Auto Blitz: BMW 3 Series

Showing posts with label BMW 3 Series. Show all posts

VST Conversions' Electric BMW E30 can toast a Tesla [with Video]

Maybe I'm crazy, but aren't vintage electric conversions just so much more interesting than current electric cars? They're like old Mercedes diesels converted to biodiesel: vintage cool but using modern day tech to be efficient, clean, and (in the this case) very fast.

This green '86 BMW 3-Series E30, built by Croatia's VST Conversions, is the brainchild of Mate Rimac; he wanted to go fast in an electric car, and now he can.

After working through a few power setups, the current version of the VST "bi-moto EV" puts down 500 horsepower through the wheels and can run the quarter in 12.1. The word you're looking for is DAMN. As in "Damn, this thing is awesome."

BMW is considering adding a fourth model to its Spartanburg, South Carolina factory in order to further compete with U.S. luxury market leaders Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

The Bavarian firm's chief, Frank-Peter Arndt believes an additional "volume model" could be added to Spartanburg's production line. The introduction of a fourth model would help reduce BMW's exposure to foreign currency, which presently tops US$14 billion. IHS Automotive analyst Rebecca Lindland believes the 3-Series is the most likely candidate for production at Spartanburg: "The 3-Series is a no-brainer." she said.

Here are some more spy shots of the upcoming next-gen BMW 3-Series with a closer look at the interior. Codenamed the F30, BMW is likely to play its next bread and butter 3-Series pretty safe with an evolutionary design. Even without looking at the pics, we all know it'll be the 3-Series version of the 5-Series.

As stated in our previous post (read here), power is likely to come from a series of inline-4 and -6 cylinder gasoline and diesel engines that'll see some boost from turbochargers. Also, with BMW downsizing and boost-raising, the next M3 could see either a turbo V8 or possibly even revert to a lighter but high-output 6-cylinder.

Even though the 335i has been on the market for a while now, there seems to be no shortage of new tuning proposals for the BMW model. Today's faster 335i Coupe comes via German tuning firm MR Car Design. Thanks to a custom made sport exhaust system with sport catalysts, a larger intercooler and an optimized ECU for the 3.0-liter turbocharged straight six, output is bumped from 306HP and 400Nm to 406HP and 530Nm.

Now here's a BMW owner with a joyfully vivid imagination. What you're looking at here could be Holland's answer the Japanese Civic/Lexus/Toyota thingamajig we showed you last month: a E36 (1990-2000) 3-Series Convertible with a removable hardtop that has been "facelifted" with the front end of the latest E90 3-Series and the buttocks of an E60 5-Series sedan. The best of all worlds... or the worst? It's up to you to make the call. More photos after the jump.

If what they say about colors having a profound impact on a person's mood is true, we can't but wonder how a pinked out BMW 3-Series would influence its owner / driver. For the record, it certainly cheered us up... We're not sure if the pink shade on this BMW 3-Series sedan, which was spotted by a Carscoop reader in Bucharest, Romania, is a regular paint job or the result of the increasingly popular vinyl wrapping method, but either way, it certainly gives a new meaning to BMW's "Joy" ads...

A new, limited edition version of the BMW 3-Series Sedan called "Dynamic Edition" is being launched in South Africa. It will be available only in the four-cylinder 320i petrol and 320d turbo diesel, and the turbocharged straight-six 335i sedans, with production set at 300 units.

Ever wonder why drivers are cautioned to avoid roads covered in water during a flood or flash flood, even if the water depth appears low, and find another way to reach their destination (even if that means traveling a longer distance)? Well, here's why... Watch what happens to the driver this BMW 3-Series saloon when he attempts to cross a flooded road in New Zealand in the video after the break.

BMW is continuing the development of the new 3-series sedan, internally called the F30. Captured here by our spy photographers near the Nurburgring race track in Germany, the four-door prototype is still under heavy camouflage, thus revealing little about its exterior styling.

However, buyers should expect an evolution of the current design sprinkled with styling cues from all the latest BMWs, including a protruding kidney grill similar to that of the new 5-Series and 7-Series saloons.

Our man with the long lens managed to snag a few shots of the prototype's interior giving us a glimpse of the new dashboard design with the 1-Series-esque air-vents.

This Mazdaspeed3 owner was driving on a scenic road with a few soft twists somewhere in Northern California when at some point a BMW 335i saloon pulled out in front him and started lifting the pace. The Mazda driver decided to follow along keeping, however, a relatively safe distance from the bimmer.

Motoring journalist and TV presenter Tom Ford has managed to complete what he claims to be a record-breaking journey from the UK to Munich and almost back to Britain with a BMW 320d EfficientDynamics saloon on a single tank of fuel.

