|
Introduction
The BMW 3 Series coupes have been completely redesigned for 2007. These
all-new, fifth-generation coupes follow on the heels the new BMW 3 Series
sedans that were introduced last year.
With sleeker styling and carrying less weight than a four-door sedan, the
two-door or coupe version of BMW's 3 Series model has special appeal for
drivers who demand sporty driving dynamics but need a back seat and a decent
sized trunk.
If you think of a coupe as merely a sedan with two less doors, you need to
change your thinking as it applies to BMW. The coupe is nearly two inches
longer, more than an inch trimmer and has a roofline that is more than two
inches lower than the sedan's. In fact, the only exterior component the coupe
shares with the 3 Series sedan is door handles, and the coupe needs only two of
them, so right there, one segment of component weight is cut in half.
Handling is sharp, responsive, precise, yet the ride isn't harsh, in spite of
the fact that a sport suspension comes as standard equipment.
The 2007 BMW 335i coupe features a new twin-turbocharged engine that puts out
300 horsepower, which makes for the ultimate driving machine. We found it to be
an extremely responsive and pleasing car, with none of the turbo lag associated
with turbochargers. Meanwhile, the 328xi features all-wheel drive, which
enhances traction in wet or snowy weather. A new convertible with a retracting
hardtop and the next ultra-high-performance M3 are anticipated for launch in
calendar year 2007.
Model Lineup
The 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe is available in three versions: 328i, 328xi, and
335i. Variables among the models include engines, transmissions, drivetrain and
standard and optional equipment. The 328i and 335i are rear-wheel drive; the
328xi is all-wheel drive.
The 328i ($35,300) and the 328xi ($37,100) are propelled by a 3.0-liter inline
six-cylinder engine that pumps out 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque.
They offer a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The 335i ($40,600) also has a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, but two
small turbochargers and special fuel injectors boost the engine's output to 300
horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. That power flows to the rear wheels
through either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 335i adds
matte 18-inch wheels (vs. 17s on the 328i and 328xi), larger brake discs front
and rear, chrome exhaust tips, eight-way power front seats with memory on the
driver's side and a 13-speaker Logic 7 audio system.
Safety features that come standard on all 2007 3 Series coupes include frontal,
side-impact and side-curtain airbags; dynamic stability control with several
advanced braking technologies including one that helps remove water from the
brakes in rainy weather, run-flat tires with a tire-pressure monitoring system.
The 328xi features BMW's xDrive system for improved stability in adverse
conditions.
Standard equipment on all 3 Series coupes includes leatherette upholstery,
automatic climate control, xenon headlamps, fog lamps, heated windshield washer
nozzles, door handles with ground lighting, adaptive brake lights that alert
trailing drivers to harder braking by the BMW driver, a start/stop button
rather than a traditional turn-key ignition, power mirrors and windows and
locks with remote locking, tilt and telescoping steering column with audio
controls on the steering wheel, power front seats, a choice for four interior
trims (two shades of walnut, gray poplar or brushed aluminum), a power
moonroof, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, front and rear cup holders, fold-down rear
seatbacks and a four-year/50,000-mile warranty with free maintenance (including
oil changes and wiper blades) and roadside assistance. The rear-wheel-drive
328i and 335i come with Sport suspension much like that which was optional on
the previous generation of the 3 Series coupe.
Options include automatic transmission ($1,275), active steering ($1,250),
Comfort Access ($500) that allows entry (unlocking) and exit (locking) with the
key in your pocket or purse, heated front seats ($500), rear park distance
control ($350), active cruise control ($2,200), satellite navigation ($2,100),
Sirius satellite radio ($595), leather upholstery ($1,450).
The Sport package ($1,000) includes sport seats with adjustable side bolsters,
18-inch alloy wheels with performance tires. The Premium package ($3,150)
includes leather upholstery, digital compass in the interior mirror, universal
garage door transceiver, power folding exterior mirrors, auto-dimming for all
three mirrors, memory seats and four years of BMW assist safety plan that
automatically notifies emergency services in a collision as well as providing
concierge, traffic, weather and other information; it costs less on the 335i.
The cold weather package ($750) includes heated front seats, headlamp washers
and a ski bag; it costs less on the 328xi.
