BMW Promises That the 3-series Is Done Resting on Its Laurels.
WHEN IT COMES TO SEDANS,
German auto executives love to talk about sportiness. Although they never specify what sport they are referring to—racquetball? buzkashi? quoits?—we know what they mean: that a car feels athletic, as a sports sedan should. It’s a concept that BMW did much to create and popularize with the 3-series (and its progenitor, the 02-series), but it’s an area in which the current 3 feels notably deficient. So although the new 3-series is bigger, lighter, and more technology-laden than its predecessor, BMW is crowing loudest about how much better it will be to drive.
- CHASSIS
Known internally as G20, this 3-series is based on the same Cluster Architecture (a.k.a. CLAR) that underpins BMW’s larger longitudinal-engine models, with a structure that uses more aluminum and high-strength steel than the outgoing F30 generation. It is 3.3 inches longer but weighs less than before. Switching to aluminum for the front fenders and hood saved 33 pounds, with reductions elsewhere meaning the new 3-series will come in up to 120 pounds lighter than the equivalent version of the current car.
BMW is particularly proud of the 3’s new position-sensitive passive dampers, which quell large suspension motions with an additional hydraulic element. These will be standard on all versions except those with the adaptive system, and they maintained exceptional discipline during our recent drive of a prototype in Germany.
- POWERTRAIN
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