BMW reinvents the 3

[SR-71_Blackbird]

Why so serious?

Link to article
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288994

 

[YSSMAN]

Its still a long way away, with a lot of things to change - many of which I could see not happening. With GM's new 3-series fighter (more on that tomorrow, probably), the direct challenges by Audi and Mercedes, as well as the current crop of ninjas out of Japan (Lexus IS and Infiniti G37), BMW has a lot of work to do to keep ahead of the pack.

Interesting direction choice though. Keep it light, keep it fun to drive, and people will stick with it.

 

[dancardesigner]

Looks like a cheshire cat.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Good thing that picture didn't come from BMW


Here's the article

BMW is poised to completely reinvent the 3-series family for the low-carbon age.

Talking exclusively to Autocar, a senior BMW source revealed that a ground-up rethink of the company’s biggest-selling model will ensure that the next-generation 3-series will “remain relevant even when it goes off sale in 12 years’ time”.

Next-gen BMW 3-series tech

See the BMW 3-series future technology picture gallery

The new 3-series is expected to make its public debut at the 2011 Paris motor show. In its first incarnation, the new model is expected to offer class-leading aerodynamics, with a Cd figure of 0.24, as well as pioneering the use of three-cylinder engines in premium vehicles.

The 3-series is part of a new BMW strategy in which ‘premium’ is defined in terms of environmental compatibility. It is this strategy that has prompted BMW to pull out of Formula One from the end of this year.

Hilton Holloway blog: Premium sustainability

The reinvention will step up a gear in 2016 when the 3-series undergoes a mid-life revamp. This is expected to represent the biggest technological step-change in car design for decades.

Sources say much of the underskin technology — such as the climate control system — will be completely re-engineered. Many of today’s in-car systems have in principle remained unchanged for decades.

BMW engineers are already years into programmes that will extend the reach of the company’s successful Efficient Dynamics fuel-saving tech to make all aspects of the 3-series — not just the engines — as energy-efficient as possible.

To this end, BMW has fitted thousands of existing customers’ cars with sophisticated black boxes that record all aspects of their use, helping engineers to plan the shape of future models.

For example, the research shows that of all BMW’s models, the 320d is driven the fastest and over the greatest distances by owners. This information will directly influence work on replacements for the 320d to optimise fuel efficiency in the light of this model’s particular duty cycle.

Much of this engineering work is also aimed at the future ‘electrification’ of the car.

BMW’s product planners expect most future car families — especially those in the premium sector — to come in both hybrid and fully electric forms.

This means the design of the car’s electrical architecture and ancillaries will have to be completely rethought to deal with being powered purely by battery. Insiders say headlamps, for example, will have to become far more energy-efficient.

 

[homeforsummer]

I was sure the new 3 had been mentioned somewhere already on this forum but perhaps I'm just imagining things (actually, I am - I commented on the article on AutoBlogGreen a few days ago, not here!). Either way, I'm intrigued as to the direction they're taking. The new 3-cyl engine sounds like it could be a new challenge to make as smooth as they get their fours and sixes but if the gains are as much as they're hoping then it's worth a try.

The 8-speed auto is a good idea too. More gears means less hunting between widely-spaced ratios than a normal auto box does, which means better fuel economy, and apart from anything a sportier drive as the gearbox should tecnically always pick the right gear with so many to choose from.

Lightweight body? A Good Thing. Better aero? Obviously good whether you're after economy or performance. I also read the article in Autocar magazine and BMW commented that they weren't going for some of the more extreme aeromods such as wheel skirts as it wouldn't fit with the company's image and the expectations of their customers, so what they'd designed were "air skirts". Vents in the bumper and under the car draw air in and it's funnelled out over the face of the wheels at high speed, deflecting turbulent air around the wheel arches instead of being caught inside and creating drag. I think it's a brilliant idea and I wouldn't be surprised at all if more companies follow suit.

 

[YSSMAN]

Leave it to BMW to solve the problems, but not make any compromises in the process. If they get it right, the rest of the industry will follow. For the better of all of us.

