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 )*++ ,rankurt 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, reined and powerul 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 high5perormance
compact saloon to a top speed o)*% km&h or ))6 mph# 7nd to provide the same kind o
deceleration, the 3$3i came with disc (rakes all round# ,eaturing technologies o this
kind, the top"o"the"range 3 Series was not only aster than numerous cars one class
higher up in the market, (ut also superior in its technical eatures# 8ot 3ust that the two
straight"si! power units oered superior output and perormance 5 no, they were also
very uel"eicient: 9Consuming )3#$ 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!roveent".
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
perormance 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
deinitely (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 oten, 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 satisaction on the part o customers was conirmed (y a very
convincing num(er: 7lmost e!actly si! years ater 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 successul
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 oered 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
powerul and muscular# 7nd this impression was .uickly conirmed 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 powerul# -n particular, however, the
new two"door models were aster than their predecessors also thanks to their signiicantly
improved aerodynamics#
/owered as (eore (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, suicient 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
perormance, 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"eicient,
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,@@% deinitely (eing an interesting oer#
The updated engines were not the only eatures to (e admired (eneath the sheet metal#
,or in the interest o enhanced driving saety 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 oering in
particular an even higher standard o driving saety with handling remaining at least as
good as (eore#
The First #ariant: the Four-Door 3 Series.
7ter 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
comorta(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 ulil 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 dierent 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,$@% rpm#
The BMW eta was powerul, eicient 5 and clean: The 3$@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 thereore oered the widest range o catalyst
cars at the time, particularly in the 3 Series segment#
$%&': (ll-)ound *+onoy, Dynai+ Perforan+e, -!en-(ir Drivin. Pleasure and /n+o!roisin.
S!ortiness.
The wish to com(ine sporting perormance 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$4d was indeed a powerul car in the
diesel market, achieving a top speed o )'@ km&h or )%$ mph# -n particular, however, it
made a name or itsel through its superior smoothness and reinement, setting the
oundation, together with the BMW @$4td already launched in )*63, or the highly
successul 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 modiied (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 7rica#