BMW 3-series videos up at BMWUSA website

[SukairainKupe]

http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/futurevehicles/new3/videos.htm

Wow, they Baglized the 3-series. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/crazy.gif It looks very similar to the 5 series in the front, but overall it's more conservative than before. The rear combination lights are simplu hideous, but the headlights look pretty good. Interior is another example of wtf BMW design, but I am liking the engine and chasis.

[Dorifto_PG]

Well you already know what I'm gonna say... I like it. I can't wait for the coupe and then the M3, M3 CSL M3 GT3, etc....

Interior? Whats wrong? I think its just traditional enough, and just enough new fresh designs. Its a nice medium...

[Ahhsk]

Short shifter please. that throw looks a little long no?

[Kookz]

It's ok. Would definitely be better Bangle was allowed to do his thing. Could have been the best looking sedan in its class like the 5 series is.

[M_TYPE_X]

It's ok. Would definitely be better Bangle was allowed to do his thing. Could have been the best looking sedan in its class like the 5 series is.



Huh? The 3 Series looks like a smaller 5 Series.
It's difficult to put decent-and-expressive styling on a smaller car. Witness ART & SCIENCE on the Cadillac CTS. Yuck! Looks fine on the STS.

[crea]

i think all the new BMW are great (except Z4 and X3)

but i would wait and see before trading up the G35 for a new 330i... the upcoming V36 is going to be a huge step up and makes the E90 3er looks obsolite FAST..

i think there is going to be a high chance the iDrive becomes standard on the 330i in canada. thats like one of the must have option for the car.

[Riffster]

At first, I didn't like any of the new designs, but the 5-series is starting to grow on me (somewhat like a fungus, but I do not mind seeing it.) The 7-series is still sticking a bit in my automotive craw - especially that extended back.

The 3-series doesn't bother me, but it doesn't set me alight either in styling terms. The interior isn't all that and a can of spam ....

But the real test is getting in the car and driving it - and not like going to the store to get a gallon of milk.

I don't think BMW has hit a home run here, but if the car handles well (and it should) it will be a good car to have. It just doesn't send your senses reeling like watching a G coupe snake its' booty through a turn.

That may just be me - but me is what will buy my next car - and right now BMW still hasn't made a case to move me off buying a GT-R or an M45.

I have a feeling that Infiniti will blow away the world with the new GT-R in 2006. And I am saving some ducats for that - if they hit the sweet spot at 65-70K with the new GT-R that they did at 30-40K with the G coupe, then they will keep me as a customer. If not - well, maybe it's time for a lux-cruiser and keep the G coupe for those days I want to let the growlies out.

- Riff

[M_TYPE_X]

I'm still so buzzed from driving my TL loaner around tonight.
Okay, so it is as exciting as Al Gore compared to BMW or Infiniti, but, I ran up a huge bill at the restaurant tonight and didn't have any alcohol. What can I say, it's me. It doesn't hurt that they put sexy splash guards and full rubber mats on top of all the carpet mats, just like the SILVER BULLET.

[Dorifto_PG]

It is internally admitted that the 7 series is a failure design wise. Without going too much in detail (i wasn't even supposed to know as much as i do) the MAIN thing in car design is dominate and subdominate proportions. Whether it be shapes, lines, mass, etc, one thing should be more prominent than another... compliments and contrasts, etc...

Well the front of the 7... squint and notice that the lights and kidneys are ALL the same size. AKA 4 equal rectangles. Plus there is no plan view curvature to the front. NOt enough at least. Well... i think the engineering and accounting depts. learned their lesson. THats what happens. "Oh, well we the need the headlights to contain this, so that means internal dimensions of 2mm more around the canisters, and that turn signal? yeah thats gonna have to use these parts now, sorry... which would make it about 10mm taller, overall headlight growth of about 15mm.... And the hood needs to be at this height, but you have to keep the bumper where it is, so move the kidneys into this new location, blah blah."

Designers are the most important people and the least important people... we can't give hard facts and numbers as to why one design is better than another. So if making the roof 18mm taller allows fro "best headroom in class" and extendting the cab forward gives best interior volume in class, we counter those changes with... "Uhhh well you see that totally changes the character of the car. To which "You mean to tell me that cars have characters? What like Skitzophrenia? haha so they need to go see a shrink. Muahahahahhaa (im a loser but have a lot of influence due to money laugh....)". http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif There is no hard number as to why a car should look how it does. A lot of people with the power to make decisions and changes don't understand anything about designing a car, they only talk hard facts, and that is where engineers win fights and shiite. And then they win to get something changed due to easier manufaturing or better headroom and it changes how the car looks a LOT. See, you don't view the car's actual dimensions, you view what we (designers) have you percieve due to reflections, surfaces, graphics (shapes of grilles and lights and their placement) and most importantly, the corners of a car. When viewed in real life, BMWs look like they have almost 0 front overhang. In reality, there is not that much less than any other car. No joke.. Its all percieved. Well, when any of that changes, it changes how the car looks, in the case of the 7 series, for the worse.

