Acurazine members are bigger BMW fanboys than actual BMW owners.

 

Most turbo engines not geared purely towards performance have this characteristic. Once you switch to a bigger turbo you're going to get a little more lag, but also a more powerful top end.

 

bmw garbage can

 

To me, RWD, excellent handling, excellent steering feel, high driving fun, and smooth I6 engine are all essential for the 3 series. And all of these are available right now in the E90 328i and 335i. However, the new F30 328i will get the 2.0L Turbo I4 engine. On paper, that engine is as good, if not better than the previous I6 - more low end torque and better RATED mpg. However, driving a BMW to me is more about the feel. I don't think the new I4 will sound like the I6; it won't rev as eagerly as the I6; there will be turbo lag (doesn't matter if the lag is very minimal....it still exists). In short...it loses a bit of that "BMW-ness" if you know what I mean.

It's sort of like the Civic Si using the K24 instead of the old K20. The new one has more torque and is just as fast. But it just doesn't feel and sound the same.

 

Did people forget 3-Series started with an I4 engine and until 1998, offered an I4 in the 318i?

 

I'm sure it's going to have a different feel. No doubt.

However, I can already picture how fun it's going to be with a turbo 4 engine coupled with BMW handling.

It's going to be good. No doubt. Remember, it's BMW who is making this happen. They won't disappoint.

And I think it's good for us car enthusiasts that they are offering this brand new 328i with a turbocharged engine because before, if anyone wanted to get a sporty 3 series, there was only one option to get, the 335i. But now, you can actually get a lower variant and mod it to make it fun.

Plus, I think it's just "wrong" to compare the feeling of N/A and F/I engine and say which one is better. It's just totally different. And what's wrong with that? Both platforms have pros/cons. And why is someone keep on bringing out the fact that the turbocharged engines lose its steam after certain high RPM? Did you not know that? That's what happens in a lot of production cars that come with turbos. And most of the time, it's brutally fast regardless of the fact that it loses steam up top. It happens mostly because the size of the turbo is just so small. That's why it puts out massive low to mid end torque. And sometimes, you can play with the tuning to get rid of that or negate it. My car in a stock form loses its steam at like 5500rpm, after I got my tuning done, it pulls all the way up to 6700rpm. But when I race, it puts out the best results when I shift around 6000rpm. It's just how the F/I platform works.

Let's just wait for the real product to roll out and see how it performs. I'm just excited, that's all.

 

I can see your point and I think it's true. It really depends on what's you want. To me, I thought the I6 is an excellent engine - it can rev, it pulls strong from any rpm (very flat torque curve, doesn't run out of steam), very linear response, sounds really good, very smooth, etc. The best part is that you don't have to be rich to enjoy that engine in a 3-series. I just think for some BMW enthusiasts, this is a bit hard to swallow. Of course there's another crowd of enthusiasts who care mostly about tuning potential and the 2.0T is perfect.

 

Right, because any Camcord buyer can just as easily afford a 328.

 

Not sure if its been mentioned, but are there any official MPG numbers out yet? I think I would definitely opt for the 328 with the turbo-4. Granted its not everything, the 0-60 numbers look awesome. Sounds like a rocket ship.

 

Quick question, but on the previous 3 series, didn't they carry over the top end N52 3.0L 6 without the turbos the first year, then bump it up to current N55/N54 engines?

Basically I am wondering if it would be reasonable to expect a power bump on this model the second year or would they wait for the the mid cycle refresh?

 

^ the carryover part is right but there's no new drivetrain in the offing like there was back then. Anything with a turbo could be tweaked but I wouldn't expect any drivetrain changes till the MMC.

 

Hmm..don't think there are any official EPA numbers yet, but I'm sure it will be impressive. The question is, will you, the driver, be able to get the rated numbers without driving like a grandma (no offence to any grandma's here!). I'd imagine that you are a car enthusiast and you will probably drive your car a little bit harder than the average joe....and so your real world mileage might be a little bit disappointing if you are hoping to meet EPA numbers.

 

I've been hearing rumors of 35MPG or so. I'd be happy with even 30MPG combined. I average ~21 in my TL.

And you bring up a good point. I do drive somewhat moderately but I'm sure that'd be thrown out the window if there were twin-turbos under the hood. Though I'm not planning on buying one anytime soon (I'd wait for a low mileage one in a couple of years).

