Rapp Motorenwerke around a horse’s head on a plinth, but was then given a light blue and white checkered design intended to represent the official Bavarian flag, itself developed from the coat of arms of the House of Wittelsbach. If you’re into royal ancestry, keep in mind that the Wittelsbach line goes all the way back from 10th century Bavaria to the current King Charles III.
Thanks to an early advertisement, there’s a tendency to think that the blue and white element on BMW’s badge has something to do with an airplane propeller. The company started out making inline sixes for aircraft, but the details are heraldic in origin and not related to aviation. It has changed a bit over the years, with the earliest badges having gold lettering, but since 1953 the same basic elements apply.
M Performance models got their own take on this badge from the 1970s onwards, and there is a planned update for that badge as well. However, judging by how iterative this new BMW badge is, you can expect it to be quite subtle as well. Compare that to how unsubtle BMW has been in the past, when it shot M badges everywhere on something like an X1.
Entering a new era
BMW’s design department has gone through a period of growth, with models like the current M3 receiving a lot of criticism – justified or unwarranted, depending on who you ask. The upcoming Neue Klasse design language appears to be a return to form for the brand, which arguably reached its style peak with the likes of the E39 M5, E46 M3 and E31 850. With this updated logo, BMW’s designers show that they understand that sometimes less is more. It’s a fairly discrete change, but it can also be a significant one.
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Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He grew up on British cars, came of age in the golden age of Japanese sports compact performance, and started writing about cars and people in 2008. His special interest is in the intersection between man and machine, whether it concerns the racing career of Walter Cronkite or the half-century-long obsession of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to constantly buy Hot Wheels.
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