BMW 3 Series 2007 News

Fritz Steinparzer, head of BMW's four-cylinder diesel engine development which is about to flood the world market with oil-burners that make a mockery of so-called green petrol-electric hybrids, says oil company bosses are not doing enough to help in the race to curb emissions.Australia is one of a few large car markets in the world (the most notable being North America) where legislators have been accused of failing to hasten the clean up of dirty fuels.Currently diesel sold in Australia can contain up to 50 parts per million of sulphur compared to the less than 15ppm that European countries are bound by.Although it has to be said that companies in Australia, such as BP, are already selling diesel with a maximum of 10 parts per million of sulphur, two years before any Australian legislation requiring them to do so comes into effect.But because the cleaner fuels, diesel and petrol, are not mandatory here Australia will miss the latest generation of BMW high-precision petrol engines that reduce average consumption by up to 16 per cent.The third generation of diesel engines led by the two-litre turbo units and a stunning twin turbo 335i engine are further examples of how the development of such engines has slashed fuel consumption and drastically reduced emissions.Steinparzer is critical of oil companies which, he says, should acknowledge the latest technology in petrol and diesel engines and make a concerted effort to reduce sulphur.Steinparzer says oil companies make money out of taking sulphur out of the fuel in the refining process and selling it to chemical companies.“In my opinion some of the oil companies make money by reducing sulphur in fuel so they can sell it to the chemical companies,” Steinparzer said.“So what I'm saying is they (oil companies) should see this as a chance to reduce sulphur everywhere.”But while BMW are like many car companies who stay ahead of the game by exceeding environmental targets, the next step the industry faces is to downsize.“Our next step will be downsizing engines,” Norbert Praschak, project leader for BMW's four-cylinder diesel program said.“It won't be lowering weight that has been a problem for all car companies.“Weight reduction of petrol four-cylinder engines hasn't been as pronounced as the 15kW gain and 20 per cent fuel improvements.”The car industry has come under fire for being No.1 villains when it comes to world pollution compared with other industries.Johannes Liebl, BMW's “energy minister” in charge of making a litre go further, said the car industry had not presented itself in the best light before making a concerted effort to manufacturer vehicles that had a drastically reduced effect on the environment.“But the problem now is the figures are not fair,” Liebl said.“Traffic has a 16 per cent share in CO2 emissions and 12 per cent of that is passenger cars.“But we are not leaning back and are satisfied that our cut is only 12 per cent.“We are still trying to reduce emissions.“There have always been groups in society who have wanted restrictions on the car industry and we are used to that.”Since 1990, fuel consumption in vehicles has been improved by a massive 30 per cent and with BMW's “Efficient Dynamics” strategy there is plenty left in the tank to continue to cut fuel consumption. 

But those big accidents, they'll always happen to someone else, not me. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think I had fallen into this mindset. That was before I attended an advanced driver training course this week.When learning how to drive, we are simply taught to get our licence, as my instructor at the BMW Young Driver Training course, Derek Walls, told us."With every other form of vehicle — motorbikes, heavy vehicles, light vans — you have to go further," he says."But basically, when it comes to a car licence, that's it. You get your licence and don't have to do anything else."And it's true. In most cases, you're not taught how to avoid an accident, how dangerous travelling too close to the car in front can really be or the importance of wide vision.I arrived at the course to find I was on the older side of young drivers. My six fellow motorists were on their P-plates.And while they were all keen on driving a brand new 3 Series BMW for the day and hitting the racetrack, it seemed they were all there because of the initiative of parents or relatives. Some had first-hand accident stories, others told of friends who were lucky to have escaped some sticky situations.But it became clear from the start that we all shared that optimism in our abilities. So it was off to the classroom for a reality check.After some theory, we were off to put it into practice. Braking, the correct steering technique and swerving to avoid an accident were first on the list. There were some tangled arms as we tried to adjust to new hand positioning, burnt rubber as we learned the benefit of ABS and how to control a car without this technology, and quite a few witches hats taken out along the way.And while it was heaps of fun and most of the exercises were done with smiles on our faces, as well as