Walkaround
BMW's design brief for the 2007 3 Series coupe was to give it an elegant yet
athletic look that would clearly differentiate it from the four-door sedan
introduced a year earlier. While the two vehicles share their 108.7-inch
wheelbases, they share no sheetmetal.
The coupe is longer and lower and not as wide. By using standard Xenon
headlamps, its front light fixtures are smaller, and are nicely set off above
the deep front fascia with its wide array of air inlets to feed the powerful
twin-turbocharged engine.
The hood is long and includes a subtle power dome to indicate that there is
substantial horsepower underneath. The hood line, which actually starts down in
the front apron, leads up and back toward a roofline that is long and smooth
and inches lower than that on the sedan (but don't worry, there's plenty of
headroom even in the back seat).
The sides of the car feature BMW's flame surface treatment, a design that
accentuates the way the light is reflected to make the car look like it's
accelerating even when it's sitting still. Even the new rear view mirrors were
designed to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. Short front and rear overhangs add
to the aggressive profile.
One purpose of the design was to lead the observer's eyes toward the rear
wheels and quarter panels as a way to visually express that this is a sporty
car propelled by its rear wheels.
Seen from the rear, the new 3 Series coupe looks wide and low, with prominent
tail lamps above dual exhaust tips that provide a visual clue that the car
ahead has a powerful engine.
While sleek and elegant, the coupe's new body also is strong and lightweight.
Compared to the sedan, the coupe is 22 pounds lighter even though it carries
more standard equipment. The use of composite materials for things such as the
front fenders helps keep the car light and the use of high-strength steel helps
keep it strong and rigid, some 25 percent more rigid than the previous
generation.
Interior Features
Like the car's exterior, the interior of the 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe is elegant
while also being sporty, and roomy.
BMW gives 3 Series coupe customers many trim choices, including beige, saddle
brown, black, gray and red upholstery and burl walnut, brown or gray poplar or
brushed aluminum trim.
While the interior has design cues similar to the 3 Series sedans, there are
many subtle changes, such as additional tick marks on the gauges.
The cockpit will look and feel familiar to BMW 3 Series owners, though they'll
appreciate the new ambient lighting system at night and the way their shoulder
belts are presented to them by arms that emerge from little doors built into
the rear side interior trim panels. It used to be that the driver and
front-seat passenger had to reach way back to find their shoulder belts, but
now they simply sit down and close the doors and the belts come to them.
Particularly impressive is the care given to the rear seating area. For one
thing, the rear seat is designed for two people and thus provides them with
good space, and even a lot of leg and head as well as shoulder room. They have
ventilation controls they can manipulate and lots of storage areas and a wide
armrest with cup holders.
It's almost like sitting in a small limousine. There are even buttons on the
outside edge of the front seats, in the shoulder area, so someone sitting in
the back seat can reach up and power the front seat forward to ease exit from
the rear of the car.
If you need to carry cargo rather than people, the rear seatback is split and
each side folds forward to expand the trunk from its standard 11.1 cubic feet
of capacity. The trunk lid features compound hinges, not gooseneck hinges that
can crush your luggage.
Driving Impressions
The 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe represents the newest and fifth generation of a
vehicle that traces back nearly four decades to the BMW 2002, one of BMW's most
famous cars and which many consider to be the original European sports sedan
(in this case, "sedan" means four- or five-passenger car with a fixed metallic
roof, as opposed to a two-seat roadster or convertible).
The new 335i is the first BMW in some 25 years to have a turbocharged engine.
BMW was committed to increasing on the 255 horsepower provided by the inline
six-cylinder engine used in the previous 3 Series coupe. One way would have
been to switch to a V8, but BMW opted to another solution, one that would
combine the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of the inline-6.
That solution was to develop an engine that incorporated two small
turbochargers, fan-like devices that boost the air pressure within the engine
to enhance the fuel combustion cycle, therefore getting more power without
increasing the number of cylinders. Another drawback BMW saw with the V8 was
that it would be heavier, and would add weight to the car's nose, which does
not help the sort of dynamic handling qualities on which BMW has built its
reputation.
