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By
EWAN KENNEDY
29 January 2007
So successful have been the last two generations of BMW 3 Series
coupe that the company has been able to devote a considerably bigger
budget to this latest one. Which means that this model has so much
differentiation from the 3 Series sedan that it can almost be called a
model in its own right.
This thought came to us several times during the week that we
have just spent road testing the car in our home area. This sort
of road testing not only lets us carry out our usual acceleration,
braking and handling tests, but also permits us to ‘live’ with
the car for a while. Thus noticing the little things, like how
well it copes in shopping centres, heavy traffic and other
apparently mundane areas of real life.
And the more we drove the new 3 Series coupe the more we loved
it. Other than the lack of back doors, that we really don’t need
all that often, my wife and I would have been more than happy to
live with one on a permanent basis. Though the bank account would
have raised critical objections, because with a price tag of
$108,900 this coupe requires a considerable outlay.
OK, we could have cut this to ‘only’ $70,200 if we had gone
for the 323i coupe, but having sampled the big-gun twin-turbo
model that would have been a real letdown.
BMW engineers have excelled themselves in designing the 335i
engine. The sensational 3.0-litre straight-six, bi-turbo
powerplant produces a stunning 225 kW. Torque kicks in virtually
instantly as the twin small turbos spool up faster than would a
single, heavier one. A hefty 400 Newton metres is offered through
a wide rev range.
Such are the characteristics of this engine that apart from the
times when we gave it a caning to find out what it could do at the
limits, we were seldom running it an anything other than its
torque peak.
This engine is a real delight to sit behind, being silky smooth
at all times and more than willing to climb and drop in revs
throughout the range.
Power is taken to rear wheels through either a full six-speed
manual gearbox, or a six-speed Steptronic automatic. The latter
has plenty of genuine overrides that give you a fair degree of
manual control. Give us the full manual any day, though, the only
way to go in a car like this…
Fuel consumption indicates the efficiency of any engine and
this twin-turbo unit will typically only use eight to nine litres
per hundred kilometres in easy cruising conditions. Hunt it along
hard and it’s still not likely to go much over 13 to 14 litres
per hundred. Which is a pretty good number for any powerplant that
delivers a peak of 300 horsepower.
This sporting BMW has 50/50 weight balance thanks to the use of
rear-wheel drive. However, part of the balance is achieved by
setting the straight-six engine well back, thus robbing some foot
width from the front passengers. Other than that the front seats
are comfortable with good shaping and plenty of adjustments.
Getting into and out of the rear seats is never easy in any
coupe, but the 3 Series isn’t too bad. Once into the seats the
occupants will find there's reasonable space, including headroom,
for anyone of average height and build.
We found the styling of the latest 3 Series coupe less
challenging than that of some recent cars from BMW. We
particularly like the style crease that starts subtly behind the
top of the front wheel arch, then creates a wave pattern as it
rises and falls rearwards to meet up with the forward thrust of
the rear lights.
The interior has a light, airy feel with a two-tone finish in
the modern German manner. A handy feature sees the new 3 Series
coupe passing the top portion of the safely belts to the two front
occupants when the car is started.
This fourth-generation BMW 335i coupe provides a great
combination of style elegance performance and handling that will
appeal to all driving enthusiasts.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
323i 2.5-litre two-door coupe - $70,200
325i 2.5-litre two-door coupe - $81,900
335i 3.0-litre two-door coupe - $108,900
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on all models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (BMW 335i 3.0-litre two-door coupe)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.979 litres
Configuration: Longitudinal, six cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Bore/Stroke: 89.6 x 84.0mm
Maximum Power: 225 kW @ 5800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 400 Nm @ 1500-5000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.08:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4580mm
Wheelbase: 2760mm
Width: 1782mm
Height: 1375mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1525kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 63 litres
Towing Ability: 745kg (1700kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Double-joint tiebar spring-strut axle, coil
springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Five-arm axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.5 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 14.4 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 98RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 9.5 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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Marque Publishing Company
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