In case you haven't seen this. Towards the end they confirm the new 333hp engine in the MCoupe.
The BMW 3 Series convertible is an automobile for individualists - for people who love open-air driving and want to set themselves apart from the crowd, but who have no inclination to give up everyday practicality. Now, there is a new BMW convertible that further heightens the pleasure of top-down driving and offers even greater esthetic distinction. It is the BMW convertible as interpreted by BMW M: the new, unique M3 convertible. Like its predecessors, of which some 13,000 examples were built in two generations, the new 3rd-generation M3 convertible radiates its own presence like no other automobile in the world. As a new variation on the already successful E46 3 Series convertible, this sporting four-seater with fully automatic soft top makes its debut in spring 2001, rounding out the M3 line. It is the only truly high-performance, full four-seater convertible in its market segment.
Though identical with the M3 coupe from front end to A-pillar, this is a car with its own identity. Its rising beltline and typical BMW convertible proportions impart a visually lower stance and even stronger esthetic character than the M3 coupe, whose muscularity is already quite impressive. The convertible's length and width are identical with those of the coupe; its height (with the top up) is 0.6 in. lower.
Of course the M3 convertible shares with its coupe stablemate all the typical M qualities, from the new high-rpm, 333-hp engine(*) through the skillfully calibrated M sport suspension and upgraded brakes to the design elements one expects of a thoroughbred M Car.
In the convertible's cabin, convertible-specific features add esthetic and functional appeal. Power front sport seats, for example, are standard in the convertible (they are optional in the coupe); they incorporate seat-integrated safety belts and a power easy-entry feature to make entering and exiting the rear seats especially convenient. The new M sport seats, with their adjustable backrest side bolsters, are available optionally. Details like these give the new M3 convertible an even higher-caliber, more luxurious interior than that of its predecessor. (The previous M3 convertible was available through 1999.)
Shared with "regular" 3 Series convertibles is the thoughtful variable soft top compartment, which accommodates the folded top but allows increased cargo capacity when the top is raised. Conveniently positioned for raised or folded top via a lever in the trunk, this compartment increases trunk space significantly over that available when the top is folded.
The M3 convertible's soft top is lined (for interior quietness and weather insulation), equipped with a heated glass rear window, and fully automatic.
>From unlatching at the windshield header, to lowering the side windows
slightly, to raising its rigid magnesium cover and then closing it, the top
lowers completely at the push of a button - quickly and quietly. It can even
be lowered from the remote control. And of course raising it is just as
easy. For top-down driving, a wind deflector is available. For long winters,
BMW offers a removable hardtop crafted of aluminum, and a roof-rack carrier
system for the hardtop is also available. An available Cold Weather Package
includes a trunk-to-interior ski bag.
An impressive range of safety features
The M3 convertible's safety concept and features are impressive. They begin with a rigid body whose built-in level of occupant protection is outstanding, and include a standard Rollover Protection System that automatically deploys bars behind the rear seats in case of a rollover accident. The seat-integrated front safety belts provide optimum fit on occupants, and include automatic tensioners and force limiters as well as a power adjustment for their upper anchor point.
On the "active safety" side, all the special BMW M chassis features found in the M3 coupe also apply here - widened tracks front and rear, unique suspension and underbody components, upgraded brakes. A new and unique M Variable Differential Lock enhances handling and traction on both wet and slippery roads, but for BMW M even this is not enough: BMW's Dynamic Stability Control, appearing for the first time in M3 models, has been specially calibrated for these ultra-sporty vehicles. (DSC encompasses traction control and cornering-stability enhancement.)
M3, however, means not just a sportier chassis but also an even higher level of powertrain performance than is offered by the dynamic 3 Series convertibles. Like its coupe counterpart, the new M3 convertible is powered by the spectacular new M six-cylinder engine, whose unique engineering features and high-rpm concept result in fully 333 horsepower and 262 lb-ft. of torque. These figures represent dramatic progress in performance - increments of 93 hp and 26 lb-ft. over the predecessor M3 engine, itself known as a brilliant performer.
Thoroughbred sports-car performance
With this new engine and the also new 6-speed transmission, the M3 convertible achieves true sports-car performance. Factory data for the European version indicate acceleration from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.5 sec.; 80-120 km/h (50-75 mph) in 4th gear takes just 5.9 sec., indicating that this engine delivers not just brilliant performance through the gears, but also usable response at everyday driving speeds. Top speed is electronically controlled to 155 mph.
Equally impressive is the fuel economy this brilliant engine delivers. In tests according to European standards, the M3 convertible achieved 19.4 miles per U.S. gallon in overall driving, 26.7 in highway operation. Performance and fuel-economy data for the U.S. model are to be announced later; the U.S. version meets Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standards.
With this new M3 convertible, BMW M has created a four-seater sports car of extraordinary character and capabilities - one that is truly without direct competition. To recap its essential qualities:
New M engine also appearing in '01 M coupe and roadster
The popular M coupe and roadster also get the new M six-cylinder engine for 2001. Here it develops 315 hp and 258 lb-ft. of torque, down slightly from the M3 figures because these models provide less space for the exhaust system; yet their lighter weight enables the new engine to deliver even stronger performance than in the M3 convertible. Again quoting factory data for the European models, 100 km/h (62 mph) comes up in just 5.3 sec. from a standing start, and the 80-120-km/h pull is achieved in the same 5.9-sec. time. Like both M3 models, the two Ms have an electronically-limited maximum speed of 155 mph.
For even sportier handling, BMW M engineers have extended the coupe's firmer suspension calibration to the roadster. Both models now incorporate Dynamic Stability Control for the first time. Also new is the Tire Pressure Control monitor system, which informs the driver of any falloff in tire pressure via an indicator in the instrument cluster. This too is a standard feature in all M Cars for 2001.
Visually, the classic design of the roadster and coupe is little changed; as
on the M3s, the M logo appears in updated form and the beefy 17-in. wheels
get the same elegant Satin Chrome finish found on the new M3s and the
top-of-line M5 sport sedan. Two new colors - Laguna Seca Blue and Phoenix
Yellow Metallic - are shared with the M3 models. Inside the roadster and
coupe, new gray dials with backlighted numerals freshen the instrument
cluster's appearance.
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| Dale Beuning |
| email: dale_at_unofficialbmw.com |
| web: http://www.unofficialbmw.com |
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