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The New, the Fast and the Luxurious... The Motoring Guide! |
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BMW 3 Series Saloon Review
 Unique Dynamics, Product Substance and Efficiency
Car fans and aficionados everywhere have something great to look forward to this spring: The new BMW 3 Series is making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
Now entering its fifth generation, the BMW 3 Series is once again pushing up the benchmark. Acknowledged for 30 years as the best car in its class, the 3 Series comes with a wide range of innovative, hands-on progress on the engine and suspension, and in terms of motoring comfort.
World debut with four new engines.
The new BMW 3 Series is entering the market with three petrol engines and one diesel. All four of these power units offer a significant increase in output, performance, motoring refinement, and economy. And each of them is a highlight in itself.
BMW 3 Series Review - Full
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Starting the engine at the touch of a button.
A new feature in the midrange segment is that the driver, benefiting from the comfort start function, just has to briefly press the starter button in order to fire the engine. Everything else is automatic, all processes continuing by themselves until the engine is running smoothly.
Top technology for even greater driving dynamics.
Taking up a great BMW tradition, the new BMW 3 Series naturally comes with all the characteristic features so typical of the brand – that is the engine fitted lengthwise, power going to the rear wheels, and perfect axle load distribution of 50:50. Clearly, all this makes a significant contribution to the superior agility of the new BMW 3 Series.
The double-joint front axle newly developed for the 3 Series and made completely of aluminium ensures an optimum balance of driving dynamics and motoring comfort. Two of its strongest points are superior tracking stability and particularly low roll noise. And despite its low weight, the aluminium front axle is very stiff and stable.
The five-arm lightweight-steel rear axle is the optimum guarantee for supreme agility and sports handling, ensuring precise wheel guidance and a very high standard of roll comfort.
Active Steering: unique in this segment.
For the first time in the midrange segment, the customer has the choice of BMW Active Steering in the six-cylinder models of the new BMW 3 Series as an option. The big advantage of this modern concept is a more direct steering transmission ratio at low speeds and a more indirect ratio at high speeds, thus providing the ideal solution to the old conflict of interests with a conventional steering between agility, stability, and motoring comfort. In the new BMW 3 Series this superiority is further enhanced by a significant everyday benefit:
Applying the brakes on surfaces varying in their frictional coefficient, such as roads with patches of ice, snow and asphalt, Active Steering, intervening actively in the car’s steering mechanism, stabilises the vehicle more quickly and precisely than a normal driver in such a situation.
Latest-generation DSC.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control featured here in its latest generation also ensures extra safety on the road. In addition, DSC on the six-cylinder models comes with further useful functions such as dry-braking the brake discs on wet roads or brake standby by pre-setting the brake linings for a quick, smooth and firm response. And now the system also prevents the car from rolling back when setting off on an uphill gradient and avoids that usual ‘dive’ effect when braking shortly before the car comes to a standstill. As a result, BMW’s Sports Saloon now offers even greater leadership in driving dynamics.
ACC Active Cruise Control: the sheer pleasure of being driven.
ACC Active Cruise Control is far more than just a conventional cruise control system, since it is able to consistently monitor traffic conditions and respond accordingly. Featuring a radar distance sensor, ACC monitors the distance to the vehicle ahead and adjusts the car’s speed as well as its distance in specific, pre-selected levels.This makes ACC simply ideal in traffic flowing along at a consistent speed with moderate vehicle density, ACC automatically accelerating the car to the driver’s desired speed regardless of external factors and without requiring the driver to intervene. This speed is then consistently maintained and, when necessary, reduced accordingly.
To benefit from this superior comfort, all the driver has to do is set the speed he would like to have by pressing the appropriate control button. This saves and maintains the speed desired until the driver intervenes by giving gas or applying the brakes.
Distinctive design profiling the 3 Series as a dynamic and elegant saloon.
In its design language, the 3 Series makes a powerful statement as a unique, self-confident, dynamic and elegant sports saloon. The new car comes right in the middle of BMW’s modern design spectrum, matching the design language of the BMW Z4 or the BMW 1 Series, on the one hand, with the elegance of the 5 and 7 Series, on the other. Characteristic features are the short overhangs, the greenhouse moved far to the back, as well as the long engine compartment lid. Significantly larger both outside and inside, the interior is bright, spacious and generous, reflecting the lifestyle of its target group.
Shaping up the body: lighter, stiffer, safer.
Even stiffer but at the same time lighter than before, the body of the new model makes a significant contribution to the perfect concept harmony of the BMW Series. In this case, ‘intelligent’ lightweight construction means the specific use of enhanced steel and steel-forming technologies. The support bar concept for the car’s load-bearing structure increases body stiffness by 25 per cent overall, without increasing the weight of the new model over that of its predecessor.
Sandal BMW - telephone 01924 433500.
Published Spring 2005. All information correct at time of print
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