CNN is calling the 3 Series wagon one of the best cars on sale in the US for dog owners. Of course this is not a shocker to anyone who has owned one (your owner included) but perhaps a great way to shed some light on one of BMW’s best kept secrets.
To put it plainly, we here at BF think that there isn’t a more perfect family vehicle than the one you see above. Too bad BMW North America is killing it in the US with the next generation 3er (the F30).
Looks like the battle for what ///M stands for continues on. Edmunds Inside Line contrasts the original ///M3 to what is currently offered in dealer showrooms. Is it even fair to compare two cars that are separated by 25 years? Bluetooth, cell phones and the like were not even things most people could fathom let alone require- Marty McFly was busy flying back in time when the original E30 M was made, today that movie series would more than likely never be produced but it is classic.
There is poise and fluency to this car that the years have not diminished. The chassis responses are so beautifully judged that a rhythm comes naturally to your driving. So many modern sports cars demand a point-and-squirt technique, because their performance is so colossal relative to the confines of the road. The E30 is not like that. It encourages you to think about driving again and then it responds with an enviable repertoire of skills.
The full article is well worth the read over at Edmunds
Ben Barry from British automotive magazine Car had a chance to do some back to back laps in every generation of M3 ever made at the Ascari test drive at a recent press event. As you’d expect (if you’ve ever read Car or Mr. Barry) his conclusions are nuanced and quite interesting. Here are a few excerpts:
I started with the E30 Sport Evo, a black one with just 7000km. Yes, it feels slow these days, the four-cylinder engine is a bit coarse, and that dog-leg gearbox takes some getting used to, but the steering is superb and – the best bit – the front end just goes where you point it. No understeer, no sense of weight pulling you wide of the apex. It just points and points and points until you ask to much of it and, eventually – through momentum rather than power – it oversteers.
Lovely car, the Sport Evo, and you can understand why us hacks slated its bigger, softer successor – the E36 – when it appeared in the early ’90s. But I’m fond of these cars – I’ve had two, the 3.0-litre coupe that I still own, and a 3.2-litre saloon – and it was a treat to drive a virtually factory fresh Daytona Violet 3.0-litre coupe and compare it with my leggy 3.0-litre that I’ve long ago converted into a trackday toy.
And now for no other reason than it’s Friday and we love to look at M cars, we present you BMW’s latest M3 competition package finished in the new Frozen Black Metallic. The color is available throughout the world (yes even the US) as a special order paint option.
The following an official press release from BMW UK. There are currently no plans for availability of the 320d in the North American market.
BMW’s cleanest and greenest 3 Series ever has just completed a record-breaking journey from the UK to Munich and back – on one tank of fuel.
Filled up at the Channel Tunnel, the new BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon made it to Munich, then as far as Lille on the return leg – a staggering total of 1,013 miles on a single tank of fuel – before needing to be refuelled.
To put it in a UK geographic context, the distance achieved would have meant being able to drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and still having 200 miles range left in the tank.
Another huge BMW Podcast for us. We recap Michael’s experience at last week’s BMW NA press event where he had to drive pretty much every car BMW imports to the US on the track. It also gives us our best debate yet on whether or not the 335is is truly an M3 killer. But what about the 135i with the new N55 engine? We had guessed it may be down on (actual) power as compared to the N54. Conclusions? You’ll have to listen!
We then move on to talk about the new Competition Package M3, 5 Series diesels (we drop some hints as to the engine we’ll likely see in the US) and of course the car we can’t get enough of, the Alpina B7.
Finally we touch on the incredible showing at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring with BMW winning the race outright.
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Updated with improved audio – this recording wasn’t quite the best but we’ve managed to work on the levels based on your feedback. Look for further improvements in next week’s show.
We’re celebrating our 20th episode of bringing you the best BMW news via the original BMW podcast and this week we’re fresh off drives of the 335is and the Z4 35is. We talk about both cars and how they bring M levels of performance to BMW’s “series” cars. Steering feel is back in the Z4 and the 335is sounds like a race car. What’s not to like? We also get you updates on the latest news around the 1M that will debut in Paris.
Did someone say wagons? We talk the ultimate wagon killer, the 550 GT and how it compares to the 5er wagon as well as wagons in general. It’s big, fast and surprisingly capable. Is it truly a replacement for wagons? You’ll have to listen.
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We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
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Sections: E90 3 Series Aug 18th, 2010 7 Comments 
