New Info on the BMW 3 Series Facelift

As the 2010 Geneva Auto Show is still some three months away, the revised versions of the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible models still keep a tight lid on what they will bring new to the table. This however doesn't stop some pieces of information from leaking here and there on the web, you know, to keep us interested.

As you have seen in the set of spyshots showing the 3 Series coupe we brought you back in October, the facelift will come with modifications to the front bumper, headlights, rear bumper and stoplights, while a new side skirt design is hinted by the lateral camouflage.

Those are the old pieces of information. The new ones say the revised 3 Series will bring, for the top of the line 335i model, the coveted M Sport package, only with 19 inch wheels. According to BMWblog, the automatic transmission will feature the previous generation shift paddles.

The most exciting news is that the new 3 Series will also get an "is" version, 335is, for both the coupe and convertible. Loosely translated, this means a car packing 335 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb.-ft. That's without the electronically-controlled overboost function which can increase torque to 369 lb.-ft for short periods of time... According to the source, the six-cylinder turbocharged engine will be paired with either a DCT or a Sport Automatic transmission.

Sure, the facelift, an intermediary step in the projected transformation of the 3 Series, may not interest you as much as the 2012 BMW 3 Series shown in the spyshots here. Still, as this latter one is some one-two years away, we'll have to make due with the version to be showcased in Geneva.