BMW Marine GmbH was BMW's marine engine division. BMW's interest in marine engines dated back to 1913; they began making marine engines in 1919 after World War I.

In the early 1970s, marinized versions of BMW's 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder gasoline engine were marketed as the Model 410 and 411. In 1977, BMW AG established a separate marine division, incorporated as BMW Marine GmbH. BMW Marine's head office and assembly plant were located in Verviers, Belgium.

BMW Marine continued to marinize BMW's production automobile engines. BMW's 2.0-litre, four-cylinder M10 engine became the B 130, and the M30 six-cylinder engines in 2.8 and 3.3-litre variations became the B 190 and B 220 models. Later, the larger 3.5-litre M30 with electronic ignition became the B 635. Model numbers related to the engine's horsepower.

BMW Marine, in conjunction with ZF, designed and manufactured a new stern drive unit. These stern drives were marketed as the BMW Z-Drive. Uniquely, these stern drives utilized a multiple wet clutch system. These drives competed with Sweden's Volvo Penta and Mercury Marine's Mercruiser Division of Stillwater, Oklahoma.