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Review: 99 3 Series 99 5 Series 99 7 Series 99 M3 Series 99 Z3 Series 00 Z3 Series The BMW X5 Read About:
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1999 3 SERIES REVIEW
Everything starts with numbers, figures and data. And everything ends up with a car simply perfect all round. High technology created by specialists, beautiful design for the connoisseur. Hard facts, elegant shapes. Actually a contradiction in terms. A contradiction which can only be overcome by combining experience with enthusiasm in creating a car that is quite simply exceptional. The new BMW 3 Series saloon. One of the most beautiful pictures science has ever painted. Dynamism is written all over the face of the new 3 Series saloon: the characteristic round headlights now have a strengthened double round effect behind a crystal-clear protective plastic covering. The new kind of free-form reflectors also guarantee excellent light quality: the range, side and far-field illumination are of the highest standard. There is no doubt about it, the new 3 Series has character. Its muscular body embodies agility and dynamism; the curved sides are signs of classic elegance. The typical BMW silhouette is further increased by the shortened overhangs; the elongated lines between the dynamically sloping front and rear windows also add to the extraordinarily sporty character of the new saloon. And talking of sporty: the athletic look of the 3 Series saloon is also optically emphasised by the long wheel base that provides ample space inside the vehicle and plays a decisive role in the dynamic appearance of the vehicle. The self-confident appearance of the new 3 Series symbolises the modern interpretation of a successful philosophy: young, athletic, elegant. The new 3 Series has grown. Both the interior and overall dimensions have grown in a ratio of virtually 1:1. An increase in space that is particularly interesting for the rear passengers. In plain text this means: more headroom, more knee room - more freedom of movement than ever before. And: the door trim panel with wave-like arm rests significantly adds to the optical lengthening of the interior. The interior of the new 3 Series saloon does not only offer an extraordinarily high-quality atmosphere, but is also the best in its class in terms of value. For example the seats: they were tested very thoroughly and had to withstand approximately 300,000 simulated everyday kilometres on a specially designed test bench without any damage. The result: even on long journeys, the seats are relaxing and guarantee extraordinary comfort. The six-cylinder in-line engine was completely redesigned to be used in the new 3 Series saloon: due to the increase of the torque curve in the lower speed range, it has become even more agile and powerful in its handling - an improvement that is primarily attributable to the variable valve timing (double Vanos). Besides, the exhaust-emission levels could once again be considerably improved by optimising the mixture preparation. In short: silky soft smoothness, power and economical consumption make this a top-class engine. The four-cylinder was also completely redesigned: for the very first time in a BMW engine, there are two balance shafts turning to lower the interior noise by up to 5 dB in comparison to the previous model. This means the four-cylinder virtually reaches the refinement of a six-cylinder in-line engine and is convincing - like all engines available for the new 3 Series - due to the extraordinarily low consumption values, longer intervals between services and thus lower maintenance costs. With the new four-cylinder diesel direct injection engine, BMW has developed an engine that has excellent torque and power values thus ensuring particularly agile engine response. The stepped cams of the injection pump are unique: they make sure that only a little fuel is injected initially and that the main amount of diesel is combusted "more softly". This removes the main disadvantages of the diesel engine: the knocking and the missing smoothness. In spite of the higher road performance, the direct injection engine is also the most economical BMW engine: the total consumption is an extremely low 5.7 litres for 100 kilometres The latest developments in suspension technology offer
even more agility and security: for the new 3 Series saloon, a new made-to-measure design
with optimised front and rear axles has been developed. As in the BMW 5 Series, about 20
percent of the parts is made from aluminium. This not only gives it a weight advantage,
but also noticeably increases the driving comfort. The long wheelbase and the ideal 50:50
axle load distribution also contribute to a safe and precise road performance. The 3
Series saloon offers a handling that even surpasses the agility and manoeuvrability of its
predecessors. This means the new saloon now corners even better. With its unique airbag system, the new four-door saloon is the "best in its class" in passive safety. A total of six standard airbags protect the driver and passenger if an accident happens. New in the 3 Series: the tube-like ITS head airbag. It is integrated in the roof frame and provides particularly effective protection in a side collision. The airbag system is supplemented with the front and side airbags and, on request, side airbags in the rear. This, the integrated automatic seat belt pretensioning device and the higher body stiffness result in a new safety level that is unique in this class. The result: the new 3 Series saloon fulfilled all requirements of the strict crash tests in Europe and USA with top marks. The braking system of the new 3 Series saloon has been further improved in comparison to its predecessors. Thanks to electronically controlled brake power distribution, optimized weight distribution, low centre of gravity and long wheelbase, the braking power is distributed equally over all four wheels. In short: in full braking, the four-door saloon has extraordinarily good decelerating values. The new 3 Series saloon has more to offer than ever before in terms of equipment. Particularly worthy of mention are the car and key memory functions. They allow individual coding of numerous electrical functions. This means you can, for example, decide whether only the driver's door or all four doors are unlocked by the central locking system. And that is not all the memory functions can do: key memory saves the individual setting of the seat and air conditioning for every key holder and accesses them automatically each time a new trip is started - regardless of who was last at the wheel. As a central information system, the on-board computer has also been improved for the new generation. It informs the driver, at any time, of average consumption, range and average speed. In addition, the time and outside temperature (with an audible warning for black ice) are also displayed. The information systems of the new 3 Series are completed by one final optional extra: a satellite navigation system.
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