The Introduction of the BMW 3 Series has been delayed until 1998.The Reason given by BMW was that they wanted to concentrate on the new Z3 coupe which will be introduced by end of this year.
The march issue of British automotive magazine,CAR,had an article and a few pictures of the new BMW 3 Series. This is what i found out about the new 3 in the article.The car will be launched in 1998. It will be revealed to the public at the 1998 Geneva Show in early march. A year later, coupe and convertable versions will follow. The touring is expected to be revealed in year 2000. Not only will the car be all new but there will also be a choice of new engines which include 2 frugal direct-injection diesels and new 16 valve heads for the 4 cylinder engines(currently only with 8 valves). Judging from the pictures, the new 3 will be more rounded(ala 5 series), and a lot less angular than the current 3.Inside, the cheap looking interior has been replaced with BMW's famous 'wave' dashboard,as in the 5 and 7,but it will have a lot less wood than it's bigger brothers. BMW's reknowned Z-axle rear suspension has been updated by being partially manufactured of aluminium while the front suspension has been completely redesigned.The flagship M3 will get a power hike thanks to a new variable-intake system called DISA. The next generation 3 series coupe, unlike the current coupe, will have little in common, in terms of styling, with the saloon.
