Photo: S. Baldauf/SB Medien
Some people might’ve thought we were crazy when we first reported that the new 3 Series facelift will come out with two new model names but here we are today, looking at a production chart that confirms out initial info.
As it turns out, our trusty source inside BMW was right and the 340i is scheduled for production starting July/August 2015 in two plants: Munich and Rosslyn. The name is basically a first for the company as no other 3 Series model in the past used the ‘340i’ moniker.
The change is needed not to announce that the plant under the bonnet has a displacement of 4,000 ccs as you might presume but to let us know that the power was slightly increased. The same source that told us that the 340i will come out is the same one that says that the new B58 engine used by this model will have 320 HP and 320 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque.
There are a couple of reasons to explain why these numbers were agreed upon but the most important one is the gearbox. The 8HP45 gearbox from ZF that is currently used by 3 Series models with petrol engines has a maximum tolerance of 450 Nm (320 lb-ft) of torque so anything above it would translate into using a different gearbox and that would increase production costs.
However, a question remains unanswered: what about the M Performance models?
It would seem that the M Performance 340i that was rumored to come true in the near future was just a hoax and it won’t make it into production, leaving us without a competitor for Mercedes-Benz’s C450 AMG Sport.
On the other hand, the 1 Series and 2 Series ranges that have the M135i and M235i models within their ranks will not get 140i and 240i alternatives so they should be fine in terms of sales.
As we already said, the production of the 340i will begin in July and August so we can expect a full reveal of the LCI 3 Series this spring.
Editor's Note: it seems like the 328e plug-in hybrid will also go into production this year, in November to be more precise.
The change is needed not to announce that the plant under the bonnet has a displacement of 4,000 ccs as you might presume but to let us know that the power was slightly increased. The same source that told us that the 340i will come out is the same one that says that the new B58 engine used by this model will have 320 HP and 320 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque.
There are a couple of reasons to explain why these numbers were agreed upon but the most important one is the gearbox. The 8HP45 gearbox from ZF that is currently used by 3 Series models with petrol engines has a maximum tolerance of 450 Nm (320 lb-ft) of torque so anything above it would translate into using a different gearbox and that would increase production costs.
However, a question remains unanswered: what about the M Performance models?
It would seem that the M Performance 340i that was rumored to come true in the near future was just a hoax and it won’t make it into production, leaving us without a competitor for Mercedes-Benz’s C450 AMG Sport.
On the other hand, the 1 Series and 2 Series ranges that have the M135i and M235i models within their ranks will not get 140i and 240i alternatives so they should be fine in terms of sales.
As we already said, the production of the 340i will begin in July and August so we can expect a full reveal of the LCI 3 Series this spring.
Editor's Note: it seems like the 328e plug-in hybrid will also go into production this year, in November to be more precise.
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