Autoblog

BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Etc., BMW, Luxury

BMW has let loose a new M Performance Power Kit for its F30-generation 335i and 335i xDrive sedans. Starting at $1,100 for the kit - installation is extra - your car will be fitted with a new ECU and air intake on the functional side and an M Performance engine cover and rocker panel stickers on the decorative side. The Power Kit raises the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder's horsepower rating from 300 to 320, and on automatic models, torque gets a boost from 300 pound-feet to 332 lb-ft - manual transmission models get a smaller bump to 317 lb-ft.

According to the Bavarian automaker, you'll be able to hear the change in the overrun exhaust note, and 0-60 mile-per-hour times drop by 0.2 seconds. The package is available now at all BMW Centers in the US, and if you get it installed when you purchase the car new, it will get the same four-year, 50,000-mile warranty as the vehicle. Have it done after the fact and the kit will be warranted for two years and unlimited miles. There's a press release below with some more details.

Continue reading BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan

BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW South Africa shows off first F30-based 3 Series racer

Zach Bowman — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Etc., BMW, Racing

The BMW 3 Series and racing go together like slicks and dry asphalt, so it's no surprise that the world now has its first competition-prepped version of the new F30. According to BMWBlog, BMW South Africa has partnered up with ADF Motorsport to create the 335i racer you see above. The sedan is set to debut at the Wesbank Super Series at Killarney in Cape Town on March 31. All told, the vehicle took less than two months to build with a price tag of $260,000.

The N55 turbo straight six is bereft of power-adding tweaks due to series regulations thta include a restrictor plate on the turbo and limited boost. ADF and friends have worked over the turbo, exhaust, and ECU, however, so the powertrain is still good for over 400 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque - a tidy increase over the 300/300 ratings of the standard production cars.

In addition, the car's curb weight has been trimmed down to 2,998 pounds. Much of that savings was realized using carbon fiber components from the M Performance catalog. The team also borrowed a set of 14.5-inch front brake discs and 18 inch wheels from the minds at M. ADF Motorsport says this is the first example of a production-based direct-injected racecar.

BMW South Africa shows off first F30-based 3 Series racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New BMW 328i actually more fuel efficient than old 335d diesel

Zach Bowman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Technology, BMW, Diesel, Luxury

Saying automotive journalists like diesel sedans is like arguing the color pink is going to do well with the 5-year-old-girl demographic this quarter. You're not going to find too many dissenting voices. So, it should be no surprise that we love ourselves some BMW 335d. With plenty of power and impressive fuel economy, the outgoing diesel is a mechanical wonder child. And yet, thanks to the new F30-generation BMW 328i, with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine produces 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, there's some competition for the title of most fuel efficient 3 Series.

Admittedly, the 328i's numbers are a far cry from the 265 ponies and 425 lb-ft of torque cranked out by the diesel-fueled 3.0-liter inline six in the 335d. Even so, the 2012 328i is considerably lighter and more aerodynamic. It also boasts a next-generation transmission, which helps the car get to 60 mph one tenth of a second quicker than the old 335d. That's surprising, but not nearly as surprising as the fact that the 328i manages 1 mpg better than the diesel in the combined cycle. According to the EPA's just-released figures, the 328i nets 24 miles per gallon in the city and an impressive 36 mpg on the highway. The 335i? 23 mpg city and 36 highway.

We'll give you a moment to pick up your jaw from the floor. Now all BMW needs to do, as Automobile points out, is drop a diesel four-cylinder behind the headlights of the 3 Series to go after even bigger green credentials. Fingers crossed.

New BMW 328i actually more fuel efficient than old 335d diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 BMW 3 Series [w/video]

Matt Davis — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW, First Drives, Design/Style, Luxury

A New Generation Of Accolades Begins Right Here

You have to know you're a bit of an icon when your reputation and sales dominance are essentially intact after six generations. We can debate that statement from all sorts of angles in regards to the BMW 3 Series, but the bottom line is that this sedan is still the one to beat. So, after our long-awaited first drive in BMW's new F30, we ask: Does it still deliver the winning recipe for the entry-level luxury buyer?

The Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS, Infiniti G, Acura TL and upcoming Cadillac ATS will not be denied, and the 3 Series doesn't enjoy quite the commanding lead it once did. On the other hand, over 12.5 million total sales for The Almighty Three since 1975 is nothing to be sniffed at.

When talking about the sort of high performance testing that we crave, initial drives like this can only go so far in satisfying. That's because we had the chance to drive two meat-of-the-sales-figures trims at this Barcelona, Spain launch: the new 320d Efficient Dynamics turbo diesel and the 328i with new TwinPower Turbo in-line four-cylinder.

We chose to focus hard on the 328i since it's confirmed that we'll get this 241-horsepower model along with the 302-hp 335i this February. The only other model slated for the U.S. is the 335-hp ActiveHybrid 3, arriving sometime during summer 2012. As to the future of turbo diesel power in the States, BMW North America has said it is quite keen to bring over either or both the 320d and a future 330/335d, though no firm decisions have been made.

Continue reading 2012 BMW 3 Series [w/video]

2012 BMW 3 Series [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's what the 2014 BMW M3 could look like

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW

It's been less than a week since BMW dropped the first images of its redesigned 3 Series sedan on us, but already the imaginations are running wild about what the next M3 might look like. Automotive manipulator Theophilus Chin has given us his take on the F30-based M3, and it's about what you might expect.

With enlarged air ducts in the front fascia to feed the intercoolers for a rumored twin-turbo V6 setup, Chin's M3 is more aggressive, but retains the marque's penchant for subtlety. Around the back, Chin's M3 sedan has just a bit of a lip on the decklid and the telling quad exhaust pipes, but is thankfully devoid of boy-racer cues.

With the sixth-generation 3 Series sedan styling serving mostly to clean up the E90's lines, the next M3 will likely be treated similarly when it finally reaches our shores in 2014. While there will be plenty of M3 news to come, if the end product turned out much like these images, we wouldn't be surprised.

Here's what the 2014 BMW M3 could look like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 3 Series production to end in October, next-gen model coming in spring 2012

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Luxury

2011 BMW 335is - Click above for high-res image gallery

Production of the current E90 and E92 BMW 3 Series will come to an end for good in October, in preparation for next spring's launch of the all-new F30 3 Series. Before the gas models bow out, the oil-burning 335d will cease production in August.

The death of the current 3er makes room for a sleeker, less cluttered version of the car which clings closely to the more aggressive new BMW design language. Among the changes will be flatter kidney grilles as well as shorter overhangs, as well as a more muscular stance.

The new 3s will also get a bump in efficiency, with a range of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder mills, with the outside chance of a three-banger joining the lineup later on. The next M3 will ditch V8 power in favor of a twin-turbo inline-six sporting about 450 horsepower.

BMW 3 Series production to end in October, next-gen model coming in spring 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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