New 3-Series will keep BMW red hot

In 1966, BMW revolutionized driving with the introduction of its 1600-2 sport sedan.

The world’s first compact sport sedan, the 1600-2 was affordable ($2,500), a blast to drive and, with its four seats and honest-to-goodness trunk, practical enough to pass muster at home.

Road & Track magazine called it an “upright sedan with sports car mechanicals.”

The 1600-2 was followed by a series of small Bimmers that established the company as the big dog in the sport-sedan world, a distinction it maintains.

This spring BMW debuted the fifth-generation successor to the 1600-2, the 2006 3-Series. It is the spiritual progeny of the original and in every aspect shows the benefit of four decades of development.

For starters, the ‘06 3 is a sybaritic delight by contrast with the austere original. Whether the base 325i ($30,995, including destination) or the more powerful and more completely equipped 330i ($36,995) is selected, the owner will be rewarded with a full complement of comfort and safety features.

To say nothing of the ride and handling characteristics which have made BMWs special from the beginning.

The new 3 is larger in every significant dimension, but most of that gain has been used to enhance safety and increase cargo capacity. To be sure, there are marginal gains in rear-seat dimensions, but the real improvements come in terms of structural rigidity and enhanced safety systems.

For example, a full set of airbags, including side-impact and curtain-style bags, is standard on both trim levels, as are anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.

Other noteworthy pieces of standard gear include air conditioning; power windows, mirrors and locks; 17-inch wheels; cruise control; and tilt and telescoping steering wheel.

Bimmer interiors, once coldly efficient, are now lush and inviting, with all the appropriate leatherette- and wood-trim pieces in place and excellent fit and finish. There are two dashboard configurations, one with a single hood above the main instrument panel, the second with a second hood for the optional Navigation/iDrive control system.

The base audio system boasts 10 speakers and two subwoofers, to which the optional Logic 7 adds three speakers and digital surround-sound processing. Logic 7 is standard in the 330i.

As always, though, the proof of this particular pudding lies in the mechanicals. Here, the improvements are too vast to be accounted for in this space. Suffice it to say an entirely new engine powers both models and it’s the first to use a magnesium/aluminum composite for reduced weight.

The same engine powers both models — the same architecture, the same displacement — but a more complex intake manifold and some sophisticated electronics wizardry produces 255 horsepower in the 330i trim against 215 for the 325i.

Torque is up on both versions, too, and the torque curve is fatter, for more power at virtually all rpm.

A new five-link rear suspension helps keep the 3-series planted and the stability control system has three settings, from full-tilt babysitting mode to a what-the-heck-let’s-let-it-all-hang-out mode.

Two transmissions are offered, a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic with Steptronic manual-shift mode. BMW’s clutchless manual box, called SMG, will become available in September.

At the press launch, BMW turned us loose on the new Beaver Run road course outside Pittsburgh for an afternoon of motoring fun. It didn’t matter which version we drove — manual or auto — the 3 proved itself a worthy successor to the world’s first compact sport sedan. After 40-some years, the 3-series hasn’t loosened its grip on the top rung of the ladder.