The key to the twin turbo engine's performance isn't just its forced induction
system, but also the engineers use of special and so-called piezo fuel
injectors. By precise control of the air/fuel mixture and its placement within
the cylinder, BMW is able to optimize the engine's performance not just in
power output but also in fuel economy and in a reduction of as much as 20
percent in harmful exhaust emissions.
Even while delivering 300 horsepower, the twin turbo engine is rated at 19 mpg
in the city and 28 on the highway with the manual transmission and at 20/29 mpg
with the automatic. To put those figures in context, the 230-hp engine in the
new 328i, which does not have the special injectors, is rated at 20/30 in fuel
economy.
Turbocharged engines often have what is known as turbo lag, a period of
hesitation between the time the driver tips into the throttle and the time the
turbocharger spools up to boost the power. To the driver, it feels as though
nothing is happening, and then suddenly the engine explodes into action. But by
using two smaller turbos, and by keeping them turning even at slow speeds, BMW
was able to fine tune the system to eliminate lag. Instead, power is provided
in a smooth and linear delivery as the needles on the tachometer and
speedometer sweep their arcs across their respective dials.
By spooling the turbos earlier, maximum torque is achieved at just 1400 rpm and
holds steady all the way to 5000, just about the point at which horsepower is
reaching its peak. Thus this six-cylinder engine has torque delivery much like
that of a V8. While we enjoy shifting gears, the engine is strong enough that
on our drive on wonderful winding roads through the hill country between San
Francisco and Bodega Bay in northern California, we could be content to simply
pick third or fourth, depending on the speed we wanted to travel, and enjoy the
scenery while the engine's broad power band kept the car's momentum flowing.
After driving a 335i with a manual transmission in the morning, we switched
after lunch to a 335i with the automatic transmission, one equipped with paddle
shifters on the steering wheel. Again, we found the car very responsive even
when we let the transmission shift on its own. For those who like paddle
shifting, BMW notes that it had cut the transmission's response time to the
paddles in half to enhance the driver's sense of control.
To make sure power is used most efficiently, BMW uses different transmissions
for different 3 Series coupes. The 328i has either a Getrag I manual or
GM-sourced automatic. The 328xi gets a Getrag H manual or the GM automatic. The
335i has either a ZF Type G manual or a ZF high-performance 19 TU automatic.
Some might worry that equipping the 335i with Sport suspension as standard
equipment would make the ride too harsh. It does not. Instead, with aluminum
suspension arms and other changes, the Sport setup not only reduces unsprung
weight, thus making the car more responsive to steering inputs, but with such a
solid chassis, the suspension can be fine tuned to provide both the dynamic
ride that enthusiast drivers like without sacrificing the smooth ride qualities
that pleases their passengers. The Sport suspension may be jolted by potholes,
but it responds immediately and maintains control rather than seesawing up and
down.
Turn-in with the 335i is quick and sure, even with the standard steering gear.
BMW's active steering system is available as an option and is designed to help
the driver's control by providing a variable steering ratio that makes
low-speed maneuvers easier but that also enhances on-center steering control at
Interstate or even autobahn speeds.
Also helping the driver maintain control is the inclusion of dynamic stability
control as standard equipment. This computerized technology works with the
anti-lock braking system to apply individual brakes to help keep the car on the
driver's intended path. BMW's newest version of this technology also does such
things as keeping the brakes drier in wet weather, thus shortening stopping
distances.
The 335i also has very large brakes: 13.7-inch discs on the front wheels and
13.2-inch discs at the rear. BMW is known for its marvelous brakes, and to help
keep its cars from being rear-ended in emergency stops, the German automaker
equips cars such as the 3 Series coupes with adaptive two-stage tail lights to
signal those behind of hard and fast stops.
BMW says the 335i accelerates to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds. Even
the 328s are quick, with the rear-wheel drive version hitting 60 in 6.2 seconds
and the 328xi getting there in just 6.8 seconds.
Summary
For drivers who want a two-seat sports car but need a back seat and trunk, the
new BMW 3 Series coupe may indeed be the ultimate driving machine. That's
especially true with the 300-hp BMW 335i. Yet the new 3 Series coupe is also
available with the sure-footed traction of all-wheel drive, meaning that those
living in the snow belt can enjoy their driving machines in the winter.
NewCarTestDrive.com contributor Larry Edsall filed this report from Marin
County, California.
|
