BMW 3 Series
Pre-Covid 19 we took the all-new BMW 3 Series Sedan on the highways and backroads in Algarve, Portugal. We had an opportunity to test drive the new 3 on the track which was thrilling. At a starting price of $41,250 plus destination fee this is a great value. Over the past few years, the 3 Series is still the standard measure for automotive alike and the 2021 BMW 3 Series sedan is the core of BMW with over 15 million cars sold worldwide makes the BMW 3 Series the heart and passion of the BMW brand.
The BMW 3 Series become BMW’s most successful model and over the course of six model generations and the BMW 3 Series has ranked as the world’s biggest-selling premium car. With their evolving high-performance engines and chassis technology BMW has earned a reputation as a pioneer of technological innovations. The latest edition of the car sees BMW building on the sporting tradition of the 3 Series, whose exploits in race competition have earned it many accolades. The seventh generation of this sports sedan moves the game forward once again in terms of driving dynamics, premium quality, and innovation.
The body is stiffer and larger now and the suspension and drivetrain use more aluminum than before all making this new 3 more lofty and dynamic. The exterior design uses a combination of precisely drawn lines and strikingly contoured surfaces to create a modern interpretation of the sporting aesthetic. Its new design provides a clear showcase of the athletic character of the car. The new 3 Series Sedan is 2.9 inches longer than its predecessor, 0.6 inches wider, and 0.5 inches taller. Inside you will notice a new design with an increased spaciousness of the cabin and the cockpit’s focus on the driver to enhance their focus on the road ahead. The instrument panel has a modern, light look, and its horizontal lines, high-quality electroplated trim strips, and contours extending into the doors lend themselves to a feeling of width and elegance. The coordinated design of the door trim, instrument panel, and center console create an all-around feeling of space and a sporting aura. With their dynamic lines and clasp-style door openers, the front and rear door trim panels create a neatly coherent impression. The newly-designed instrument cluster and Control Display form a large surfaced screen grouping, while the controls not included in these units are clustered into clearly structured function panels. In the center of the instrument panel, the displays and buttons for the air conditioning and the central air vents form a sharply designed unit, while the light functions are operated from a panel of buttons next to the steering wheel. The start/stop button for the engine is now positioned in a classy control panel in the center console, where the gearshift lever or newly designed selector lever is joined by the iDrive Controller and the buttons for the Driving Experience Control switch unit and electromechanical parking brake.
Also inside the new, the standard lighting is composed entirely of LEDs. The optional ambient lighting results in atmospherically rich illumination of the cabin, which can also be adjusted as desired. But it is the BMW Live Cockpit infotainment system with the standard hi-fi audio features ten speakers and an amplifier with 205 watts of output that is something. Our test car had the optional Harman Kardon surround sound system, which upgrades the system to 16 speakers and a digital seven-channel amplifier generating an output of 464 watts.
The seventh generation of BMW’s iconic sports sedan
Driving the curvy roads in Portugal demonstrated this new BMW’s enhanced driving dynamics, agile handling characteristics, high-precision steering, and superior braking performance. These glaring enhancements can be attributed to weight optimization, a low center of gravity, a perfect 50:50 front/rear weight distribution, and, above all, by the increase in the front and rear track compared with the predecessor model and the stiffness of the body structure and suspension mountings. The increased rigidity of the body and suspension mountings enables the M Sport suspension and Adaptive M suspension to go about their work in the most efficient way possible. To best tell the story of this new 3 we could go on for days, but its popularity and demand, tell the story without exaggeration. There are many technologies and special features offered with this new BMW Series 3 and its fabulous Back-Up Assistant, which helps the driver to exit parking spots or maneuver when space is limited, will be a time-saving and streamlining feature for city drivers worldwide. This system is the only one of its kind. The system is then able to reverse the vehicle for distances of up to 50 yards by steering it along exactly the same line it has just taken when moving forward, while all the driver has to do is operate the accelerator and brake pedals and monitor the area around the car. The All-New BMW 3 Series Sedan, the lightest and lowest ever, with its improved horsepower and torque from the 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo, is the most powerful production 4-cylinder in 3 Series history. 2019 BMW 3 Series Sedan.
Photography: Guenter Schmied
