Genuine BMW vs. OEM vs. Aftermarket

Genuine BMW vs. OEM vs. Aftermarket?

This is one of the most important question that a BMW Owner asks when buying a part to replace an existing part (or improve upon) on your BMW. So is there a difference? There sure is! we would like to explain to you what the differences are so that you can make the correct buying decision.

 

Genuine BMW

Genuine BMW are parts obtained directly from the BMW network. Therefore these are the parts that you would receive as though you are walking into a BMW dealership. The pros? you are guaranteed to receive a quality part that replaces the part that came originally on the car. The cons? its usually the most expensive way to get a part (but sometimes its the best way). A good example will be a hood emblem, while its the most expensive way to buy it, its the best as you probably don't want to trust a copied emblem that is available for 1/2 or 1/4 of the price.

 

OEM

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. This is the best bang for the buck option if the part is available on the market. In a nutshell OEM means that the part is made by a legitimate company that is contracted by BMW to make a certain part. The only difference is how the part is distributed and its through 3rd party suppliers and NOT through the BMW network. A good example on an OEM part will be the oil filter. Mann or Mahle are the 2 main companies that supplier oil filters for BMWs, but you can purchase it from Bimmerzone in the boxes of these brands for a fraction of the cost compared to a BMW box. So in this case, its definitely worth it getting the OEM brand as the only difference you are getting is the packaging.

 

Aftermarket

Generally, there are 2 kinds of Aftermarket. The first one (which Bimmerzone sells) is called Aftermarket Performance. Aftermarket performance parts are made by reputable companies that improve upon weaknesses that are identified in a certain part made by BMW. A good example would be and exhaust system made by RPi (Race Precision), these exhaust systems improve upon the existing BMW exhaust by improving the flow rate and thus some horsepower gains. Not to mention the smiles you get from a beautiful exotic exhaust note that is music to your ears. Now the second aftermarket parts (which Bimmerzone DOES NOT sell) are the ones that are made cheaply solely to replicate a certain BMW part in the name of profit. We definitely do not recommend the use of these aftermarket parts.