Ford filled up the diesel-powered bimmer at the Channel Tunnel and made it to Munich, Germany, then as far back as Lille, France on the return before needing to refuel completing a total driving distance of 1,013 miles or 1,629 kilometers on one tank.

Following its recent world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the new BMW 335i-based Alpina B3 S Bi-Turbo is now available for order in the UK with first deliveries to start in July.

Offered in four-door saloon, Touring, Coupe and hardtop Convertible forms, the new B3 S comes with a modified 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six upgraded to deliver a hefty 400HP at 6,000 rpm and 540Nm or 398.3 lb-ft of peak torque.

Here's another tasty classic for sale: a 1988 M3 Coupe with just over 47,000 miles on it (and my personal favorite color combo).

The car is bone-stock, but it's extremely clean. The leather looks nice and well-aged (although I've seen better in similar examples), and everything else shows really well in the pictures. For a proper analysis, I'd probably need to hold onto the car for a few days, or better yet, make that a couple of weeks in the mountains.

Here's the kicker: it's $32,500. The E30 M3 is a classic, to be sure, but could this one possibly be worth that much? This is a driver's car, not a museum piece. For that kind of money why not get a gray-market M3 Evo and have a really interesting investment?

BMW's British arm announced today that it has joined forces with Streetcar, one of the UK's largest car clubs, giving drivers the chance to loan a new bimmer for less than £7.

Renting a BMW 1-Series for as little as £6.95 (equal to €7.9 or US$10.8) and a 3-Series for £8.95 (€10.2 or US$14) sure sounds tempting, but is there a catch to Streetcar's offer?

Well, of course there is. That kind of money will buy you only an hour's worth of driving time in the BMW 116 / 118d five-door hatchback and the 318d saloon respectively.

Not a bad deal if you want to rent a bimmer for a couple of hours but it gets less tempting as time increases with the 1 Series costing £69.50 for a whole day, £225 for Monday through Friday, £345 for 7 days and £895 for a whole month.

Prices for the 3 Series are even more steep with Streetcar asking for £89.50 for 24 hours, £295 for Monday to Friday, £445 for a week and £1,095 for a month.

The company said that it has more than 1,000 locations across a seven cities in the UK including London, Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, Guildford, Maidstone and Oxford, but it aims to increase this number to 2,000 by 2011.

VIDEO: New BMW 335is in Detail and in Action at the Estoril Race Track

Here's your chance to get a look at the North America-only BMW 335is Coupe in motion at the media presentation that took place at the Estoril race track in Portugal. If you follow the jump, you'll find two videos, one that includes a walk around the sporty coupe that nests between the 2011 335i and the M3, and the other with some driving impressions from the circuit.

The newest model in the facelifted 3-Series range packs an upgraded, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 320HP and 332 lb-ft of torque (370 lb-ft with overboost) mated to either six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearboxes.

The high-performance 335is Coupe will go on sale in the United States in June at an MSRP of $50,525, or about $7,000 more than the 2011 335i Coupe that's powered by a new single-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six with 300HP.

Via: BMWblog & Bimmerpost

New BMW 335is Coupe and Convertible with 320HP Twin-Turbo Six Officially Revealed

BMW's North American division has released official details on the new 335is Coupe and Convertible models ahead of their world debut at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Based on the facelifted versions of the 3-Series Coupe and Convertible, the 335is feature a detuned version of the 340HP N54 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six found in the also new Z4 sDrive35is.

In the 335is this unit produces 320 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque with up to 370 lb-ft of torque available through the use of temporary overboost. As a reminder, BMW replaced the 300HP twin-turbo six N54 with the new 300HP single-turbo six N55 in the 2011 335i.

Aside from the more potent 320HP engine, the 335is are also the first 3-Series models in the U.S. to be offered with BMW's 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) with Launch Control as an option, in place of the standard 6-speed manual transmission.

BMW said that top speed of the 335is will be electronically limited to 150 mph or 241km/h.

The 335is Coupe performs 0-60 mph (96km/h) runs in 5.0 seconds with the optional 7-speed DCT and 5.1 seconds with the manual 6-speed. The 335is Convertible, meanwhile, requires 5.2 seconds for the 0-60mph run whether equipped with the 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed DCT.

Other notable upgrades under the hood include the additional radiator behind the left-side front air intake, along with a more powerful electric cooling fan, stiffer engine mounts and a new sport exhaust system.

Above and beyond the cosmetic tweaks of the facelift models, the 335is get M Style bumpers, the rear with an integrated diffuser, new kidney grille surrounds in high gloss black, Shadowline black window trim, wing mirror caps in high gloss black, and standard 18-inch light alloy wheels in ferric grey color (19-inch are optional).