a few butterflies in our stomachs, we all absorbed a wealth of knowledge we had previously taken for granted.After lunch it was off for some more theory and practical exercises and then came time for what most of the boys had been waiting for, hitting the track. Our 110km/h felt considerably fast, but to finish the day off, we saw real speed in action. Our instructors took us for some hot laps in their BMW M3s.Some people may criticise these courses for encouraging unsafe driving behaviour. But as Walls says, advanced driver training courses show young people their limits and encourage them to work within them.His motto is simple: "Speed that thrills is speed that kills." If you're getting excited by your driving, you're outside your comfort zone.The treat of some hot laps at the end of the day demonstrated just how much technique and experience is required to carry off such speeds with precision. We were all pretty much agreed that we were yet to possess the experience required to execute such a task."Let them experience and they will go away and make their own decision, but you have to give them the correct tools to make accurate decisions," Walls says.While most courses require you to bring your own car, this one had us all drive the same BMWs. Walls warns that some courses may not be as qualified as you think, so people should do some research before booking one.Back on the road, I've noticed I'm putting all my new skills into practice. I'm now much more alert, I'm giving extra room between my car and the car in front and I'm practising and mastering my turning technique.Experiencing actions such as braking or swerving suddenly at 80km/h shows just how hard these tasks are, something you can't quite comprehend until you experience it.I know I'd rather this on the track than in real driving conditions. With the disastrous effects of over-confident young drivers continually in the news, a driver training course could just be the wake-up call they need.How to drive safelyVision If there's one thing we're not good at, it is looking far enough ahead. In most cases we just don't do this and fail to focus far enough ahead. Keep your head up and always be aware of what is going on around you. Look out to see what's coming next. Good observation really is the key.Braking Early is better. The bottom line is if you think you need to brake, then you do. Leave two to three seconds between yourself and the car ahead. A car travelling 100km/h takes 80m to stop with reaction time. Incredibly, that's nearly as long as a football field.Seating positionYou should be in a comfortable position, but your legs must not be straight or too cramped. You should be able to fit only four fingers above your head before reaching the roof. You should be comfortable and in control in all situations. Your leg can't become locked under braking.Peer pressureThere's always peer pressure, which is especially true for young blokes. Don't cave in to these demands. "Speed that thrills is speed that kills." If you're getting excited, then you're driving outside your comfort zone.

Following in the mould of a swag of rivals, the new E93 3-series convertible has swapped its soft-top for a metal folding roof. A bold move maybe but technology has allowed such a move without the convertible suffering from obesity or the normal design trade-off of a frumpy rear-end. The fourth generation 3-series convertible is arguably the biggest design change to the model from the Bavarian brand which calls on over 70 years of experience in making droptop machines. It is claimed the three-piece roof opens and shuts in 22 seconds. There is a diesel four-cylinder convertible but it is unlikely to get a start in Australia. The Brisbane Motor Show will be the Australian preview for the ground-breaking hardtop only two weeks after the car was put through its paces at the international launch in Phoenix, Arizona. It will be available in showrooms here in March, soon after it becomes available in Europe and North America. Prices for the new droptop are $94,900 for the 325i manual ($97,500 automatic) while the red-hot 335i manual will cost $121,500 with the auto at $124,100. As in the coupe range there will be a choice of either the six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. Breaking cover in Australia on BMW's Brisbane stand will be the rapid 335i twinturbo convertible along with a 325i version. There will also be a 323i which is the third and final variant to join the sexy 3-series coupe range after the release of the 335 and 325 last year. The preview of the 3-series convertible at the show is the second time BMW have used Queensland as a launching pad for important new models within the past six months. In a major shot-in-the-arm, the 3-series coupe press launch was held out of Brisbane before the car was shown at the Paris Motor Show. Other cars the blue and white badge has assigned for the show are a hot M6 convertible, the all-new X3 3-litre diesel, a Z4 M coupe and a 3-litre roadster, a 1-series diesel and a 750Li Individual. The awesome 335i will also be shown in a 3series sedan Individual.

