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BMW's Coupé de grace
09.08.2006 |
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BMW 3 Series Coupé
Price £28,090
On Sale September
You´ll like... Refined drive; brilliant engine
You won´t? Still-questionable looks
BMW says the new 3 Series Coupé you see here is more different than ever from the saloon.
This could be cause for concern, given how good the four-door is, but rest easy - the company is referring only to its styling, which is the one area where most people agree that the saloon doesn´t quite hit the spot. The Coupé, as ever, aims to retain the saloon´s fine drive and quality but deliver them in a slinkier, sportier package. To this end, every exterior panel is different. We reckon the smoother front and rear, and longer, lower body gives the Coupé a more squat, sleek profile, but you can decide for yourself.
Using the same wheelbase and same basic steering and suspension systems as the saloon, BMW´s engineers have made a few tweaks to provide an even more focused feel. The results are predictably impressive: the 3 Series might not be the sportiest-looking Coupé, but few are as rewarding to drive.
Outstanding grip and body control inspire masses of confidence, and on twisty roads the Coupé´s exceptional composure is easy to take for granted. It´s only when you glance down at the speedo or stop to think how the BMW´s rivals would deal with the same stretch of road that you realise just how accomplished it is.
The steering helps - it´s as well weighted, precise and communicative as you could wish for. The cars we drove featured the standard set-up - BMW´s Active Steering system is available as an option, but while this takes the effort out of parking manoeuvres and provides a quick turn-in, it´s not to all tastes.
Our test route - on generally smooth Austrian roads - didn´t give us the best chance to assess the Coupé´s ride quality, but it´s clear that the suspension´s slightly firmer approach might prove unforgiving on the UK´s more demanding roads. Even so, the Coupé is a comfortable and refined cruiser. On the motorway it feels solid and assured and although there´s a fraction more wind noise than the saloon (blame those frameless side windows) it still shuts out road noise brilliantly.
UNDER THE BONNET
All pretty standard up to now, but there´s a big one in the engine range. As you´d expect, there are the 2.5- and 3.0-litre petrols and a 3.0-litre diesel familiar from the saloon, but two high-performance additions sit at the top of the range.
First there´s the 335d, which uses a version of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel engine first seen in the 535d. The shock, though, is the new 335i petrol. With both direct injection and two turbochargers, it represents a big shift in BMW´s thinking.
The idea is simple enough: to provide V8 performance with economy and emissions equivalent to a smaller engine. The mechanics are more complex, but it´s enough to know that it works brilliantly. BMW purists needn´t worry that it compromises the smoothness traditionally associated with its six-cylinder engines, because the two small turbochargers combine to provide such a seamless flow of power that you´d never know it was turbocharged at all. The tell-tale wheeze you get with many blown engines is also absent and, although it sounds a little gruff when idling, it´s quiet on the move.
As you´d expect with 306bhp (just 32bhp shy of the outgoing M3), the 335i is brutally quick when you want it to be. We drove cars with both the six-speed manual and optional automatic gearboxes. In either, what´s most impressive is the engine´s sheer flexibility, which comes courtesy of tremendous pulling muscle (26lb ft more than the current M3), available from just 1300rpm.
So where does this leave the next M3? Well, to provide more power than ever, it´s expected to have a V8 under the bonnet when it arrives towards the end of 2007. At the other end of the scale, 320i and 320d models will offer a more affordable entry point to the range when they arrive next spring.
Whichever version you choose, the Coupé´s interior is largely carried over from the saloon´s, which is no bad thing. There´s the same simple dash, a similarly excellent driving position and equally faultless quality.
The Coupé is almost as practical, too. Access to the rear seats is less straightforward, of course, and the boot opening is a little tighter, but there´s ample legroom for everyone and plenty of headroom in the front. As with the saloon, however, rear headroom is rather tight, and the boot - although a good size - is awkwardly shaped.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Pricing for the full range hasn´t been announced, but the 325i will come in SE trim and cost £28,090. That´s £2250 more than the saloon version, but you get extra equipment, including xenon headlights and electric driver´s seat adjustment. Climate control, six airbags, automatic headlights and wipers come as standard, along with reverse parking sensors.
The 335i SE isn´t cheap at £33,420, but when you consider that its closest rival - the Mercedes CLK 500 - costs over £46,000 and has 4bhp less, it doesn´t seem bad value for money.
We like
Twin-turbo technology
The 335i Coupé is the first example of engine technology we expect to spread across the BMW range. Using two small turbos and direct injection gives better performance, but brings fewer emissions penalties.
BUYER´S FILE
Engine size |
2.5 |
3.0 |
3.0T |
3.0TD |
3.0TD |
Price from |
£28,090 |
£31,500(est) |
£33,420 |
£32,000(est) |
£35,000(est) |
Power |
218bhp |
272bhp |
306bhp |
231bhp |
286bhp |
0-62mph |
6.9sec |
6.1sec |
5.5sec |
6.6sec |
6.1sec |
Top speed |
152mph |
155mph |
155mph |
155mph |
155mph |
Economy |
33.6mpg |
32.1mpg |
29.7mpg |
43.5mpg |
37.7mpg |
CO2 g/km/tax |
203/27% |
212/29% |
228/32% |
174/24% |
200/30% |
INSURANCE GROUP tbc
AIRBAGS 6
DOORS 2
SEATS 4
COLOURS tbc