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The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in eight generations.
The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in eight generations. The first generation of the 3 Series was only available as a 2-door saloon; the model range expanded to include a 4-door saloon, 2-door convertible, 2-door coupé, 5-door estate, 5-door liftback ("Gran Turismo"; discontinued in 2019) and 3-door hatchback body styles. Since 2013, the coupé and convertible models have been marketed as the 4 Series; these styles no longer being included in the 3 Series. The 3 Series is BMW's best-selling model line, accounting for around 30% of the BMW brand's annual total car sales, and has won numerous awards throughout its history. The M version of the 3 series, M3, debuted with the E30 M3 in 1986.
The E21 replaced the 02 Series and was initially available as a 2-door saloon (also described as coupé). At launch, all models used carburetted 4-cylinder engines; however, fuel-injected models were introduced in late 1975 and 6-cylinder engines were added in 1977. A cabriolet body style – manufactured by Baur – was available from 1978 to 1981.
On introduction in 1982, the E30 was produced solely in the 2-door sedan body style. Four-door sedan models were introduced in 1983, convertibles were introduced in 1985 and estate ("Touring") models were introduced in 1987. The E30 was the first 3 Series to be available in wagon and 4-door sedan body styles. It was also the first 3 Series to offer a diesel engine, and all-wheel drive was introduced to the 3 Series range with the 325iX model. The BMW Z1 roadster was based on the E30 platform. The first BMW M3 was built on the E30 platform. The E30 M3 is powered by the high-revving S14 four-cylinder petrol engine, which produced 175 kW (235 hp) in its final European-only iteration.
The E36 was sold in the following body styles: sedan, coupé, convertible, wagon (marketed as "Touring"), and hatchback (marketed as "3 Series Compact"). The Compact model, which was shorter than the three-box versions, was powered by the BMW's four-cylinder engines developed during the 1990s. The E36 was the first 3 Series to be offered in a hatchback body style. It was also the first 3 Series to be available with a 6-speed manual transmission (in the 1996 M3), a 5-speed automatic transmission, and a four-cylinder diesel engine. The multi-link rear suspension was also a significant upgrade compared with previous generations of the 3 Series. The M3 model is powered by the S50 and S52 straight-six engines. It was sold in coupé, sedan and convertible body styles. The BMW Z3 roadster and coupe models were based on the E36 platform.
The E46 was sold in the following body styles: sedan, coupé, convertible, wagon (marketed as "Touring"), and hatchback (marketed as "3 Series Compact"). The E46 generation introduced various electronic features to the 3 Series, including satellite navigation, electronic brake-force display, ASC/DSC, rain-sensing wipers, LED tail-lights, and Xenon headlights. All-wheel drive, last available in the E30 3 Series, was reintroduced for the E46. It was available for the 325xi and 330xi sedan/wagon models. The E46 generation came with the M52TU/M54 engines with dual Vanos (variable valve timing) and came with a GM 5 speed Automatic (5L40E), ZF 5 speed Manual (S5-31), Getrag 5 speed Manual (S5D-250G), ZF 6 speed Manual (GS6-37BZ/DZ), and ZF 6-speed Automatic Manual (SMG) (GS6S37BZ). The M3 version of the E46 was powered by the S54 straight-six engine and was available in coupé and convertible body styles (other than that, it was powered with the M52 or M54 in non-M3 cars). The transmissions available were a 6-speed manual or the 6-speed "SMG-II" sequential manual gearbox.
The fifth generation 3 Series was produced in the sedan, wagon (marketed as "Touring"), coupé and cabriolet body styles. Due to the separate model codes for each body style, the term "E9X" is sometimes used to describe this generation of the 3 Series. In 2006, the 335i became the first 3 Series model to be sold with a turbocharged gasoline engine. The E90 also saw the introduction of run-flat tires to the 3 Series range. Consequently, cars with run flats are not equipped with spare tires. The E90/E92/E93 M3 was powered by the BMW S65 V8 engine. It was released in 2007 and was produced in sedan, coupe, and cabriolet body styles. Production of the fifth-generation BMW 3 Series ended in 2012.
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