The 3 Series as a Genuine Pioneer: the First Six-Cylinder in its Class.

Clearly, this success encouraged BMWs development specialists to keep up their good work: They soon gave the 3 Series a pioneering role, making this the irst car in its class with a si!"cylinder power unit# So when the two new 3$%&' and 3$3i made their de(ut at the )*++ ,rank urt Motor Show they were clearly the highlights in the eyes o BMW enthusiasts everywhere# -ndeed, this com(ination o an agile and sporting saloon with a silken"smooth, re ined and power ul si!"cylinder was .uite uni.ue in the market# /articularly the 3$3i very .uickly gained the reputation o a wol in sheeps clothing: 0isplacing $#3 litres, the 1"2etronic in3ection engine eaturing transistorised ignition developed ma!imum output o )43 (hp accelerating this two"door high5per ormance compact saloon to a top speed o )*% km&h or ))6 mph# 7nd to provide the same kind o deceleration, the 3$3i came with disc (rakes all round# ,eaturing technologies o this kind, the top"o "the"range 3 Series was not only aster than numerous cars one class higher up in the market, (ut also superior in its technical eatures# 8ot 3ust that the two straight"si! power units o ered superior output and per ormance 5 no, they were also very uel"e icient: 9Consuming )3#$ and )3#4 litres :$)#4 and $)#) mpg -mp; under testing conditions<, stated a renowned car 3ournal, 9the 3$% and 3$3i prove that it is .uite possi(le to achieve superior economy with a small si!"cylinder<# -n all, BMW had invested 0M ))% million in this engine series, one o the achievements (eing that production o the si!"cylinders was now aster and took less time than production o the ormer our"cylinders# 7(ove all, however, the engineers and technical specialists had created a new (enchmark in the 3 Series segment: 9The really outstanding point is how the car develops its power<, wrote one o =urope>s leading car maga?ines# 9With vi(rations reduced to virtually ?ero, the small engine revs up to ma!imum speed in a silken"smooth surge o power, with that muscular sound o si! cylinders (ut without the slightest hassle or pretentiousness#< -n the meantime, however, a gap had developed (etween the *6"horsepower 3)6i and the new 3$%&' developing a superior )$$ (hp ma!imum output# So in )*+*&6% the our" cylinder models moved up: The )#6"litre power unit was revised and entered the market as a *%"(hp car(urettor engine in the 3)' and with a )%@ (hp uel in3ection power unit in the 3)6i# 7nd since there was now also room or a new entry"level model, the 3)@i powered (y a +@ (hp )#'"litre made its appearance in )*6)#
Four out of Five Drivers of the 3 Series: No Need for I !rove ent".

Aiven its outstanding success, the 3 Series soon (ecame the su(3ect o countless assumptions and surveys on the car and its drivers# 7 study conducted in )*6%, or e!ample, showed that at a share o 3) per cent the 3$%i was the (est"selling 3 Series, ollowed (y the 3)' accounting or $+ per cent, the 3)6 with a share o $4 per cent, and the 3$3i with a share in sales o )6 per cent# The purchasing motives were the cars per ormance in ++ per cent o all cases, its superior handling or '@ per cent o the customers, and the special looks o a sporting saloon in '4 per cent o the reasons .uoted or (uying the car# 7nd almost two"thirds stated that their ne!t car would once again de initely (e a BMW# 7nother en.uiry showed that drivers o the BMW 3 Series were particularly active motorists, more than '% per cent covering more than )+,%%% kilometres or )%,@%% miles a

year# Bnlike the image they had so o ten, these dedicated motorists were (y all means sensi(le in their driving (ehaviour: Showing average uel consumption o roughly )$ litres&)%% km :$3#@ mpg -mp;, they were among the more uel"conscious drivers at the time# -n particular, however, 6% per cent o the 3 Series owners were convinced that there was no need to improve the 3 Series in any way# -n )*6) this high degree o satis action on the part o customers was con irmed (y a very convincing num(er: 7lmost e!actly si! years a ter the start o production, to (e precise in May )*6), the millionth 3 Series came o the production line, thus making the 3 Series the most success ul

Clearly, this success was also a commitment# 7nd it opened the door or even greater success: -n )*6$ BMW presented the thoroughly revised and updated second"generation 3 Series# Working consistently on this (est seller, BMWs engineers had done an outstanding 3o(: 7lthough the new model o ered our centimetres more space inside, (ody length had not 3ust remained the same, (ut had even (ecome three centimetres shorter# The ront direction indicators had moved rom the ront edge o the enders into the (umpers, and now there was a wider, stronger"looking B"pillar inished in matt (lack# By now the wedge shape with the high rear end had long (een accepted, no(ody criticising the somewhat higher luggage compartment lid and the larger tail lights# Cn the contrary: With its track 3@ millimetres or )#36DD wider, the new 3 Series looked a lot more power ul and muscular# 7nd this impression was .uickly con irmed on the road: ,irst, BMWs development specialists had put the 3 Series on a strict diet, saving some 3% kilos or '' l( per car, despite the wider range o e.uipment# Second, the power units within the wider engine compartments were in part even more power ul# -n particular, however, the new two"door models were aster than their predecessors also thanks to their signi icantly improved aerodynamics# /owered as (e ore (y a *%"(hp our"cylinder, the 3)', or e!ample, now had a top speed

