This range is significant in that the 335i moves away from BMW’s currently accepted practice of using only naturally aspirated engines in its production vehicles.While the new 3 Series Coupé is clearly a BMW, it is lower and slightly longer than its booted sibling, and an impressive airdam at the front, and twin exhaust outlets hint at its added aggression. The rear seems somewhat out-of-sorts, but manages to look sporty with the Coupé’s overall execution.
This range is significant in that the 335i moves away from BMW’s currently accepted practice of using only naturally aspirated engines in its production vehicles. With a view to creating a powerplant that could mimic the power characteristics of a larger V8 unit, without the weight disadvantage, the car’s 3,0-litre engine is fitted with two small turbochargers each feeding three of the six cylinders.
The 335i’s power unit develops 225 kW and 400 N.m from 1 300 r/min taking the coupé from a standing start to 100 km/h in 5,5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 250 km/h.
This all-aluminium engine’s efficiency has been put down to its low weight (about 70 kg lighter than comparable V8 engines) and BMW’s use of second-generation direct-injection technology.
The straight-six used in the 325i produces 160 kW and peak torque of 250 N.m, translating into a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 6,9 seconds and a top speed of 247 km/h.
The Coupé range sticks to Munich’s rear-wheel drive convention and both engines are mated with a standard six-speed manual gearbox. A six-speed Steptronic automatic is optional.
Suspension is by an aluminium double-joint tie-bar axle at the front and a five-arm axle at the rear, a combination that BMW says is the most modern in its class.
As expected, both models are packed with a range of state-of-the-art safety features. A high performance braking system, with fade-free brakes, is matched to the standard 17-inch wheels, an advanced DSC system with ABS, Dry Braking and Brake Standby functions, Dynamic Brake Control, Cornering Brake Control, and Dynamic Traction Control, are some of these features.
Bi-xenon lights, with corona rings designed specifically for daytime driving, at the front and rear LED lamps (with two-stage braking function) are standard fare, while adaptive lighting and active steering are optional.
In the cabin, belt feed units hooked up to a seat occupant detector “hand” the seat belts over to the driver and front passenger. Door and grab handles, the gearshift lever’s housing, air vent controls, and trim on the starter button are finished in Pearl Grey chrome. The centre console extends to the rear, concealing the drive-train tunnel and offering several storage options to complement the 430 to 440 dm3 of luggage space.
