Today, I've got something a bit different for those intrepid souls brave or foolish enough to continue to visit this page.  You might even call it downright useful, depending upon your point of view.

Have you ever found yourself wading through the BMW classifieds at www.mobile.de, or (somewhat more likely) searching for parts and accessories on the German eBay site -- only to realize that you have no idea what half of the words or abbreviations are referring to?  If so, you're certainly not the first, as many of the words used in automotive contexts in German defy easy machine translation. 

Now, I make no claims to any special proficency in the German language; that said, I've lived and worked in Germany for a number of years, and I have managed to pick up a semi-respectable vocabulary pertaining to automotive matters.  Just in case you haven't had the pleasure, you may consider this your own private Berlitz lesson of terms which are most likely to be of interest to M3 owners, or BMW enthusiasts in general.

What follows is a list of English terms which do not necessarily have intuitive German counterparts.  Many words do, of course (i.e. coupe, motor or navigation), so I've made no effort to include those in this compilation.  With that, I present you with the following list:

6-speed = 6-gang

Accessories = Zubehör

Accident-free = Unfallfrei

Air Conditioning = Klimaanlage, Klima

Air pressure = Luftdruck

Alarm system = Alarmanlage

Armrest = Armauflage

Automobile = PKW

Bumper = Stossfänger

Bumper apron//cover (front) = Stoßstange, Frontschürze

Brakes = Bremsen

Brake disks = Bremsscheiben

Brake pads = Bremsbelägen

CD Changer = CD Wechsler

Convertible (Vert) = Cabriolet, Cabrio

Corporation (Corp.) = Aktiengesellschaft (AG)

Cruise control = Tempomat

CSL diffuser = Heckdiffuser, Heckschürze

CSL trunk = Kofferraumdecke (mit integral Heckspoiler)

CSL roof = Carbondach

DOT = TÜV (same function, different national standards)

DSC = Stabilitätskontrolle

Door = Tür

Engine air intake = Motoransaugluftöffnung

Exhaust = Auspuff, Abgasanlage

Fog lights = Nebelscheinwerfer

Front (as in wheels) = Vorne

Gasoline = Benzin

Headlight = Scheinwerfer

Headlight washers = Scheinwerferwaschanlage

Hood (Bonnet) = Motorhaube

HP = PS (Note: HP is SAE, PS is DIN)

Key = Schlüssel

Leather = Leder

Left = Links

Lightweight construction = Leichtbau

LLC = GmbH

Mirror, inside = Innenspiegel

Mirrors, outside = Außenspiegel

Nappa leather = Nappaleder

Oil = Öl

Paint = Lack

Park Assist = Einparkhilfe

Photos = Bilder or Fotos

Racecar = Rennwagen

Rain sensor = Regensensor

Rear (as in wheels) = Hinten

Right = Rechte

Seats = Sitze

Seat-back width adjustment = Lehnenbreitenverstellung

Seat heater = Sitzheizung

Sedan (Saloon) = Limousine

Service book = Scheckheft

Sequential Manual Gearbox = Sequentzielles ///M-Getriebe

Spare parts = Ersatzteile

Speed limiter removed/open = V/Max offen

Spoiler (wing) = Heckspoiler, Heckklappe

Steering wheel = Lenkrad

Sunroof = Schiebedach

Suspension = Fahrwerk

Switch = Schalter

Tax (VAT) = MwSt. (nearly 20%!!)

Tires = Reifen

Transmission = Getriebe

Truck = LKW

Trunk (Boot) lid = Kofferraumdecke

Wheel size (inches) - Zoll (as in, 19 Zoll Felgen)

Wheels = Felgen

Windshield = Frontscheibe

Xenon headlights = Xenonscheinwerfer

 

Note: in German, "ss" may be substituted for the etset (ß) character.  Also, any vowel with an umlaut (ä, ö, ü), may be properly spelled by omitting the dots and adding an "e" behind the previously-accented letter (ä = ae).

As time goes by, I'll try to make further improvements, additions and/or corrections to ths list, so you may refer to it ad infinitum, should that be your desire.  In the meantime, if you are looking for terms that were not included, or know of some which should have been, just post them to me via e-mail -- or using the comments link (below).  Until then, I hope you find this useful on some level, and I wish each of you great driving weather for the weekend.  Looks like rain and snow for me.