Grayson BMW

The BMW 3 Series is the benchmark by which pretty much all other sport sedans are measured for a reason ? well, for several reasons, actually. They're fun to drive. They're well-appointed. They're priced such that mere mortals (albeit successful mere mortals) are able to afford them. And that's just to name a few.

All of which is to say, it's a big deal when BMW redesigns the car. And so before updating the 3 Series, the clever suits in Munich clearly made a cagey decision: To make the car better. And so the sixth-generation 3 Series has been made faster, more fuel-efficient, and if we do say so ourselves, better looking.

It's also considerably larger thanks to a wider track, a wheelbase that's 2 inches longer, and a total length increased by a whopping 3.66 inches. To pull the new mass it's cultivated, the 3 Series has been gifted with a new engine on the 328i. Gone is the famed inline six and in its place is an all-new and more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder power plant that churns out 240 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque - both impressive bumps for the 328i. For those that want more power, the 335i has a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that makes 300 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. Boom.

Both the 328i and the 335i are offered with your choice of a new eight-speed automatic gearbox or a six-speed manual, and in a Sport Line, Luxury Line, Modern Line, and M Sport package. (The M Sport package on a 3 Series is different than a BMW M3.) Each have their own distinct trim, wheels, etc. We like the Modern the best. Obviously.

So, how do they drive? We hopped behind the wheel to put the cars through their paces on both the track and the street and ? they're awesome, whether despite of or because of the larger size. We loved the 328i Sport Line and its six-speed manual tranny; the inline-four and its turbo were nonstop fun. At the same time, the loaded 335i with the eight-speed automatic was really fast on the track, but would also make life considerably less miserable while stuck in traffic on a daily commute.

The 328i starts at $34,900; the 335i at $42,400.

BMW is the Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Teams through the 2016 Olympic Games. Our commitment to performance and striving to be the best includes partnering to support US Speedskating, USA Bobsled and Skeleton, USA Swimming and USA Track & Field. As part of this partnership, BMW has assembled the BMW Performance Team to support Team USA athletes and help them realize their Olympic and Paralympic Dreams.

Grayson BMW in Knoxville, TN will have it's Drive for Team USA event on Mary 19th, 2012 from 9:30am to 4:30pm. 

You will be able to…

It's simply fact that BMW builds some of the best sporting sedans in the world. Rear-wheel configuration, six-cylinder engine and the BMW roundel on the bonnet have been almost unassailable as the pinnacle for mid-size premium transport.

Now though, the 328i is missing two cylinders and in their place is a twin-scroll turbocharger.

In the 328i, the 2.0 litre turbo-charged 'four' is tied to an impressive eight-speed transmission. With a suite of Efficient Dynamics technologies managing its performance, it's a thoroughly sophisticated and powerful package that symbolises the new guard of BMW drivetrain systems.

INTERIOR
Quality: The…

Where do you even start with BMW's all-time-favourite 3 Series?

Bring up BMW and it's the first vehicle you think about. Talk about sports sedans and the conversation is more likely than not to include it. Discuss the most balanced and rewarding cars to own, and there it is again. The 3 Series is a benchmark for intelligent automotive design, and the standard against which all other cars in its class (and others) are compared.

With this in mind, it's an understatement to say that the 3 Series is an important vehicle for BMW. As the German…

The BMW 5 Series is a four door five passenger mid size luxury sedan with variants ranging from a fuel-efficient turbocharged four cylinder to a four door fast back Gran Turismo version all the way up to the tail-wagging tire shredding M5 high performance machine.

The entry level model in the BMW 5 Series lineup is the 528i Sedan, starting at $46,700 and powered by a gas sipping 2.0 Liter TwinPower Turbo four cylinder producing 240 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque mated to an efficient 8 speed steptronic automatic gearbox complete with paddle shifters that returns an…

The BMW 5 Series is a four door five passenger mid size luxury sedan with variants ranging from a fuel-efficient turbocharged four cylinder to a four door fast back Gran Turismo version all the way up to the tail-wagging tire shredding M5 high performance machine.

