BMW from Japan
 

We recently bought our 1996 318ti from a dealer who imported it from Japan to New Zealand. This is common practice here. The car is immaculate and we are very pleased with it.
Does anyone know if the cars are totally made in Japan under license, or built up from German parts? I am also intrigued that all the labels and abbreviations on the dash and controls are in english. (But the transmission control options are S(port) E(conomy) M(anual) not OAM as described in this forum .

I was under the impression that all of the e36 ti's were made in Germany... I might be mistaken.

i agree with hellrot, bmw's being made anywhere else is just.. weird?

I remember a lot of Japan-bound E36s coming through Bremerhaven so I tend to think they were built in Germany. I will ask the guys who fixed them if they remember working on any Japanese E36 compacts.

If I remember correctly, the Japanese fuel consumption gauge is labelled in units like km/liter rather than liters/km. I believe the car also beeps when you put it in reverse. (I know a mechanic who finds that so cool we are adding it to his silent German coupe. :))

As of late, however, I believe they have started manufacturing BMWs in other places, like Mercedes with their South Africa production facilities.

EDIT: http://www.bmwusfactory.com/

Don't forget Greenville, SC... Z3's, X5's, and Z4's were/are made there.