BMW Q1 profit boosted by Chinese, American demand

* BMW Q1 EBIT 1.90 bln euros vs poll avg 1.51 bln euros

* BMW benefits from China car sales growth

* Still aims to sell more than 1.5 million cars this year

* Shares indicated 0.6 percent higher

FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - BMW (BMWG.DE) beat expectations in the first quarter on the back of continued strong demand for luxury cars in China and growth in the United States.

The company said it still aims to sell more than 1.5 million cars this year and post higher earnings than in 2010.

BMW, which also owns the Rolls-Royce and Mini brands, said on Wednesday its operating profit rose more than fourfold to 1.90 billion euros ($2.81 billion), exceeding the average analyst estimate of 1.51 billion euros in a Reuters poll.

The strong results echo rivals Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and Daimler (DAIGn.DE) whose sales growth was fuelled by demand for cars in emerging markets such as China. (Reporting by Maria Sheahan)