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.
This year’s Super Bowl has been replete with auto commercials, and that’s a good thing because we’re not running out of things to talk about.
One of the most underrated ads we saw comes from BMW. We say its underrated because it doesn’t get the hoopla of Chrysler or the comedic shots of Hyundai, but it does drive home a pretty funny point in the 30-seconds it aired.
Of all the features that come with the new BMW 3-Series, one thing that should be of great use to drivers is the ability of BMW’s Connected Drive to read emails. Whether it’s for work or as a way to get away from the house when your mother-in-law is dropping by, being able read emails on your car is a luxury everybody should have.
Yeah, even if it means getting an earful from your wife as you subtly drive away from your house.
It’s not very often that a smaller vehicle is a company’s flagship, but we don’t care what BMW might tell you about the 7-Series, the 3-Series is the automaker’s top dog. Its styling has always worked and never been vulgar like some other models in the BMW lineup and it’s won more awards from the automotive press than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Believe it or not, the 3-Series has been around since 1975, but it really came into its own in 1992, when it won the first of 19 straight Car and Driver 10 Best awards. In 2006, it won the World Car of the Year and also the What Car? Car of the Year. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six won the International Engine of the Year Awards for 2007.
To keep up with this impressive tradition, the sixth generation 3-Series unveiled at BMW’s plant in Munich has been built as a revolution and not as an evolution. The new model sets new benchmarks in terms of sporting prowess, elegance, and comfort, and has grown significantly in size compared to its predecessor: wide track - front + 37 mm; rear + 47 mm; length + 93 mm and wheelbase + 50 mm. And most importantly, next to the usual models, the new 3-Series will also be offered as a hybrid as of 2012.
UPDATE 10/17/2011: BMW has unveiled an online configurator for the new generation 3-Series. It will give you the possibility to play a bit with the exterior colors available and the wheels options, but you can also notice the differences between the three grades offered, plus the M-Sport Package. Enjoy!
UPDATE 02/03/12: BMW has just unveiled six very cool commercials for the new generation 3-Series. One of them - "The Big Grab" - will be shown during the Super Bowl. Enjoy!
BMW is playing around with its lineup these days, providing a couple of models with different names, depending on their body styles. The first to get that differentiation was the 3-Series, with the sedan and station wagon versions keeping the 3-Series name and the coupe and convertible getting tagged as 4-Series models. The BMW 3-Series sedan has already debuted, but the coupe and convertible models are still undergoing testing proven by the new series of spy shots for the upcoming 4-Series Coupe.
The future BMW 4-Series Coupe will be a smaller version of the current 6-Series with design elements borrowed from its 3-Series sedan brother. But the fact that it is a coupe model will make it sportier and more aggressive. The model will be immediately recognized as a BMW thanks to the usual design features: new-style exposed, three-dimensional BMW double kidney grille and a larger rear window.
Under the hood of the 4-Series, BMW will place the same engines as in the sedan version - including two petrol and two diesel - with output going up to 306 HP for the most powerful version - the 435i.
Right before Christmas, German magazine Autobild gave themselves a little present: they took all of the current BMW M models and tested them on the circuit to see which one was the fastest. All of the tests were done on the Sachsenring circuit in Germany and, surprising or not, the fastest model turned out to be the M3 CRT (E90). In fact, according to Autobild, not only was it the fastest from all the models tested, it was also the fastest M Car they have ever tested on the Sachsenring.
The M3 CRT lapped the circuit in 1:38.87 , closely followed by the M5 with a lap time of 1:38.90 and the 1-Series M Coupe with a time of 1:40.18. The list continues with the M3 in coupe, sedan, and convertible forms and ends with the X6M and X5M. Both SUVs were faster than the old E60 M5.
In the past few months, BMW has unveiled a number of "M3 Frozen" editions - the M3 Frozen Black Edition and the M3 "Frozen Silver" Competition Edition are the most recent - and now they’ve unveiled one more, this time for the German market. The BMW M3 Frozen Dark Blue will be priced at 95,555 euro, or about $125,000 at the current exchange rates. By comparison, the M3 "Frozen Silver" Competition Edition offered for the US market is priced at $81,060.
The M3 Frozen Dark Blue will be offered with a double-clutch transmission and Competition Package that adds a lowered suspension (ride height is reduced 10mm), light alloy wheels, a specially developed ’sport’ mode (part of the Electronic Damping Control), and a revised stability control program. The car has also received a new set of 19" wheels in styling 359M.
If anyone is interested in the cost of the Frozen Blue paint, that alone is priced at 3,050 euros ($3,984), while the other options add up to about 25,830 euro ($33,750).
