The BMW 3-Series began production back in 1975 and is one of the German automaker’s luxury sedans. The 2012 model year will mark the 3-Series’ sixth generation since its birth and will incorporate all of the current versions for the luxury car: 2-door coupe and convertible, 4-door saloon, 5-door touring, and 5 door liftback. The new 3-series is expected to be powered with new aluminum four-cylinder gasoline engines ranging from 135 to 220 horsepower.
The current model is powered by a choice of four different engine. The 3.0L I-6 produces 230hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.0L twin turbo diesel gets 265hp and 425lb-ft of torque. Another option is the 3.0L twin turbo I-6 getting 300hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, and the final engine option is a 4.0L V8 producing 414hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Engines can be mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a six- or seven-speed automatic.
In its standard version, the BMW 335i develops a total of 306 HP. That should be enough for some, but for others - like a seasoned tuner - power can always be boosted to a higher number. MR Car Design, for example, has played with the output of the 3-Series so that it could compete against its own BMW M3!
Thanks to a new exhaust system (850 Euro), an XXL intercooler (899 Euro), and an optimized engine software (849 Euro), the engine will now deliver a total of 406 HP and 530 Nm of torque. Quite impressive for a 335i, and not far from the 420 HP of the M3. The package also includes a new KW coilover suspension that improves the handling.
The car sits on a new set 20 inch Breyton Spirit alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, 235/30-20 and 285/25-20.
Realistically, we don’t see anyone actually pinning these two together, but it’s nice to see that the souped up 3-Series could hold its own against its speedier brethren, the BMW M3. The increase in horsepower will obvious give the 3-Series improved performance numbers, but the tuner has failed to divulge what these new numbers are. That being said, we expect big things from this enhancement.
British tuner, Superchips, has decided that diesel engines can be just as much fun as their petrol counterparts, so they decided to do a little reconfiguring for BMW’s 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that powers models like the BMW 3-Series, 5-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6.
Superchips was able to increase the power of the diesel engine by 44hp at 4183 rpm and 90 Nm of torque at just 2222 rpm. This brings the total output to 313hp and 627Nm of torque. In order to accomplish this task, Superchips had to perform a remap of the engine while taking into consideration the "careful optimization of fueling and turbo boost settings". According to Superchips, this reconfiguration allows for a sharper throttle response, a keener, more urgent engine, a harder pull throughout the rev range.
The BMW 3.0 D ECU remap is priced at £445.00 and comes with a 12 month/30,000 mile supplementary vehicle warranty.
With the announcement of Infiniti’s new performance line and the debut of their 2 M-based models coming up at the Pebble Beach Concours, it probably wasn’t a bad idea for BMW to release a video about their Performance line. There’s always room for a little refresher when competition is brewing.
BMW’s Performance line is available for models like the 1-Series, the 3-Series, the X5, and the X6. It includes hand-crafted carbon components, a lightweight sports silencer, front bumper, side-sills, and an insert for the rear bumper; all in a special design and body color. The Performance line also includes a rear spoiler, rear fins in matte black, and a front grid finished in high-gloss black paint. Finishing off the line are a set of 21" light-alloy wheels.
For models like the BMW M3, the Performance Package includes a lowered suspension that brings the chassis 10 mm closer to the asphalt and stiffens things up with a newly developed set of electronically adjustable dampers as well as an all new set of lightweight mesh alloys measuring 19 inches in diameter. These alloys help dress up the new M3’s appearance along with the functional aero package.
Want to see more on BMW’s Performance line? Check out the video for yourself!
South Africa’s BMW Roslyn plant will officially launch a new, limited edition version of the much fabled BMW 3-Series sedan. This edition will be called the "Dynamic Edition’ and will be available only in the four-cylinder 320i petrol and 320d turbo diesel and the turbocharged straight-six 335i sedans. The ceiling for these models will be set at 300 vehicles.
The ‘Dynamic Edition’ models combine elements from the M-Sport package as well as some from the BMW Performance program such as a carbon fiber front air dam splitter, side mirror add-on’s, and a rear spoiler. It will come in Alpine White, Blue Water Metallic, and Space Grey Metallic exterior paint finishes with royal blue piping in the floor mats. The seats will come with Blue Shadow cloth and alcantara upholstery with royal blue stitching. The Dynamic package will also see engine software upgrades to improve performance for the limited edition sedan. The package is rounded off with dark chrome 18-inch alloy wheels and dark chrome tail pipes.
Today BMW delivered a completely restored 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi to its owner. This occasion marked the very first full restoration completed by the BMW Classic Customer Workshop and the first time BMW Welt has delivered a classic vehicle, as opposed to a brand new one, to a customer.
The owner had a specific request for his CSi. He wanted BMW to convert the four-speed manual gearbox to an automatic, something that had previously been done only with two prototypes of the BMW 3.0 CSi. It was fitted with an automatic transmission from a BMW 2.8 CS. Other than the gearbox conversion, the experts at the BMW Classic Center had to repair a lot of body damage done to the vehicle as well as iron out technical and electronic defects. The process for this vehicle restoration took months of research and hard work, but it all paid off once the car was delivered to its owner in perfect condition. Perfect condition being the only one acceptable by the customer.