 

[Omnis]

So they're keeping the M cars right? I'm all for making the extremes between efficiency/economy and balls to the wall performance that much wider.

 

[Philly]

I think this is a case where I am not very disappointed at all in a company that falls into the "green trap." It seems that BMW is very concerned with staying true to their customer base's expectations, and they'll know where to make improvements that keep the old guys, and still bring in new ones.

I do think it's pretty interesting how we're seeing the Japanese (Toyota) pave the way for the whole green thing, and then we'll get BMW involved and they'll be the ones who most seamlessly integrate that all into the current automobile. And then we'll have the rest of the industry playing catchup (like always) and trying to get similar technology of their own to the masses.

I actually think this is a good thing. This car from BMW may just save the world from global warming. I'm definitely looking forward to see what some other companies come up with in response.

 

[niky]

Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched...

I'm very happy at the new direction both BMW and Mercedes are taking in regards to increasing efficiency. Merc announced a few weeks ago that they're eyeing the production of a 150-180 hp 1.5 liter 3-cylinder, also...

Both companies are looking at ways of downsizing without decontenting, and the new direction towards smaller, lighter, but no less powerful engines, as well as a host of other tweaks (the total rethink of rewiring is especially interesting), are things that are more easy to integrate into base consumer-level vehicles than expensive hybrid powertrains.

Plus... thankfully... three-pots sound wonderfully off-beat compared to your regular four-pot... The removal of one cylinder for a little extra warble in the exhaust at idle is a sacrifice I'm definitely willing to make. Sign me up for the next 3-cylinder 320i, please... as long as they bring it back under 1200 kilos.

 

[///M-Spec]

Ugh. A bunch of damn whiners in that thread over at e90post.

So they're keeping the M cars right? I'm all for making the extremes between efficiency/economy and balls to the wall performance that much wider.

Yeah, they're keeping the M range. They'd be stupid not to. It's the Golden Fleece of the auto world --a halo car that actually makes money.


BMW is working on a city car project too. Under it's own brand called "i-Setta" positioned under the MINI brand. Reportedly inspired by the Isetta bubble car.


M

 

[Jim Prower]

I-setta? Oh, boy, I sincerely hope it's not a tricycle, but I might like to see...an R1200 Twin...

 

[Leonidae]

I'm all for reinventing, as long as it brings the weight under 1300kg without cutting the performance.

 

[homeforsummer]

BMW is working on a city car project too. Under it's own brand called "i-Setta" positioned under the MINI brand. Reportedly inspired by the Isetta bubble car.

A project which they're collaborating with FIAT on, as FIAT are wanting to bring back a "Topolino" to sit below the 500.

And yeah, it's a pity but that sort of response is fairly typical. They're probably the same people who moaned like crazy when the E90 replaced the E46. And when the E46 replaced the E36. And so on, ad nauseum.

 

[Bram Turismo]

The 8-speed auto is a good idea too. More gears means less hunting between widely-spaced ratios than a normal auto box does, which means better fuel economy, and apart from anything a sportier drive as the gearbox should tecnically always pick the right gear with so many to choose from.

I've never understood the point with 7-speed gearboxes, let alone 8. Isn't 5 good enough, 6 at the max? If you'd drive an 8-speed up a hill, I can imagine the car shifting gears the whole time just to find the best acceleration or fuel consumption possible. It sounds great, but personally, I think 8 gears is just too much to choose from. Most be annoying as well hearing the car shifting the whole time...

 

[homeforsummer]

I've never understood the point with 7-speed gearboxes, let alone 8. Isn't 5 good enough, 6 at the max? If you'd drive an 8-speed up a hill, I can imagine the car shifting gears the whole time just to find the best acceleration or fuel consumption possible. It sounds great, but personally, I think 8 gears is just too much to choose from. Most be annoying as well hearing the car shifting the whole time...

I disagree. For my own sanity I'll just copy and paste my thoughts that I posted on AutoBlogGreen:

Autos are traditionally not as economical as manual transmissions because they used to have too few gears to pick exactly the "right" one for certain conditions - going up a hill it'd pick a gear that was too low and the car would drink fuel, on the flat the higher gears would be too high so you'd have no acceleration and when you pressed the throttle the 'box would rather change down and scream than use the engine's torque.