Inside, the M Sport upgrades concern the M Sport steering wheel, sport seats, anthracite headliner, M door sills, M driver's footrest, M gearshift knob, and stainless steel sport pedals. The instrument cluster dials in dark grey with a "335is" badge on the tachometer face and the "335is" badge on the passenger side dashboard complete the changes.

The 335is will initially be available only in the U.S. and Canada with prices in the States starting from $50,525 including destination for the 335is Coupe, and $59,075 including destination for the Convertible.

2011 BMW 335is: First Official Photos of 322HP Coupe and Convertible that Bridge the Gap Between the 335i and M3

While BMW has yet to make an official announcement on the all-new 335is Coupe and Convertible, the Bavarian firm uploaded the first official photos of both models on its public website. The 335is, which is believed to be offered initially only in North America, closes the gap between the 300HP 335i (306HP in Euro spec) and the 414HP M3 (420HP for the Euro model).

As we've already informed you from our previous post, a leaked spec sheet from BMW's Canadian division reveals that the 335is makes use of a tweaked version of the outgoing 335i's N54 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline six - and not the single-turbo N55 engine of the facelift 2011 335i.

The 335is' straight-six pumps out 322 horsepower (+22HP) and 332 lb-ft of peak torque (+32 lb-ft) with 369 lb-ft available temporarily on the over boost function.

Power is transferred to the rear-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional seven-speed double clutch transmission.

We assume that like the new Z4 sDrive35is, the 335is model will get suspension calibrations for a sportier ride.

Naturally, the new 335is models get an M Aerodynamics package that includes unique front and rear bumpers as well as specific 18-inch alloy wheels and shadow trim for the double kidney grille, window surrounds and the dual tail pipes.

We expect an official release with more details to be released shortly.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible: Euro-Spec Models get Revised Diesels and new Entry-Level 318i Versions

This past weekend BMW took the wraps off its refreshed 3-Series coupe and hardtop convertible models. In brief, the two-door variants of the 3-Series receive revised exterior styling and a new, more responsive and fuel-efficient single-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six for the 335i models.

In addition to these upgrades that we already told you about, the European-spec versions benefit from a tweaked diesel lineup and the presentation of a new-entry level model in the form of the 318i.

Beginning with the diesel range, the updated 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit in the 320d Coupe and Convertible models that complies with the EU 6 emission standards that won't go into force until 2014, now delivers 184HP and 380Nm of torque, up from 177HP and 350Nm.

In the case of the 320d Coupe, this has shortened the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint by 0.4 seconds to 7.5 seconds, while at the same time reducing consumption by 1.0mpg US to 50 mpg US or 4.7 lt/100km and lowering emissions by 3g/km to 125g/km.

The values for the 320d Convertible are 0-100km/h (62mph) in 8.3 seconds, consumption is 46.1 mpg US or 5.1 lt/100km and emissions 135g/km.

BMW says that 320d Coupe is capable of reaching a top speed of 236km/h or 147mph with the Convertible attaining 228km/h or 142mph.

Similar improvements have been performed on the 325d's 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel unit. Engine output is 7HP higher at 204HP, and torque is up from 400 to 430Nm enabling the Coupe to shave 0.4 seconds off its 0-100km/h (62mph) time, that now arrives in 6.9 seconds.

Even though fuel consumption remains the same at 41.3 mpg US or 5.7lt/100km, CO2 emissions are lower by 2g/km at 151g/km. The 325d Convertible's equivalent values are 7.5 seconds, 38.5 mpg US or 6.1lt/100km and 160g/km of CO2.

Finally, the 335d Coupe's diesel has also been tweaked resulting in an improved fuel consumption figure and lower CO2 emissions. It now records 35.6mpg US or 6.6lt/100km on the combined cycle, an improvement of 0.5mpg US, and 174g/km.

Note that the revised four-cylinder and inline-six diesels engines also made their way under the hood of 3-Series sedan and Touring models.

The 2011 model also marks the introduction of a new entry-level version for both the 3-Series Coupe and Convertible, the 318i.

As with most BMW models these days, the last two digits of the name of this model do not represent the displacement of the engine as the 318i is powered by a straight-four 2.0-litre (and not 1.8L as you'd assume) petrol engine.

This power unit produces a maximum output of 143HP at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 190 Nm or 140 lb-ft at 4,250rpm. Coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox, the four-pot accelerates the 318i Coupe from a standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in 9.1 seconds and the 318i Convertible in 10.3 seconds. Top speed in each case is 210 km/h or 130 mph.

In the EU test cycle the 318i Coupé averages 6.3 lt/100 km (equal to 37.3 mpg US) and achieves a CO2 rating of 146 g/km. The respective figures for the 318i Convertible are 6.6 lt (35.7 mpg US) and 154 g/km of CO2.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe & Convertible Photo Gallery