Could this be the next design for the best seller in the BMW family, the 3 series? The current E90 BMW 3-series has only been on the market since 2005 but details about the next-gen model are already circulating with most agreeing that the next model will feature styling lifted from the Concept CS.
Due in 2012, the next BMW 3-series will be the first of a family of BMW cars with a more recognizable face derived from the original styling of the Shanghai concept.

Read more »

Now, this could be due to the general perception that BMW drivers have little in the way of road manners. It certainly can’t be down to the cars themselves, because with the possible exception of the Z4, they are all good looking and perform well. This is particularly true of the new 3 Series Coupe.

Despite the generalisation of opinion, the 3 Series Coupe has remained at the top of its premium coupe tree for many years and the company expects this to continue with prospective sales of the latest, third generation car to reach 13,000 units per year in the UK. Mainly, these will be snapped up by male, golf-playing, senior business people, according to BMW’s research. This survey also revealed that the top five reasons for choosing the coupe are: style, performance, handling and roadholding, comfort and reliability.



Read more »

The 3 Series is immensely important to BMW. It is their best selling model range in the UK and the highest selling model range in the compact executive sector of the UK’s new car market. However it faces the strongest ever competition from the all-new Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Unlike the 3 Series which has received re-styling and equipment upgrades, the Audi and Mercedes-Benz models are all-new, better equipped and larger than the versions they replace. The 3 Series remains the same size.

Read more »

Read more »

Citing inside sources from BMW, British magazine Autocar is reporting that all of the Bavarian automaker's future four-cylinder engines will benefit from turbocharging technology. This includes all four-pots with outputs up to 245 horsepower, with the new straight-six engines taking over from there.

All of BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be built upon the same 2.0-liter aluminium block, with the difference in performance being made by using two different types of turbochargers and different engine mapping (apparently, BMW learned its lesson well from the VW Group...).

The aluminium block gets a new and very thin cylinder lining of only 0.3 millimeters thanks to the use of sprayed iron technology. That's a massive improvement over the classic 1.5 mm thick cast iron lining and it translates into less weight and more durability.

The most powerful engine, which will be soon available to order in the small X1 SUV under the xDrive28i badging, is a complex unit, having a double-sided twin-scroll turbocharger which works at pressures of up to 200 bar, double-VANOS variable valve timing and direct fuel injection.

Following lower-powered units are expected to get a single conventional turbo instead of the twin-scroll technology. The new turbocharged four-cylinder units will make their debut on the next generation of the 3-Series, expected in 2012.

By Dan Mihalascu

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Read more »

As well setting the stage for the world premiere of the Vision CD roadster concept and the production version of the pure-electric 1-Series ActiveE, the Geneva Motor Show will also see the launch of BMW's new Performance Power Kit for the firm's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine found on numerous models including the 1-,3- and 5-Series range in both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. The upgrade is available for both the previous 177HP as well as the newer 184HP 2.0L engine.

Thanks to an engine software optimization plus a larger intercooler and a more-efficient fan for the main radiator, output is lifted from 177HP and 350Nm to 197HP and 390Nm, and from 184Hp and 380Nm to 200HP and 420Nm, for each engine respectively. According to BMW, the acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in 5th gear is up to one second faster after the conversion.

Buyers can also add BMW's Performance Sports Silencer that comes with two round, chrome plated 74mm tail pipes, and which in addition to optimizing exhaust back pressure, also offers a sportier sound.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Read more »

If this ad is to be taken seriously, the only difference between a late 1980s E30 BMW 325i and a Hyundai Excel is price and the engine / transmission layout. After all both have, “[A] plush interior, European styling [and] room for five.”

After all, niggling little details like equipment levels, brand image and build quality have never bothered car buyers before, right? Apparently not, as the Excel went on to become one of U.S.’s best selling imports, with 168,000 of the little blighters sold in its first year stateside. That’s a lot of, “Hun-days,” [sic].

So what if it had the looks of a three-year-old Toyota Corolla and was built in a place that wasn’t even a country sixty years ago; it cost just US$5,499 and in salesman speak that’s a damn good deal. There are probably innumerable benefits to owning a 1988 Hyundai Excel. Such as...uh...or maybe...um...and then there’s...oh.

It was cheap, yeah? And cheap is good despite what a certain fictional character may have said to the contrary. That’s true for at least the vast majority of cash-strapped Americans and almost certainly for Hyundai. Yes, it was front wheel drive and sure it had no outstanding qualities other than the price tag. The same could be said for many of the cars sold today, and you don’t see any of them comparing themselves to a German heavyweight.

So watch the ad and reminisce about a simpler time when men wore pinstriped shirts, martini lunches were often followed by cocaine afternoons and a balmy little upstart from the Sea of Japan had the verve to stick its fingers in its ears and stick its tongue out.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Youtube via NYT

_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________

Read more »

Bmw 3 series sport car

Bmw 3 series 2006

Bmw 3 series wallpaper

The BMW 3 Series is the Bmw company's top seller in the United States and a favorite in the marketplace for good reason:  Bmw 3 series it's a well-built, premium compact vehicle endowed with world-class fit and finish, ample power, and a comfortable ride and handling trade-off that is unmatched by most cars at any price. No matter what Bmw 3 series model you choose, our editors generally agree that you'll be able to go about your weekday routine without feeling that you've sacrificed ride comfort for the sake of weekend thrills.

The current model, which represents the fifth-generation of Bmw 3 Series, is slightly larger, heavier and faster than the previous Bmw 3 series generations. An even better car overall, the latest BMW 3 Series has a bolder look, revised suspension and braking, more power and more interior space. It tends to cost more than the competition, but if you go easy on the optional equipment, we think you'll find that the price of admission is well worth it.

No matter what year you're looking at, however, the BMW 3 Series remains the unequivocal "ultimate driving machine" and popular favorite in the entry-luxury category.

Current BMW 3 Series

The BMW 3 Series is offered in a variety of body styles (sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible) and engine choices. The BMW 328i is available in all body styles and features a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-6 (230 horsepower, 200 pound-feet of torque). The  Bmw 335i is available in all but the wagon body and features a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that's rated at 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The Bmw 335d comes only as a sedan and features a 3.0-liter turbodiesel (265 hp and a substantial 425 lb-ft of torque). A six-speed manual is standard on all but the Bmw 3 series 335d, which comes with the otherwise optional six-speed automatic. All-wheel drive (dubbed xDrive) is available on gasoline-powered sedans, coupes and wagons.

BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

Read more »