BMW Series 1

The BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car manufactured by the German car maker BMW since May 1975. It has been produced in no less than five different body styles. It is BMW's best selling model, accounting for nearly 40% of the company's auto sales in 2005.

BMW released its E21 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, attracting customers seeking both prestige and economy, and thus nearly doubling BMW's worldwide car sales in three years.Three decades later, the BMW 3 Series is still the best-selling of its class, seen on the roads as much in Asia, America and Australia as in Europe, and it has even outsold some cheaper models, like Ford Mondeo in the UK. While some argue that the popularity of the car had reduced its prestigious image, the BMW 3 Series still remains the benchmark and its competitors are often judged on how close they come to this car.

The BMW 3 series cars sell well, but two-door versions not as well as saloons.

BMW 3 Series vehicles can be largely differentiated by the series number:
BMW E21 - (1975-1983) 3 Series
BMW E30 - (1983-1991) 3 Series
BMW E36 - (1991-2000) 3 Series
BMW E46 - (1998-2007) 3 Series
BMW E90 - (2005-) 3 Series Saloon
BMW E91 - (2006-) 3 Series Tourer
BMW E92 - (2007-) 3 Series Coupé
BMW E93 - (2007-) 3 Series Convertible

The BMW 3 series E21 was produced between 1975 and 1983.

The E21 line was produced from May 2, 1975 (1977 in the USA) until 1983. Originally a replacement for the BMW 2002, the first BMW 3 Series was a two-door saloon model only. A factory authorised cabrio version was also built by Baur. The series was superseded by the BMW E30 model.

The new design of the E21 marked the introduction of a new design dashboard angled towards the driver. This feature then become part of BMW's interior design for many years. As a sign of passive safety, all edges and control elements within the interior were rounded off and padded.

At the E21's release, three models were available: with 316 (1.6 litre), 318 (1.8 litre) and 320 (2.0 litre) versions of the BMW M10 four cylinder engine. To draw clear visual distinction within the new model series, the 320 models came with dual headlights, while the 316 and 318 had single round headlights.

At the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW unveiled its new variants of the E21, featuring the new six-cylinder M20 engines. The four cylinder 320 model was replaced with the 320/6, featuring a 2.0 litre version of the M20 engine. The 323i model was introduced, featuring 2.3 litres and 143 PS (105 kW; 141 hp). The braking system was also upgraded, with the 323i featuring disc brakes on all wheels.

For the 1979/80 model year, the four-cylinder models were upgraded: the 1.8 litre power unit was revised and entered the market as a 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) carburetor engine in the 316, while addition of Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection to the 1.8 litre engine raised the 318i to 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp).Since there was now also room for a new entry-level model, the 315 powered by a 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) 1.6 litre M10 engine made its appearance in 1981.

The BMW E30 was produced between 1982 and 1994.
The E30 was produced from 1982 until 1991 as a saloon, and 1993 as a convertible. The torquey "eta" six in the 325e produced 121 hp (90 kW) and 172 lbft (233 Nm) of torque, but met the strict emission standards of the time. The E30 was the most powerful compact BMW offered in the United States since the 2002 Tii.

The previous models were joined in 1985 by the high-output 325i and 325is. Though the engine displacement was reduced to 2.5 L, output was up to 168 hp (125 kW) but torque dropped to 164 lbft (222 Nm) as the company focused on performance rather than economy. The rev limit for the new motor was raised from 5000 rpm to 6500 rpm.

The 325is was an upgrade from the standard 325i, as some new features were added to the car as standard. These included the full electrics package, BMW sports seats, black roof-liner, BMW "iS" rear lip spoiler, front 2" valance spoiler, BMW 14 inch BBS wheels "Basket weaves" and a Close Ratio gearbox. Other features also found on the 325is were options, but over time, some have been mistaken for standard features. These options include a Limited Slip Differential (LSD), leather interior, sunroof and BMW 15 inch BBS wheels (with an offset of ET24, were only available in Europe, Japan and the Middle East). Options differed on vehicles produced in the United States.

An four wheel drive version, the 325ix, joined the lineup for 1986. The four-cylinder 318 was dropped in 1985, but was brought back with a new, 1.8 L DOHC motor (M42B18) for 1991.

In the end of 1987, BMW introduced the touring version of the E30. It was very popular during its production up to 1994. It was available with a 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 or 2.5 liter engine and also 2.4 liter turbo diesel. The 325ix touring was equipped with 4WD.The most powerful American BMW E30 in 1989 came in the form of the M3. It used a 192 hp (143 kW) S14 straight-4 with a 4-valve head adapted from the M88 six and Bosch fuel injection.

The BMW E36 was produced between 1991 and 2000.

The E36 BMW 3 Series was an entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. It was the successor to the BMW E30 and was eventually superseded by the BMW E46 starting in 1999 for sedans, and 2000 for coupes and cabriolets. The E36 was introduced in late 1990.

The E36 experienced enormous success in the market. It laid strong foundations for the success that the BMW E46 experienced in subsequent years and was sold from 1991 until 1999. It employed the "Z-axle" multilink suspension in the rear which had been proven in the Z1. VANOS variable valve timing was introduced on the DOHC engines in 1993.