o )+@ km&or )%* mph# ,eaturing mechanical uel in3ection, the identical our"cylinder in the 3)6i developed ma!imum output o )%@ (hp, su icient or a top speed o )64 km&h or ))4 mph# The two si!"cylinders, inally, now came with electronically controlled uel in3ection giving the power unit in the 3$3i even more tor.ue and truly outstanding per ormance, with a top speed o $%$ km&h or )$@ mph# 0espite this superior power, the top"o "the"range 3 Series was (y all means uel"e icient, consuming 3ust 6#* litres on average in the 0-8 consumption test :3)#+ mpg -mp; thanks to its ive"speed gear(o! with an overdrive economy top gear# The 3$%i, inally, was hardly any slower, reaching a top speed o )*+ km&h or )$$ mph with its $#%"litre )$* (hp power unit# 7nd its list price (ack in )*6$ was almost 0M 3,%%% lower than that o the 3$3i, 0M $4,@@% de initely (eing an interesting o er# The updated engines were not the only eatures to (e admired (eneath the sheet metal# ,or in the interest o enhanced driving sa ety without impairing the cars handling, BMWs engineers had given the new 3 Series a single"3oint spring strut a!le at the ront with sickle track arms and a reduced roll radius# The rear a!le, in turn, came with separated dampers and springs, with the control angle o the rear semi"trading arms changing rom $% to )@o# -n all, this provided an even (etter suspension set"up o ering in particular an even higher standard o driving sa ety with handling remaining at least as good as (e ore#
The First #ariant: the Four-Door 3 Series.

7 ter 3ust one year o production, BMW had already (uilt $33,+6) new 3 Series# 7nd this was prior to the (ig surprise in autumn )*63, when the 3 Series made its appearance with our doors# -ntroducing this our"door model, BMW was indeed responding appropriately to an increasingly re.uent re.uest rom potential customers looking or more com orta(le and convenient access to the rear seats# So now having a amily and children was no longer a reason not to (uy a 3 Series# -ndeed, this was a tempting concept: To take the nucleus o the sporting 3 Series and, on this (asis, to create cars (y all means a(le to ul il other demands and re.uirements in an e!cellent manner# So in the ne!t two years BMWs engineers proved clearly that this was a very promising proposition: Eaunching the eta si!"cylinder in )*64, BMW, with the support o its engine specialists, presented an entirely new and very di erent concept# The $#+"litre si!"cylinder power unit o the 3$@e was optimised without compromises or tor.ue and economy, consuming 3ust 6#4 litres o regular uel on )%% kilometres :33#' mpg -mp;, despite ma!imum output o )$$ (hp at a low engine speed o 4,$@% rpm# The BMW eta was power ul, e icient 5 and clean: The 3$@e was the irst 3 Series availa(le e!clusively with a catalytic converter# Convinced that this was the right solution, BMW had developed this superior system o clean engine management to production standard right rom the start and there ore o ered the widest range o catalyst cars at the time, particularly in the 3 Series segment#
$%&': (ll-)ound *+ono y, Dyna i+ Perfor an+e, -!en-(ir Drivin. Pleasure and /n+o !ro isin. S!ortiness.

The wish to com(ine sporting per ormance with superior economy inspired the athers o the 3 Series to strive or an ever"increasing standard# So in )*6@ they took a (old step, itting the irst straight"si! BMW power unit without spark plugs 5 a diesel 5 into their

compact saloon# 0eveloping ma!imum output o 6' (hp, the BMW 3$4d was indeed a power ul car in the diesel market, achieving a top speed o )'@ km&h or )%$ mph# -n particular, however, it made a name or itsel through its superior smoothness and re inement, setting the oundation, together with the BMW @$4td already launched in )*63, or the highly success ul diesel story destined to ollow at BMW# The 3$4d was not the only new entry to 3oin the 3 Series in )*6@# 8o 5 the other, perhaps even more spectacular, new addition to the range was the $)+ km&h :)3@ mph; 3$@i eaturing a )+) (hp si!"cylinder and taking over the position o the lagship rom the ormer 3$3i# -ndeed, this top"o "the"range model was also availa(le in the guise o the 3$@iF with our"wheel drive: -nstead o a 5 simple 5 add"on ront"wheel"drive system, however, this high"traction 3 Series eatured a power divider with viscous coupling or permanent our"wheel drive complete with 7BS anti"lock (rakes# The ne!t new model to enter the market was truly an outstanding highlight not only or the BMW enthusiast, the 3$@i Converti(le (ecoming the irst genuinely open our"seater (uilt in Aermany in the last si! years# 7nd the ourth newcomer, the BMW M3, eatured an all"out athletes heart (eneath its discreetly modi ied (ody: Ma!imum output o the M3s our"cylinder )'"valve power unit derived directly rom a racing engine was $%% (hp# With numerous model variants ensuring outstanding success, the Munich /lant soon reached the limits to its capacities# -n response to this need or ongoing enlargement, plans started in the early 6%s to (uild a new plant, production starting in the Bavarian city o Gegens(urg in 8ovem(er )*6'# Cn a (roader, international (asis, the irst generation o the 3 Series had already (een (uilt in Gosslyn&South 7 rica#