Pictures of the 3 Series Convertible released last week confirm that all variants of BMW's mainstay have a much less challenging look than the 7 Series, 5 Series or Z4, the controversial models which spearheaded the change.The most radical thing about the Convertible is its folding metal roof — a first for the luxury brand.But Bangle, who was in Sydney for the opening of the Australian Motor Show, said the 3 would be shocking without the precedent of the other models. Rather than an about-turn, it reflected a "tuning" of the ideas.The Convertible will debut at January's Detroit Motor Show and be in Australian showrooms by April, with a model range that mirrors the recently released 3 Series Coupe and prices starting around $95,000.Despite a storm of criticism and even a hate website, Bangle said he would do none of the designs differently but would use different language to describe them."The biggest mistake we ever made was coming up with a word for this and calling it 'flame'," he said, referring to his signature technique which exploits convex and concave surfaces.The BMW designs stood out, he said, because the "context of change was so flat"."There was a vehement reaction to the unexpected. People never said per se this is right or wrong."Bangle believes that the rest of the industry has followed where BMW led, but the company is still on a mission."We have to stay in front but we also have to reinforce this continuously so that every customer can be part of the movement."However, when it comes to the ergonomically challenged interiors, even Bangle admits using the cupholder of his 7 Series to store his phone. "We can get better (at interiors)," he said.

Read related storyPatrick Loved the yellow Hummer, I just want one !Grant The Subaru Tribeca seems an awesome car. Look at its list of standard features for $53000 - leaves an X5 or Territory for dead. OK, the front grille takes a bit of getting used to, power could be up a bit for its weight, but you do get all the usual Subie delights, 5 star safety and quality. Definitely worth a test drive on November 25!Mark Mercedes e280cdei definatly the bestDan The absolute standout was the new BMW 3 series coupe. Can't believe no one else has mentioned it. What a sexy car! Looks much better in the metal than in photos...David Rome The Mazda CX7 is very fresh and the new BT-50 ute looks the goods to take some salesMichael Volvo C70 What a Glamour!!the engineer Mitsubishi TRM 380- bring it on in AWD! Would sell double current! Should have been the original 380 GT.Audi R8 ;-)Captiva <8>-(French Body Art 8-)Bob Rona Gotta Be the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury!!Jay The Saab Aero X concept car looks extraordinary. I was pretty impressed with the XR5 Turbo Ford Focus - hopefully if they bring it out in diesel, there would be a lot more interest and salesDavid Lunn Mazda CX7John The Mitsui 380 supercharged - grabbed allot of attention (so did the girls in the red dresses); I also like the new Outlander V6 & Astra convertible (or at least my wife did).Lex Biggar Audi R8william yates dark 4 door mitsi I believe it's a Tommy Mac serise and also shannon's stand the rest well............Kim I must agree with Bob MX-S ROADSTER COUPE The best by far!Jim Until I hit the Mitsubishi stand the show was a let down for me. Thank you to the Mitsubishi Girls for making the show worthwhile.Julie Definetely the Honda Legend & the Audi RX8.aaron need this so i could have this to have it better then i wont be a laughting stockNick Definitely the Mitsubishi TRM 380 - because I might be able to afford it and it looks great. Can't wait to test drive it.David Lyons Peugeot 207Stephen HSV GTS is my current realistic dream carROBERT DAWSON MX-S ROADSTER COUPEKris Audi R8 looked absolutely brilliant, that will be a real winner when it lands here. The Audi TT also looked really neat.Other cars to impress were the Volvo C30 and Suzuki SX4 WRC prototype.wazza smith nonesasha The Convertible Ford Focus. I simply love it. The new Fairmont Ghia was nice too.I did not like the Camry V6 sorry Avalon, sorry again, Aurion.Now I have gone and twisted my tongue. Anyone know a good tongue doctor <8>-). .... At least I can still type.The Volvo C30 was nice too as was the Land Rover Discovery.The Holden Commodores looked pretty decent although the Captiva did not captivate.Its too tall and skinny. I saw one in a shopping centre car park right next to a Territory and boy did it look like it needed some widening.I was also quite impressed with the Audi R8.The Hummer reminded me too much of the war in Iraq (I am against senseless wars). I also thought the Citroens were cool.Sean Hickey HSV GTS a true sports car at third of the price.I enjoyed the show,love to dream but quite a few people could get a GTS

