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2016 BMW 330i with M Performance Parts Shows the New Face of the Germans

Once upon a time, the model names of BMW cars used to stand for something. Usually, they told you what size the engine under the hood had and you could, from then on, start making your own calculations as to where your chances stood against the man driving the Bavarian machine.
2016 BMW 330i with M Performance Parts 18 photos
Photo: Facebook
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Well, those days are long gone, and with the turbocharged craze that took over the industry, anyone that’s not up to date with the latest changes has to guess what’s what and especially what hides under the hood. To us, it’s easy, but most people complain about it every day.

Up until now, this one editor had no issue with the changes, but it all took a different turn with the launch of the facelift version of the 3 Series. The 2016 model dropped the 335i and 328i models and replaced them with the 330i and 340i.

According to the unwritten rules of the brand, the 340i and 330i should house 4-liter or 3-liter mills, but that’s not the case. If I can understand and go with the 340i as a surrogate for the 335i that has gained some muscle in the meantime, I can’t cope with the 330i name.

It’s mostly because the 330i used to house an excellent 3-liter straight six-cylinder in the past, one that was naturally aspirated and delivered a good mix of torque and horsepower together with a pleasing soundtrack. It was the one to get before going mad with the M fever, the last step before the Motorsport division took over.

Today that badge is used for a much more mediocre and common 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that, truth be told, does deliver a lot more HP and torque than the old atmospheric units could. With 252 HP and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque, the differences are noticeable, especially down low in the rev range. As for the performance, the 5.8-second sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in standard RWD guise is impressive.

The car we’re showing you here is one of these and it goes to show what the blue and white roundel stands for today. It is equipped with M Performance parts such as all the orange accented add-ons visible on the front bumper, the side sills, the boot lid spoiler, and the wheels.

Looking at this car is mesmerizing. It makes you want to buy one because, truth be told, this is how all 3ers should look, but then again, as we said, this is the new face of BMW. It’s a face that asks you to pay more than for a bone stock M3 for a 3 Series and that’s not the way it should be.
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