With an 8-speed though the car has a much better chance of picking exactly the right gear for any given condition, and probably much more efficiently than the majority of drivers could. Need economy? It can change into 8th and sip fuel like it's not there. Bit more acceleration or a slight incline? Down into 7th. Decide you want to accelerate quickly? It can drop three or four gears and give you all the power you need. Up hills it won't hunt between two badly-spaced gears, it'll pick the one you need.

And if the transmission is as well designed as you'd expect from a BMW it'll be so smooth that you'll only notice it changing from the small fluctuations on your rev counter.

And...

...the problem with autos that I've driven is they're much more keen to change down than they are to use the torque of the engine and remain in the same gear.

My thinking with the 8-speed being mentioned is that it should never change down to a gear lower than it has to for any given throttle opening, meaning it won't scream away and drink fuel every time you press the gas a little more. I also suspect, if it's anything like most modern auto transmissions, that there'll be a manual mode available either with a tiptronic-style lever or with little paddles that'll allow you to hold it in whichever gear you desire which should give that extra little bit of control in certain situations

So to sum up: My thinking is that as opposed to hunting and never having quite the right ratio like even a five or six-speed auto can find themselves facing, having greater choice of intermediate ratios gives the car that extra bit of flexibility in the huge variety of different situations you find yourself in day to day.

A situation I've just come up with to illustrate - normally, your top gear is economy orientated. Well, what if you had two economy orientated "top" gears? You find yourself rolling along at 50mph in 8th at little over tickover. The economy is going to be staggering. But what if there's a little incline in the road? In a normal auto with the same throttle opening, chances are it would labour for a second and then the revs would climb by 700rpm or more, which although not a great deal, will still hit economy, and then the box may decide that it didn't need that gear after all, and change back up. And then change down again because it's already decided that you did need a lower gear after all. With an extra gear, there's none of this hunting. It drops down a gear and stays there because it's low enough for the incline and high enough for cruising.

An extreme example, perhaps, but just one illustration of a situation in which having those extra gears can be beneficial.

Lets face it - most heavy goods vehicles have loads of gears, all of which are useful in different situations. If they could make do with six then they'd only have six, but sometimes those intermediates are important - just the application is different.

And of course as I mentioned on ABG, BMW are hardly going to do a half-assed job with it.

 

[McLaren]

I do think it's pretty interesting how we're seeing the Japanese (Toyota) pave the way for the whole green thing, and then we'll get BMW involved and they'll be the ones who most seamlessly integrate that all into the current automobile. And then we'll have the rest of the industry playing catchup (like always) and trying to get similar technology of their own to the masses.

The Japanese didn't really "pave the way" for BMW with eco-friendly cars. If you caught the part about the "Efficient Dynamics", that is a program BMW has been researching for years now.

See, most Japanese companies are experimenting with smaller engines for hydrogen, electric, & what not. BMW though, combined petrol & hydrogen in a 6L V12 760iL, & use the hydrogen to ignite the engine rather than use it to create eletricity to power the car.

BMW had claim it's the first hydrogen car to begin production even though they limited numbers to a 100. But as they continued with it, they began introducing CleanEnergy & ActiveHybrid on their cars which has made its way into all their diesels.

It's an incredible feat imo, as they are the ones who went outside the box with hydrogen & want to keep their cars' thrills instead of just offering some brand new model that no longer drives like a BMW. 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

If we're going further back it was probably the Japanese again though, with Honda making incredibly economical cars (the Civic in particular) since the 70s.

But yeah, BMW have done a lot of work already on efficiency. I'd think that just for a start their precise engineering has to go some way towards the overall efficiency of even some of their bigger engines. And when they really put their mind towards it you get cars like the 116d which manages 64mpg, and still makes 260Nm of torque and does 60 in ten seconds. Makes a Prius look rather silly.