But guess what.... the designers get blamed (well publically at least). That's fooked up. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif

[M_TYPE_X]

I always blame the accountants, designers, and engineers. Marketeering always gets it right but the other guys mess up.

[DeanG35c6]

BMW will have to be very careful how they price this car. When I'm ready for a new car in 06, I'll consider it along with everything else that meets my criteria (two-door, sporty, power, luxury). 255 hp and 221 lb/ft is nice, but 298 hp and 260 lb/ft is better. Tuners are getting better at f/i'ing the VQ. Fuel economy aside, the reliability is getting better with "proper" tuning. A nicely equipped 2006 G35c6 with a 9lb pullied Vortech putting out 400 to the wheels will still could still cost less than a fully loaded 06 330i. This is a 12 second car and a nice alternative to the GTR. Just rambling, but I want the most car I can get for $45k and most hard-core enthusiast won't care about the BMW stigma like they did in the 80s and 90s (yuppies).

[Kookz]

255 hp and 221 lb/ft is nice, but 298 hp and 260 lb/ft is better

But is it?

[DeanG35c6]

255 hp and 221 lb/ft is nice, but 298 hp and 260 lb/ft is better

But is it?



When talking about 255hp at 6600 rpm and 221 lb/ft at 2500 rpm and 298 hp at 6400 rpm and 260 lb/ft at 4800 rpm. Of course, gearing and weight makes a big difference too. The Bimmer looks like it would have more grunt off the line with its torque available at 2500, but once the VQ spools up to 4k it will have most of its torque. With so much torque, the VQ is tricky to launch. Launching around 3000-3500 rpm should be enough to get ahead of the Bimmer if traction is decent. The VQ would shine more on a rolling high rpm start. Just mho.

[Dorifto_PG]

255 hp and 221 lb/ft is nice, but 298 hp and 260 lb/ft is better

But is it?



When talking about 255hp at 6600 rpm and 221 lb/ft at 2500 rpm and 298 hp at 6400 rpm and 260 lb/ft at 4800 rpm. Of course, gearing and weight makes a big difference too. The Bimmer looks like it would have more grunt off the line with its torque available at 2500, but once the VQ spools up to 4k it will have most of its torque. With so much torque, the VQ is tricky to launch. Launching around 3000-3500 rpm should be enough to get ahead of the Bimmer if traction is decent. The VQ would shine more on a rolling high rpm start. Just mho.


If you are buying either of those cars to drag race them, though, you need to be shot in the head.

I'm not theorizing what car is better than another, all i know is that in a nice mountain road, a BMW straight 6 paired with their gearbox, ratios, diff and suspension..... holy heaven.

STRICTLY performance, G35 MAY perhaps edge it out in some categories, but no offense, the interior of a G isn't exactly on par with that of a BMW.... I know i know BMWs are very pricey and all that but the driving experience you get with them OFTEN times justifies the price. IF we could sell racecars, it would be great. I wish everyone would want to buy a LOtus Elise, that would make designing cars and engineering them a lot more fun.

[Nismo]

I always blame the accountants, designers, and engineers. Marketeering always gets it right but the other guys mess up.



Nah... the engineers always get it right; it's the designers and marketers who are to blame. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Tower]

I don't see the family resemblance in the back. They should have rebadged this sweetie.

http://www.canadianautoreview.com/rio-rear1-900.JPG

[Dorifto_PG]

Whaaaaat? Oh its on **********es! Show me a car that engineers designed that A looks good and B sells well! OH wait, engineers CAN't design cars! If they did, it would be... i dunno a FOrd Model T i guess might qualify...

[M_TYPE_X]

Once again, it's proved that the designers and engineers should just get back to work. It's marketing that makes all the important decisions.

[Kookz]

255 hp and 221 lb/ft is nice, but 298 hp and 260 lb/ft is better

But is it?



When talking about 255hp at 6600 rpm and 221 lb/ft at 2500 rpm and 298 hp at 6400 rpm and 260 lb/ft at 4800 rpm. Of course, gearing and weight makes a big difference too. The Bimmer looks like it would have more grunt off the line with its torque available at 2500, but once the VQ spools up to 4k it will have most of its torque. With so much torque, the VQ is tricky to launch. Launching around 3000-3500 rpm should be enough to get ahead of the Bimmer if traction is decent. The VQ would shine more on a rolling high rpm start. Just mho.

I was referring to the "225hp" 330i being almost as quick as the "280hp" G35 coupe, and if those are any indication, a "255hp" 3 series would probably be faster than a "298hp" G35