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.
When asking a BMW enthusiast which is their favorite model, they will almost undoubtedly tell you that the mighty M3 shines above the rest, especially when you let it loose on a race track. That is fine and good, however the reality of the fact is that a very small percentage of sports car owners will be wringing their heigh revving V8s out on the track or hanging the tail out with their M mode dynamic control enabled; instead most owners will spend hours on end in traffic waiting for the rare opportunity to crack open the throttle and do a little stop light drag racing. That is where the low end torque of a turbocharged engine comes into play, and there is no better example on the market today than the one found under the hood of a BMW 335i.
The only problem is that after a while you can become accustomed to the rush of the turbo and and the standard car’s 300 HP 3.0 Liter twin turbocharged straight six. However when that happens, instead of trading in your drop top Bimmer for an M3, you can look towards the after market where companies like the German tuner ATT is offering a multi stage power package that will raise your 3 Series output up to 345 HP and 355 lb-ft of torque, or if you are brave enough Power Level II boost the BMW to 362 HP and 388 lb-ft of thrust. Aside from the computer tuning, ATT is also offering a stainless steel exhaust, multi spoke 20 inch aluminum wheels and even a pair of M3 look alike fender vents complete with LED blinkers and all. So now there is absolutely no excuse to pay more for an M3.
BMW’s next generation 3-Series has already taken to the road for some testing, as evidenced by a recent video shot of the car galloping around the streets of Germany in the traditional black and white camouflage. While details of the car are still sketchy, there have been reports that BMW is set to introduce a new line of inline six-cylinder engines for the brand’s new 3-Series.
The video of the 3-Series’ outdoor test run has raised some questions as to when the car will be launched. Knowing that BMW has a standard seven-year cycle with their models, 2012 should be the year when the new 3-Series is officially launched, although we wouldn’t be surprised if we see the car come out sooner than expected.
The BMW tuners better known for stealing enginesout of M5s, G-Power are offering a much simpler way to get a bit more of a kick in the pants from your 3.0 Liter straight six cylinder BMW Z4 and E46 330i at a special price. Instead of swapping out the motor the German hot rod shop is selling the next generation SK Plus NG supercharger. With a modified blower drive gear that is both more efficient and good looking will produce 306 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque from your 3.0 Liter Bimmer of choice for under $5000, that’s not a bad price to pay to put a fresh breath of life back into your BMW whether it be a four door sedan or a drop top roadster.
Check out the press release after the jump for more details.
The English automotive journal, AutoCar has gotten their hands on a few more details about the future BMW 3-Series. The 2012 model is expected to be unveiled at the 2011 Paris Motor Show, and according to a source at BMW, the German automaker will offer class-leading aerodynamics, as well as pioneering the use of three-cylinder engines in the company’s full size premium vehicles.
The engine lineup will include a choice of turbocharged three-cylinder gas and diesel engines. Starting off with a 1.5 Liter diesel engine that will deliver around 150 HP, while the gas burning version will deliver 150 HP and 170 lb-ft of torque. One thing that is for certain is that all of the engines will be offered with BMW’s Efficient Dynamics fuel-saving technology. The car will remain a front-engined, rear-drive model, but will use some sort of hybrid electric assist coupled to the rear axle, meaning it will be able to operate in both hybrid and fully electric vehicle modes.
The engines will be mated to a standard 8-speed automatic gearbox first seen in the 7 Series, while the performance models will be offered with 7-speed DCT. BMW has also announced that the 2012 BMW 3-Series will move through the air with exceptional aerodynamics, the car’s coefficient of drag will measure only 0.24 thanks in part to something called an Air Curtain.
The German automaker BMW is planning to bring a slightly restyled 3-Series to the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but we can give you an idea of what it looks like today. The new BMW 3-Series was spotted parked on the side of the side of the road before its official debut with no camouflage, aside from the piece of tape covering the blue and white propeller on the hood, but that’s not fooling anyone. Apparently both the coupe and convertible version will come with subtle restyling as well as a few engine improvements.
From the photo we can see that the new 3-Series will come with a new headlight design with a few LEDs inside, a modified front bumper with a more aggressive lower lip and reportedly a new rear bumper. On the inside the BMW design team will offer revised iDrive controller, which will feature accessory buttons placed around the rotary knob to facilitate use.
The lineup of piston pumping straight six cylinder engines remains the same. BMW will continue to offer four different gas burning units and four diesels around the world, however they will all get a few more miles to the gallon.