The four-door E36 was sold from Autumn, 1991, in the United States but the E30 coupes were retained until well into 1992. The E36 convertible was delayed until 1994. The hatchback 318ti Compact was introduced in 1995, was very popular in Europe, but it was not very successful in North America. The BMW Compact was identical to the regular E36 saloon from front bumper to A-Pillar. Everything else was unique, namely its rear semi-trailing arm suspension, based on the old E30, instead of the Z-Axle Multilink employed in all other E36's. The Z3 and M Coupe have similar rear suspension setups as well. The "Touring" version was sold in Europe from 1995, but was not offered in the United States.

The 2.5 L M50B25 used in the 325 models was replaced in 1996 with the 2.8 L M52B28, creating the 328i line. Another 2.5 L engine, the M52B25, was reintroduced in 1998 but the cars were sold as 323 rather than 325.

The BMW E46 was produced between 1998 and 2006.

The E46 is the fourth generation of BMW 3 Series entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. The saloon was introduced in 1998 and replaced the E36 saloon the same year. The smaller-engined version, despite having a 2.5L engine, was designated "323," not "325," to increase the apparent spread between it and the correctly-numbered (to purists) 328. The touring and coupé models appeared in 1999 with BMW's newly designed steptronic semi-automatic transmissions (available in all 3 series models), and the convertible and M3 later in 2000. The E46 Compact, a 3-door hatchback, was revealed in 2001 to be sold in European and Australian markets. XDrive was introduced as an option in 2001.

In 2000, the E46 lineup received an engine boost when the new M54 engines appeared for Model Year 2001 cars; with the new 3.0 L 330 replacing the 328, BMW renamed the 2.5 L car the 325. Outside of the engine and exhaust upgrades, there were few cosmetic changes, the most noticeable being the 330 receiving silver accents on the front fascia.

Also in 2000, the E46 lineup expanded to include the new (model year) 2001 M3 Coupe. The M3 only came in a coupe and convertible (model year 2002) platform, with either a 6 speed manual or SMG. Unlike its predecessor, the E46 M3 shared very few parts with the standard 3 series. The exteriors of the two cars only shared the doors, roof, and boot. The exterior of the M3 had wider fenders and "M styled" bumpers, side skirts, mirrors, a protruding bonnet, spoiler, and the new tradition of M marked grills on the front bumpers and four exhaust pipes. The interior of the M3 was accented with an M steering wheel, seats, rear view mirror, and instrument cluster.

The first major overhaul occurred when the E46 saloon underwent a facelift in 2002, which included re-designed headlights, new bumpers and a stiffer chassis. Also, the 316i and 318i models received new, more powerful engines. Then in 2004 the coupe and convertible had a facelift which included new headlights, new front wings and bumpers, new selections in exterior colour, and redesigned sidemarker lights and LED tail lights. The M3s got a much milder facelift that same year, with the inclusion of the updated boot and LED tail lights from the coupe/convertible.

Despite being introduced last, the E46 compact was the first to be replaced when the Series 1 was launched in September 2004. In mid-2005 the E46 s aloons were phased out with the introduction of the new E90 saloons. The E46 touring was also replaced later that year with E91. The E46 remained in production as coupe, convertible and M3 until the E92 coupe and E93 convertible was revealed in late 2006. The new M3 coupe concept was later unveiled in March 2007 during Geneva Motor Show.

The E46 experienced enormous success in all markets and was widely considered the performance benchmark of its class. The record year for the E46 was 2002, when 561,249 vehicles were sold worldwide.

The BMW E90-91-92-93 has been produced from 2005 to the present.

The E90 is the currently available generation, which debuted as a sedan (E90) and wagon (E91) for the 2006 model year, coupe (E92) and cabriolet (E93) for the 2007 model year. It is completely re-engineered from the E46, including changes to engines, transmission, the passenger compartment, suspension technology, as well as the addition of a host of high-tech features and options. The coupé/cabriolet body is now its own design and no longer derived from the sedan (unlike its predecessors), and is slightly longer and narrower than its E90 counterpart. Major features include Comfort Access, bi-Xenon adaptive headlamps, Active Cruise Control, and Active Steering. The saloon and wagon received a mid-generational facelift for the 2009 model year which comprised changes to the grille, headlights, tailights and boot. The coupe and cabriolet are expected to be refreshed in the 2011 model year.

Currently, four engine options are offered, two being part of the new 'N' series of BMW inline engines featuring a host of new technologies. Technological innovations such as lightweight magnesium/aluminum construction, electric water pump, Valvetronic (steplessly variable valve lift), and Double-VANOS steplessly variable valve timing contribute to produce a lighter and more powerful motor than its predecessor, but yield a 15% increase in fuel economy. The E90 also marks BMW's return to turbocharging with the introduction of the BMW 335. The N54 engine produces 306 PS (225 kW; 302 bhp) and 400 Nm (295 lbft) torque.

The E90 series also marks the return of a retractable hardtop convertible, which last featured on BMW Individual models of the E36 M3.

Sales of the E90 have been very strong in Britain. In 2007, a record total of more than 58,000 vehicles were sold and it was the seventh most popular car in Britain.