2012 BMW F30 3 Series Sedan World Premier - Available Feb 11th - Details & pictures!

2012 BMW F30 3 Series Sedan World Premier - Available Feb 11th - Details & pictures!



The 2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan
If there is such a thing as a quintessential BMW, it is without doubt the BMW 3 Series. The 3 Series is everything a sports sedan should be, and for years it has stood undisputed at the summit of the premium mid-size segment. Since it made its debut in 1975, more than 12 million customers around the world have taken ownership of a BMW 3 Series.


Highlights

• F30 3 series sedan launches as a 2012 model year and arrives at dealership world wide February 11th, 2012.
• US base model will be the 328i powered by the 245 horsepower N20. A 2.0 liter turbo charged inline 4 cylinder.
• The US premium model will be the 335i powered by the 306 hp N55 (carry over from the E90 335i). The N55 is a twin scroll turbo charged 3.0 liter inline six cylinder.
• The 3 series will come in in three 'equipment lines' (get more details on the lines) - Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line. The M Sports package, which is sort of a forth 'line' will coming out in the summer of 2012.
• Through smarter use of materials and lighter materials such as aluminum and plastics the F30 sedan is up to 88lbs lighter then outgoing E90 sedan.
• The sedan grows in both length and height giving more passenger room, especially in the back seats. Length increases by 3.8 inches and height grows by .4 inches. Surprisingly the width (ignoring the mirrors, which are wider) is actually .1" narrower.
• Heads up! Technology abound in the new 3 series and exemplified by the full color HUD (heads up display) - No only is this super cool but you can customize the display and windshield location through iDrive (now standard).
• BMW retaining the drivers 6 speed manual as standard but offers an amazing 8 speed automatic as an option. The automatic can matches or beat the manual gearbox for performance and emissions, impressive.
• Auto stop/start saves fuel in stop/go traffic. Further fuel savings, or fuel burning can be customized through the "Driver Experience Switch". Select from four modes - sporty, ultra-sporty, comfortable and extremely economical driving.
• The quintessential BMW driver oriented dash returns! The controls are angled 7 degree to the driver. This is a feature much missed on the E90, nice to have it back on the 3 series.
• Black panel display for the instrument cluster. When the car is off the black panel display shows only a matte black finish, very cool.
• Electro-mechanical steering system with optional variable sport steering. How this will feel on the 3 series will have to wait until our test drive.
• iDrive and dash screen standard. The dash screen does not fold and is design to stand out like the TV in your living room (according to BMW).
• Hands free trunk opening with comfort access by wiggling foot under rear bumper. This has to be one of the best 'little' features. Its the simple things that make us happy isn't?
• Optional M Sport brakes. Factory brake upgrade will give you four piston aluminum calipers in the front and two piston aluminum calipers in the rear.
• Optional M Sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers. Another cool factory "mod".
• Cameras - They're every where monitoring the road for every possible reason and then some. The jury is still on how these systems will work in real life, especially with the manual transmission.
• xDrive models surprisingly are not coming out in February when you need all wheel drive the most. If you want xDrive you'll have to wait until the summer of 2012 when they will likely come out as 2013 model year cars.
• M Sport package which adds some nice visual aggression is also not available in February. The package will come out in the summer of 2012.
• ActiveHybrid 3 version, with technology similar to the ActiveHybrid 5 will come out in the fall of 2012.

Complete BMW 2012 F30 3 Series World Premiere Press Release

F30 2012 BMW 3 series sedan product catalog

2012 F30 3 Series 328i and 335i Pricing