[Chihuahua]

Beamer = motorcycle
Bimmer = car

Beemer = a made up word, so I guess whoever spoke it first gets to choose what it refers to.

[pootytang]

Originally Posted by intoflatlines

That's actually close to the German pronunciation of Porsche.

Similar problem to how you pronounce the University of Notre Dame. Do you go 'merican and call it Noter Dame or go No-tra Dawm (lol at my phonetic spelling) like the Frenchies and their cathedral. Pronouncing things in their native accident is IMO taking things too far, try saying the Dutch beer "Grolsch" in it's proper guttural glory.

[intoflatlines]

Originally Posted by F32

Correct. And it would be perfectly fine if you are speaking German and pronounce it as such. To spell it out as pheonetically as possible in English, it's pronounced POGH-sheh, with a throaty gutteral sound replacing the "r."

But when someone's speaking English, they sound retarded pronouncing Porsche as if they're speaking German, especially when they don't apply the same rule to other makes (not to mention reverting back to the English pronouciation of "Carrera", too). How many people do you encounter who pronounce Mazda as MAT-su-DA while speaking English?

This is true. But when speaking English, do you pronounce quesadilla as "kay-suh-DILL-uh"? Or does it sound retarded when someone says "keh-sah-DEE-ya"

What about when people pronounce Audi like "AH-dee"? Do they sound retarded when they say "OUW-dee"? etc.

But you're right. I don't call Honda "HOWN-da" when speaking English...

Originally Posted by 328pride

I say "I drive a BM"...as in Bee-Em. I guess, Americans don't really understand what 'BM' really is. When I tell my friends that, they say "what?". I know 'BM' is understood as BMW in many places outside of the US

BM is what I would leave in my diaper, according to my grandma.

[Carmen SanDiego]

Originally Posted by intoflatlines

BM is what I would leave in my diaper, according to my grandma.

This is exactly what I thought of when I read that post.