New BMW 3-series revealed - official pictures.

I have been waiting for this car. I'm waiting some more for the Touring (station wagon) with xDrive and I'm getting one. Design, IMHO, is awesome, and true to BMW tradition this 3-series will probably be the sweetest drive of all the 4-doors!

http://www.inautonews.com/official-2012-new-bmw-3-series-was-unveiled-official-photos

(All site with pictures are working slow... Have some patient or just go to facebook.com/bmw for faster picture viewing)

What do you think?
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I like it.

I'm waiting to see what the coupe w/ 4cyl turbo is going to spec out at.

 

I was watching the unveil on Facebook and saw the front end and did not like it (especially the headlight area, it's too stretched and shouldn't go up to the nostrils), but the pictures make it look really aggressive and good looking. I'll have to see one in person to make a final decision, but it doesn't look too different aside from the front and rear treatments.

 

Tons of pictures here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150363373708057.370004.382081373056&type=1

 

As an E90 owner, not digging the lack of a NA 6 as it is their signature engine....will the electric steering screw up the car's famed steering feel?

 

Some like the electric steering and some don't. Best is to try it for yourself...

Yes, more and more of the engines are turbocharged straight fours and not naturally aspirated straight sixes...

Wanna hear something else, too? There are rumors of the next M3 being V6... Yup, a V6... A 3/4th version of the new M5s V8...

Lots of weird stuff going on in the BMW world - wth is up with the X6 M and X1 etc.?

 

Looks massive, but I like it.
Thank heavens Bangle is gone.

 

+1 on both.

it's nearly the size of a 5-series. big car.

and good riddance to Bangle.

 

Looks like all the other 3 series. I'm sure it's a fine car but as a design exercise, this certainly doesn't look very fresh.

 

It's better, less like a chick car.

 

It's jam-packed with technology. As for the turbo 4pots, I, too was less receptive of this idea but then some thinking convinced me it's a good idea. Look at the power/TQ that tiny motor can make and still get great fuel economy. Moreover, look at the aftermarket tuner scene in the Audi turbo4s. Think of the possibilities with these new forced induction powerplants!

 

In response, Audi will have to finally bump up their power as the motor was conservatively boosted.

modding is good, voiding warranties not so much....

 

The exterior design is alright and the interior is even less convincing. Audi by far makes more cohesive designs.

 

Eco measures imposed by European Union

 

It's alright.

Not nearly as refined as the E46 ZHP, but it isn't bad at all.

 

It is a little bigger in length and width, but 60lbs lighter than the current 3 series according to the press releases. Hopefully other carmakers will start reducing weight as well.

 

It's OK if you don't have to look at it.


I love the heck out of Bimmers. But the next time I want a car like that (or an M5) I think I'll go to Audi or a CTS-V.

 

To me, it looks like they took the 5 series and vertically squished the front and back of the car. I like the size and the interior from the shots I saw on autoblog. The exterior is ok. Now the F10 M5, THAT is BMW back in the game (except for the creepy engine-noise-through-the-speakers bit).

It's funny, the pic of the cars in the original post have a "whaddya lookin' at?" feel to the front of the cars. They look animated/cartoony.

 

It looks bigger than the E34.

 

They don't look bad. The electric steering seems to be taking over, and so far I haven't found a huge difference. But that's with the Fords. I do wonder when the replacing models will stop being the size of the next model up. Ford, BMW, Honda, etc. Keep making larger cars and adding to the bottom.

 

Judging from the pics it doesn't do anything for me. It leaves me cold.

 

Well, we're going to have to get used to it.

We can thank the insane increases in CAFE standards.

I suppose, however, there is a silver lining. Consider that Ford's direct-injection, turbo-charged V6 continues to outsell its naturally aspirated V8 cousin in its F-150 pickup lineup.

Ford's engineers were able to design a six that produces all of the performance benefits of the eight but with the added benefit of considerably better fuel economy.

So, I suppose as long as the performance is there, a smaller displacement engine isn't that bad after all...

More on the Ford: http://www.torquenews.com/106/ford%E2%80%99s-v6-pickup-sales-continue-boom-led-ecoboost

 

Best angle for it yet, IMO.
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I think it's a significant improvement over the current mess, with its piano caster wheels. More like the current 5 series, which I've seen plenty of -- a very handsome car.

Probably best to wait till I see one in the metal, but my first impression is that this is tauter and cleaner. It looks like an object that is supposed to move, The current 3 looks like it wants to sag into the pavement.

Two problems with the evolving 3 in my view:

1. The e46 was a beautiful and graceful design that's hard to follow. They were/are common as dirt, but looked fast and stately, modern and conservative at the same time. That's so hard to do in a car. Merc did it with the original CLS, but there aren't many examples. The current 3 reminds of when Jag ruined the XJ by squaring it off in the early '90s (?)

2. Audi leapfrogged BMW and left it in the dust in design during the Bangle era. The A5/S5 is probably among the top 100 cars ever designed. BMW started to crawl out of its Bangle crypt with the seriously beautiful Z4, so there's hope. I would echo bdelp's comment that the new 3 looks nice but hardly groundbreaking. Given the presumably massive budget for a 3 redesign, this isn't a standing ovation moment...

 

Is that aggression or constipation?