Bmw Spotlights 3 Series

Fri., Feb. 12, 1999

It has been a busy year at BMW, with the introduction of a new 3 Series lineup and the new 5 Series sport wagons.

Most of the attention went to the M Coupe, the ugly-duckling sports coupe that turned doubters into believers with exhilerating ride and handling, to say nothing of the 240 ponies produced by its optional 3.2 liter inline six-cylinder engine. The base engine is 193-hp inline six. With a body designed by engineers and a Blade Runner interior, the little coupe proved it’s possible to build a car with passion as its motivator and still be accepted at the box office.

The all-new 3 Series cars are marked by more interior space (read: actual rear legroom), improved suspension systems and a new six cylinder powerplant, a 2.5-liter, 170-hp aluminum-block inline six. Base engine is a 1.9-liter, 139-hp inline four and the existing 193-hp 2.8-liter six is the high-performance option. The entry-level 318ti Coupe gets its former Sport package (16-inch wheels, sporty M-Technic body styling, leather/cloth upholstery and sport front seats) as standard gear.

The 5 Series sport wagons are available in 528i and 540i versions (193- and 282-hp, respectively), combine vaunted BMW peformance with the utility of a wagon.

BMW engines equipped with variable valve timing now move up to a stepless technology.

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