The entry level model in the BMW 5 Series lineup is the 528i Sedan, starting at $46,700 and powered by a gas sipping 2.0 Liter TwinPower Turbo four cylinder producing 240 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque mated to an efficient 8 speed steptronic automatic gearbox complete with paddle shifters that returns an…

When BMW rolls out an all-new 3 Series, it's big news, since these have been the benchmark of German sedans for the last 30 years or more. It also sets off a tectonic shift in the entry-level luxury market, with the Mercedes-Benz C Class, Audi A, not to mention the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G and the Lexus GS suddenly called upon to step up their game to follow along.

This automotive war of attrition becomes a win for the consumer, as the arms race among the automakers gives the consumer a lot more choice. Really, who can argue with better, faster and safer cars every few years?

What's New
For 2012, BMW made the new 3 Series faster, more fuel-efficient and, to us, better looking in all respects. The 2012 model, BMW's sixth generation 3 Series, has grown in size.

The 3 Series is a whopping 3.66 inches longer with a two-inch longer wheelbase. Also, BMW made the vehicle a lot wider -- the front measuring 1.46 inches wider and the rear coming in at a booming Kim Kardashian-esque 1.85 inches wider. The 3 Series is kind of massive now -- the size of an old-generation 5 Series -- but, well, so are most Americans. That said, we like the size and think the 3 Series is still as nimble as a cat on a closely-cropped carpet.

To pull all that weight, BMW has rejiggered the base model 328i. Gone is the sweet-as-taffy naturally aspirated inline six-cylinder that powered countless BMWs and in its place is a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque -- more power than the outgoing V-6 but with a higher EPA rating too boot.

BMW says the 328i's 2.0-liter engine marks a return to the sedan's early sporting roots -- it was with a high-performance 4-cylinder engine that the BMW 3 Series made its debut back in 1975, with the first 6-cylinder engines making their first show at the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show.

BMW calls their turbo technology TwinPower -- not as in twin turbo, but twin power, which BMW says aims "to combine increased driving enjoyment with reduced fuel consumption and emissions."

For those that want more power -- and we at PopSci say bring it! -- there is the 335i, a nearly bulletproof turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that makes 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.

Both engines are offered with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox -- a first in the segment -- or a slick 6-speed manual gearbox. The consumer gets to choose how much they want that free hand to text.

What's Good
We like that the 3 Series is now also available in a trifecta of variants -- a Sport, Luxury and Modern Line, each with their own distinct trim and wheel packages. This seems to keep the mission creep of feature spec in check.

Also, the extra size looks good on the new 3 Series and goes a long way in creating a more refined and elegant profile for the car. To us, there is an overlap between the 3 and 5 Series models in terms of style and, well, class, which leaves room for the 1 Series, our favorite BMW of them all, to take the 2+2 sports car reins.

 

There's no sedan quite like the BMW 3-series. Yes, it needs to shed some pounds and its styling is certainly debatable. But it drives with such precision and offers such delicate feedback that we still regard it as the benchmark in its segment. For 2012, BMW faces the difficult task of replacing the current car with a completely new, sixth-generation model.

Captured by our spy photographers in Munich, Germany, this four-door is internally called the F30. There's a lot to come: The next-generation 3 will again be offered in number of body styles, including a wagon, coupe, and…

Powerful, elegant Bavarian thoroughbred seeks sporting companion

It's still quite new on the market but already has many admirers: In February, the new BMW 3-series was launched officially. Now the smart, energetic Bavarian is winning even more hearts at the international Motor Show in Geneva - helped by the tuning specialists at AC Schnitzer. The Aachen-based experts from AC Schnitzer help the 3-series make an even more impressive appearance with a performance upgrade for the BMW 328i. An extra control unit allows it to deliver 217 kW/ 295 HP and a maximum torque of 410 Nm onto the asphalt, and…

BMW is set to broaden the design of its 'X' family as shown by this rendering of the 2014 BMW X5 by German magazine Auto Zeitung.

Most prominent is the new grille, which is both larger and wider than the current design and similar to that seen on the latest generation 3-Series.

The headlights will use LED technology and the tail-light assembly will be redesigned using the layering concept as seen on BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept that allows for more depth to the surface.

There are more pronounced character lines that flow down the side panels, too, which enhance…