 

I get better gas mileage than my EPA suggests. It's pretty easy for turbo cars to get some good numbers. It has gotten better with an aggressive tune too. This is pretty much true for all those turbo pocket rockets. I'm assuming it should be similar for this 328i. Who knows though. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

If you do buy one, do let us know how the car is (performance, mpg, etc)!

Lol, I just looked at the EPA estimates for your car...18/25...That's even worse than the 4000lb TL SH-AWD! I'm not surprised you can do better!

Anyways....you know, I think it really depends on the weight too.....so a A3 2.0T can get much better mpg than a Q5 2.0T..despite having the same engine....it doesn't matter as much with what kind of engine is being used....I don't know...just an observation.

 

don't really get your point. and of course the weight comes into play, isn't it way too obvious?

 

I've been perusing the forums this evening. Real photos make this car look better than the press photos.





http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607317



Quite some resemblance to its older brother.




http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=579126

 

i can't say i like that.. hmm

 

The front will have to grow on me, but the rest is nice. Looks like a more refined version of the E90.

 

I'm someone with an eye for details usually.... those "guess what car this is" games I usually win while everyone else is stumped. For example, just looked at part of a fender, or just the roof/window sill profile, etc.....


But I could not tell which one was the rear of the 5-series and which was the 3-series for a good while without looking at the badges. On a positive note, I think the turbo I-4 is going to be a great addition, and anyone who is complaining should get over it. A lot of upscale cars have underpowered engines, it's just to put the car in the price range of more buyers.

 

Well I think in this case BMW was going more for fuel efficiency. More power+speed+efficiency with two less cylinders to drink premium fuel seems like a no-brainer.

 

Maybe I've missed it. Has anyone written a review, or has anyone read anything about how the I4 turbo car actually drives?

 

Either BMW hasn't released any pre-production cars for the journalists, or (more likely) there's an embargo on any reviews until the actual launch date; but as yet, there are no first hand reviews of either the I4 or I6 cars for that matter.

Considering it's the same N20 (and likely tranny) in the current 28i's (X1, 5, Z4), there's probably a lot that we can speculate from their reviews. While BMW can do wonders with their cabin insulation, I hope they can do a better job in refining the actual engine itself. The last X1 that I passed by sounded like a diesel with all that clatter coming from the engine bay. Very un-BMW like.

 

Don't think there has been anything on the 3 series yet, I'll look on my C&D, but there has been stuff on the Z4, which carries the same engine. So you can get a small idea?

 

fawking sexy !!! I want the M3....

 

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KMpcEm_LQ1k?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

At times the exhaust sounds great, Then other times it sounds

What is the engine in this car?

Why no hood bulge?

Why the sedan first?



Sorry so many stoopid questions.

 

In the one shot it looked like there was both a sedan and coupe (based on quad exhausts on both).

I'd guess the seemingly different sounding exhaust sounds would be due to different pre-production cars with different tuning/exhausts. It looked like there were two different cars in the vid (one with the measurement things on the wheels, one with black wheels), although I could be wrong.

 

the coupe looked like the next M6, should I figure should drop in the next couple months...

 

Like pttl said, I'm gonna miss the hood bulge

I guess its not needed since the bigger engine is gone.

My question is. The hood bulge was a very distinguishable thing between a normal 3 series and the M3. Now what is it going to be? Just quad exhausts, wider stance? The side view mirrors look more normal too. They dont have that cool design that was probably for aerodynamic purposes.

I hope there's something easily distinguishable that doesn't make it look way to similar to the 3 series.

 

I forgot about that, good point/eye.

 

I agree, but I bet it will still have some of those features. The mirrors are an easy swap and they can do that when they get closer to a production version. Right now I assume they are refining the engine, power-train, brakes, and suspension.

I hope that it will continue to stand out from the rest of the line. One of the things that kills me with the S4/S5 is that it is barely distinguishable from an A4/A5 S-line. The M3 and C63 at least seem to be aggressive enough to distinguish themselves. Then again, maybe that is reserved for the RS4/RS5 to do...

 

I'm pretty sure they will make it look very distinguishable among bazillion 3-series, no worries.

 

The more info I see on the F80 M3, the more I want it. Wonder if 2013 will be the year for my upgrade.

 

I dig it.

 

Not bad.

 

+1 Those previously bothersome headlights look much better in these pics.

 

Very nice

 

damn....

 

Full 2012 pricing and options have been released.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609252
http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=612580

It's gonna be $57k for a 335i with the way I like it.




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