Re: 3-series Coupe and CC - info from scott26

Tine said:

scott26 said:

Completing the jigsaw .
The 3er coupe and coupe cabrio.

2006 will top and tail with the Geneva launch of the new 3er coupe codenamed E92 and the revolutionary coupe-cabrio E93 in late 2006.
To understand the philosophy of the coupe its ideas come forward in the current 6er coupe. Understanding the success of this car BMW challenged their designers to put forward this thinking for the 3er coupe.
Originally planned to be as the BMW 4er to further fit with the 6er in segments above it's usual place . The plan was to really differentiate the car from it's core module the E90 sedan.

A look Back to the future

The understand the design of the new 3er coupe you can look at how the 6er is different or you can look back to see how the E36 coupe developed from the E36 sedan. emerging sleeker and more performance orientated .
A strong look that has transferred over to the new car with a rounded roof forming over a strong passenger cell , The rear of the car forms a kinship with the 6er coupe and the forthcoming E87 (Z4) based coupe in the way that prominent BMW badge stands in the centre of the bootlid placing the number plate down in the bumper.

An idea developed for the 4er (originally) was a rear bootlid in which the rear light units were positioned on the rear bootlid , not wrapping around the rear wings. The idea it appears was too costly for production, With the bootlid sharing comparison with the 6er , the original idea was replaced by the similar to 6er design but a more original bootlid and rear lights that wrap around the rear wings. another idea rejected included the adoption of frameless windows like the CLK mercedes-benz. Unfortunately this hampered the overall structure and stiffness of the car again the idea was rejected.

The front features a sleeker front from the E90 sedan with smaller and more shapely headlights - again BMW's coupes forming a relationship a wider twin kidney grille is placed lower than the sedan - similar to the 6er ,
The new coupe is very low like the 6er giving the impression that this car is more performance orientated than the elegant CLK.

The coupe will of course be topped by the powerhouse M3 ( the deathknell of calling the car 4er) Other powerplants will include the forthcoming six cylinder turbo , the current six cylinder powerplants seen in the E90 .
Diesel power will feature strongly in the new Coupe especially due to the success of the E46 coupe. expect the current 2.0, 3.0 diesel and the twin turbo
335d. Lower engines are not confirmed due to the marketing of this car.

scott26 said:

We are aiming at a fourth qtr 2005 press release for the Coupe , about when we are going public regarding the 335. In the meantime BMW will shortly be photographing and filming the new 3er in October.

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Scott26 said:

When the product plan originated BMW 3er Sedan and Touring and 4er Coupe and Cabrio, the designers then set about differing these models like the C-Klasse coupe if you like is the CLK - That idea intrigued the BMW board of management because: A- it was different than the original platform vehicle, and B - because the E63 6er Coupe and cabrio were waiting in the wings.
The idea was spawn to create something individual than the platform that originated the 3er Sedan and Touring.
Hence why BMW decided to go forth with the 4er plan. Unfortunately marketing determined that this might not work but the consensus within
BMW favoured the plan to introduce the coupe as the BMW 4er . The plan was put to a vote but the results although extremely close decided to go with resorting the name back to the 3er Coupe.

I think the idea would have worked if they continued to use the 4er .

Now the name has changed but the design ideas live on the new 3er Coupe is seen as individual fromn the 3er sedan and Touring .
Why ? Because it is from the beginning of idea grabbing to be individual in design - (Even the wheel designs differ greatly taking cue from the 6er with elipsoid designs) , performance , and especially dynamics the car has been developed to be more focused as a performance car than the 3er sedan.

With the Cabrio you will have the benefit of a open top cabrio and the enclosure of a coupe - The best of both worlds.

And then you are going to have the 335i BMW's first step in turbocharged petrol engines for a long while. The Coupe will be the first car to have the turbocharged 3.0 under it's hood and then the engine will roll out to the rest of the 3er models before being placed under other BMW products.

If you saw the Autozeitung magazine pictures this is what the Coupe and Cabrio will look like. Sleeker and more individual design than the 3er Sedan.

Also remember with the upcoming E87 based Coupe and Cabrio the positioning of the new 3er Coupe and cabrio will be more clearer.
Like the upcoming X5 will make the X3 positioning more clearer.

And then this magnificent car will then form the basis of the next M3 - Which is said to be using the benchmark of the Porsche 997.
Which the E92 will be closer to than before - The M3 development team also are trying out the AM V8 as the 380 BHP car will no doubt be competition for the E92 - The engineers especially like the sound of the AM V8 and are working to emulate such a roar for the next M3.
A whole department are working on the sound.

The next M3 will expect to be fractionally more expensive than todays car however the payoff will be more power , noise, technology and of course Carbon fibre components such as the roof to offset the increase.

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Interesting development is concerning the 3er Coupe. It appears that the licence plate will be on the bootlid after all - BMW covered the rear with a false metal panel and from a distance looks very real, to keep the spies guessing. Debate = maximum publicity.
However some models are testing a lightweight bootlid made of carbon fibre ( plate on the bumper in this case ) for a future development - presumably the M / CSL version but in reality the regular car is that red digital image you posted.

In reward for the 3er winning the scottish car of the year - BMW will preview the coupe to Scottish representitives on the eve of the ceremony. The car commences photography and film shoot on Friday in /censured/

Shooting has already taken place in Madrid and Munich.

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Just_me said:

Mercedes must be flattered since they seem to compare the 3-serie Coupe to the new S-class

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BMW_Dude said:

I hope this car will look good, I'm really looking forward to see what it will look like!

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Stuttgarter said:

here's a new pic, we're almost there....

pic

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Just_me said:

hmm look just like the one Tine posted?

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bmwrules said:

Does anybody know if the 335 turbo will come to the USA? When the lease is up on my 545, the 335 turbo would be an alternative I would consider to getting instead of a 550 if the 335 is available in the USA.

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Tine said:

335i was designed for US market in mind. I6 petrol turbo engine will debute in 335Ci coupe in Spring 2006, and 335i sedan will adopt the engine in Fall 2006 at the latest - could be even in the Spring though.

The engine will be set also in some other models (3er vriants, 5er, 1er, 2er, 6er, X5 etc).

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Matt530i said:

If the 335i was designed for the US market, do you know if the 635i (assuming it will exist) will also be available in the US (and Canada)?

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