Photo: CarPix
The 3 Series is gently treading in the footsteps of the all-new 5 Series and 7 Series models. Scheduled to come out next year, the Bavarian executive cruiser has started to reveal some of its secrets.
According to a recent article by Auto Motor und Sport, the sedan will be codenamed G20 while riding on the same CLAR platform as its bigger brothers.
That translates into more modern fabrication methods and better materials, including a little bit of CFRP from the i projects. Weight will be shaved, about 40 kilograms or 88 lbs of it, which is significant for a car that will also grow in proportions.
From bumper to bumper, the G20 will be bout 6cm (2.3 inches) longer than its predecessor with about 2cm (0.7 inches) of that being between the axles. When will cars stop growing?
While losing weight, the 3er will gain power. It's said that all the engines will continue to use the common 0.5-liter cylinder, while the average output of the gasoline units will rise by 7 HP and 20 Nm (15 lb-ft).
The smaller diesels that Europeans like aren't being neglected, as the 316d will go from 115to 136 PS, the 318d from 150 PS to 163 PS and the 320d from 190 to 204 PS. With an extra turbo, the same 2-liter will pack 238 PS in the 325d.
BMW will more carefully tailor the 3 Series' top engines using M Performance goodies. Both an M340i and M340d will slot below the M3 offering around 370 and 320 PS, respectively. For most people, that will be more than enough, especially with xDrive adding traction.
But BMW's trump car for performance is the M3, and the next generation will come out with something new. No, not an all-wheel drive system like the M5, but an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. Guess that makes it auto-only. A 48-volt electric system will help disperse those ultra-quick electrons and help the twin-turbo 3-liter deliver 460 PS. Which 3-liter? The one they're currently putting into the X3 M.
That translates into more modern fabrication methods and better materials, including a little bit of CFRP from the i projects. Weight will be shaved, about 40 kilograms or 88 lbs of it, which is significant for a car that will also grow in proportions.
From bumper to bumper, the G20 will be bout 6cm (2.3 inches) longer than its predecessor with about 2cm (0.7 inches) of that being between the axles. When will cars stop growing?
While losing weight, the 3er will gain power. It's said that all the engines will continue to use the common 0.5-liter cylinder, while the average output of the gasoline units will rise by 7 HP and 20 Nm (15 lb-ft).
The smaller diesels that Europeans like aren't being neglected, as the 316d will go from 115to 136 PS, the 318d from 150 PS to 163 PS and the 320d from 190 to 204 PS. With an extra turbo, the same 2-liter will pack 238 PS in the 325d.
BMW will more carefully tailor the 3 Series' top engines using M Performance goodies. Both an M340i and M340d will slot below the M3 offering around 370 and 320 PS, respectively. For most people, that will be more than enough, especially with xDrive adding traction.
But BMW's trump car for performance is the M3, and the next generation will come out with something new. No, not an all-wheel drive system like the M5, but an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. Guess that makes it auto-only. A 48-volt electric system will help disperse those ultra-quick electrons and help the twin-turbo 3-liter deliver 460 PS. Which 3-liter? The one they're currently putting into the X3 M.
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