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The BMW 3-Series is a line of compact sedans manufactured by BMW since May, 1975. It is successor to the 2002, retaining much of the 2002's chassis styling while adding a more powerful 2.0 litre 110 hp (82 kW) engine and other performance enhancements. The 3-Series was for some time the smallest of cars manufactured by BMW, although that place has recently been taken by the BMW 1-Series.
History
Social and marketing significance
From its sporting origins in 1975, the E30 generation, available in two- and four-door form, as well as a later in-house full convertible (replacing one developed by Baur of Germany), became a more formal range that was synonymous with the "yuppie" generation. Being an accessible prestige-badge car, the 3-series' reputation grew at this time. By the early 21st century, the E46 3-series, designed by Englishman Chris Bangle, was the best-selling car of its size in the world, as commonplace in Asia and America as in Europe, while maintaining its prestige image. Consequently, BMW decided to leave well enough alone: while larger BMWs followed a more avant-garde Bangle style, the latest E90 is not a radical departure from the current model.
Modern 3-Series vehicles
Current 3-Series models are based on the E46 chassis, which replaced the E36 specification in 1999. Models include:
- 318 Sedan
- 320i Sedan
- 320Ci Coupe
- 325i Sedan
- 330i Sedan
- 325xi 4WD Sedan
- 330xi 4WD Sedan
- 325Ci Coupe
- 325Ci Convertible
- 330Ci Coupe
- 330Ci Convertible
- 325i Sports Wagon
- 325xi 4WD Sports Wagon
Awards
The 3-Series has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 14 times, from 1992 through 2005, making it the second-most common entry on that list.
External links
- BMW 3-Series website (http://www.bmw.com/generic/com/en/products/automobiles/showroom/3series/sedan/index.html)
- BMW 3 Series, from Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/generations/articles/66153/article.html)
- BMW 325i convertible (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fred.brossaud/325icabeng/index.htm) is a PDF-based personal website containing detailed information about the E30 3 Series.
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