Individual style now comes in a new expression: the all new BMW 3 Series Coupé, introduced by BMW Group, sets a new benchmark in terms of dynamic and unique style, offering a brand new look of all-round elegance. The new 3 Series Coupé will be available across the Middle East starting September 2006.
Raising the standard of driving dynamics, the new BMW 3 Series Coupé introduces a truly exceptional power now making its debut in the automotive world market: the first straight-six cylinder complete with a twin turbocharger, high-precision fuel injection and an all-aluminum crankcase.
“We expect tremendous success for this all new BMW 3 Series Coupé. With its unique exterior design, high quality interior craftsmanship and the excellent performing twin-turbo engine, the new 3 Series Coupé is everything that BMW cars stand for” said Guenther Seemann, Managing Director, BMW Group Middle East.
“The new BMW 325i Coupé will form the entry point to the range. Delivering 218hp and 250Nm of torque from its 2.5-litre in-line six-cylinder engine, zero to 100km/hour is achieved in 6.9 seconds and the top speed is 247km/h. However, performance does not compromise economy with the BMW 325i Coupé delivering 8.5mpg on the combined cycle. This is made possible thanks to BMW’s patented VALVETRONIC variable induction technology and VANOS variable valve timing that, when combined, balance the requirements of performance and economy.”
Despite its close technical ties with the BMW 3 Series Saloon, designers set out with the goal of differentiating the two-door model more than its predecessors. From the front, side and rear, the car is clearly related to other 3 Series models but has its classically elongated shape. Adopting BMW’s typical Coupé proportions of long wheelbase, short overhangs, long bonnet, cabin set to the rear and a low, sleek roofline, the new 3 Series Coupé has an elegant profile.
Key highlights in exterior design are the kidney grilles and restyled headlamps that give a bold yet elegant frontal view. At the rear, the broad rear lights use horizontal light rods with bright LED illumination to accentuate the low, wide appearance of the rear of the car.
The all-new Coupé bodyshell clothes the twin-turbo 3.0-litre engine in the new BMW 335i that develops 306hp and 400Nm of torque between 1,300 - 5,000rpm. With such performance statistics, the 335i forms the pinnacle of the new 3 Series range.
The 335i Coupé accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, and, if left unchecked, would travel on to an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. This level of performance is made possible by two turbochargers, each supplying compressed air to three cylinders each. The use of two smaller units ensures that the turbochargers react more quickly to changes in the throttle position all the way to the 7,000rpm red line while also eliminating the previous scourge of turbocharged engines – ‘turbo lag’.
This level of economy is also made possible as a result of a number of weight and power saving measures in the engine. The 325i Coupé is the latest BMW to benefit from the magnesium – aluminum composite cylinder block first seen on the BMW 630i in Spring 2004. The lightweight combination of materials reduces the overall mass of the car and helps achieve the near-perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution for improved handling.
Using an innovative torque converter and software set up, the new automatic gearbox offers a 40 per cent improvement in the response time to throttle inputs and a gear-shift time nearly half that of a conventional automatic transmission. Whenever a driver wants to take control of gear changes a pair of selection paddles located behind the steering wheel can be used to change gears.