It takes a quantum mind shift to accept a station wagon as a lifestyle accessory rather than life's grim necessity — a symbol, indeed, that your life is essentially over. Never mind that such a vehicle is just what you require to cart about the fruits of your loins, it's difficult to project an aura of virility or availability in what is essentially an advertisement for prophylactics. Or so it was with wagons. It helps that they're now known by all manner of marketing euphemisms: sportwagon, touring, estate, avant. Anything other than "station wagon", with its attendant images of suburban suffocation. With this grim mantle having been inherited by the SUV, wagons in the entry-level prestige segment are becoming perilously close to fashionable. The newest executive iterations from Europe and Japan are as departed from the Falcodore hacks given to fleet and taxi drivers as a Bally loafer is from a Blundstone boot. Moreover, they're often more pleasing to the eye than their sedan siblings. One such is the recently released BMW 3 Series Touring. The late, lamented E46 3 Series range also had but one Touring model: an automatic whose old 2.2-litre engine behaved more like a four-cylinder than one of Bimmer's brilliant inline sixes. Its E90 successor — for which the lapsed 323i designation has been revived — gets a choice of six-speed auto or manual (which no one will buy) transmissions and a detuned version of the 2.5 straight six from the 325i sedan. Detuned, in fact, from all of 160kW/250Nm to a distinctly four-ish figure of 130kW and 230Nm. It hasn't been so much neutered as urbanised, but if you forked over $71,500 (for the auto, $2600 off for the manual no one's going to buy) you'd be entitled to feel aggrieved. Reaching 100km/h in a claimed nine seconds — with the kilometre coming up in 29.7 — the auto Touring is respectable rather than rapid. And you'll need to make use of the ZF gearbox's sport mode to approximate those times — the Touring's 1500kg is never more in evidence than when getting off the mark in Drive. More significantly, this heft doesn't cause garment-rending at the petrol pump — both the claimed open-road and urban-consumption figures of 6.9 and 13.2 litres per 100km are, if anything, slightly pessimistic. The Touring has all the 3Series's inherent handling excellence, with BMW's trademark near-50/50 weight distribution coupled with rear-wheel drive. It can be both a benign daily drive and an incisive handler, able to deal with any sharp manoeuvre this side of sanity (enhanced by the Dynamic Stability Control and a vast array of electronic safety aids) while feeling exceptionally planted. It's a BMW — so one expects no less. Even ride quality on the 323i's standard-issue run-flat tyres is better than tolerable on 16- inch rubber. Bigger wheels are one item on the typically long and expensive options list that you needn't tick. Touring ownership is, of course, about facility, and this the 323i has. The tailgate, for example, splits so access can be had by way of the glass pane without the "effort" of opening the whole thing. Nice. So too are the provisions for secure oddment storage, not least beneath the floor — where, in most comparable cars, resides a full-size spare. Not sure if those cubbyholes are included in the total luggage space figure of 1385 litres (with rear seats folded), but it's such a comfort to know there's room in the boot for another few bots, what? Standard kit is comparable with that in the 320i Executive sedan. It includes leather trim, retractable centre armrests in both front and rear (quite good, these), storage nets on the backs of the front seats and an anti-dazzle rear-view mirror. The near roof-length sunroof, which brightens the lot of rear-seat travellers (but diminishes the driver's head space) adds $2900. Dip further into the optionals, let alone the $5200 MSports kit, and you're looking at an easy $80K on the road. Whether or not you consider such a sum just a bit silly depends entirely on the store you set by the fabled blue-and-white roundel. Some other prestige wagons offer much more equipment and performance for a lot less money, but none of them boast that badge. So if 3 Series ownership isn't purely a matter of dollars and cents, the stylish, practical Touring makes at least a degree of sense. See the picture gallery above for a wider view of the market.