 

[Adamgp]

I've never understood the point with 7-speed gearboxes, let alone 8. Isn't 5 good enough, 6 at the max? If you'd drive an 8-speed up a hill, I can imagine the car shifting gears the whole time just to find the best acceleration or fuel consumption possible. It sounds great, but personally, I think 8 gears is just too much to choose from. Most be annoying as well hearing the car shifting the whole time...

Couldn't agree more. My buddy has a Mercedes SUV/wagon thing (R class I think). It has the 7 speed auto trans and man that thing hunts constantly. Also when he pulled out to pass someone there was a fairly big delay while it downshifted 3 gears before taking off.

 

[homeforsummer]

I suspect issues like that won't be as relevant given that the 3-series will likely weigh 800kg less than the R-Class. Half of those gearchanges are probably just the 'box trying to work out which gear is best to haul it's heavy arse around with... On a more serious note, I've heard criticisms in the press that Mercedes' attempt isn't great anyway, as it often tries to select too high a gear for a given situation (probably some misguided economy thing).

 

[Bram Turismo]

Which way you put it, I still think 8-speeds don't work everywhere. I'm fairly sure 7- and 8-speed gearboxes are a complete waste of money when driving on roads we drive on here. Mountains are so steep at times, and roads are so twisty, the gear we use most is 3rd. Either 3rd or 5th, but with an 8-speed a car here would be changing gears before, during, and after each and every corner to de-accelerate quickly enough before the corner, maintain that speed at the best fuel conservative gear throughout the corner, and then a new gear to pick up speed when exiting the corners. It may work on roads that have long stretches as you could easily cruise in 8th or whatever gear you'd like. But here in Norway? Nope. Never going to work.

 

[niky]

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Old automatics were horrible. I don't think I"d ever want to go back to a 4-speed now that 5-speed is the norm. And 6-speeds are even better... 7? 8? If they can fit them in at very little penalty to either weight or cost... sure!

Six gears in a manual is already too much for your common econombox or compact SUV... too confusing to the customer and sometimes difficult to wade through to find the proper gear. Just imagine how truck drivers feel with their ten-speed manuals! But anyone can enjoy the benefits of more gears in an automatic.

More gears, in practical use, means less hunting, less time spent "lugging" between gears and smoother acceleration. The CVT is the best illustration of this, though the "rubber-band" effect of the CVT's infinite ratios is not to everyone's tastes.

A seven-geared box can have a first gear that goes to just 40 km/h... or lower... and a seventh gear good for 180 km/h at just a tick over idle. (whereas a properly spaced six gear box will have 140-160 km/h at just over idle) This gives you enormous flexibility in driving... and from experience, the more gears an automatic box has, the less inclined you are to reach over and manually shift for yourself, as you're always in the right gear to cruise or overtake.

Now take your mountain road example... for a 20 degree slope, you'll want, maybe, fourth gear... down into third for a 30 degree slope... down into second for a 40 degree... even if it puts you at 4000 rpm... simply because third is too long. With an eight speed gearbox, you could be in fifth... fourth... third... second... third... always at just 3000 rpm without being 500 rpm too low or 500 rpm too high... without needing to change yourself.

More gears are great. They mean you can keep your engine in the economy portion of the powerband (2000-3000 rpm) longer when you're cruising, or keep the engine "on boil" when you're really thrashing it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Well said 👍 Exactly what I was getting at. I'd love to drive a car with a really good auto gearbox at some point, as I've only ever driven fairly basic 4- and 5-speed autos so far. The best auto was in a 4.0l V6 Toyota Prado, which had so much torque the 'box didn't really need to hunt and wasn't over-keen to change down.

 

[niky]

The best auto-box I've driven so far is Ford's new DCT box... instantaneous changes, near-telepathic response. Only slight I can level against it is that it can sometimes feel clumsy changing down two gears at once (but then... what box doesn't) and the "manual" mode gives you a tiny window of control.

But even a "traditional" box with six speeds is nice... most luxury cars have these programmed so the car can start in 2nd gear (which is often about as long as 1st is in some of the older 4-speeds) but 1st gear is available for quick getaways.

You still wouldn't want to take a fully automatic box to trackdays... and even with the best of manual controls, there are a few things you can't easily do with an auto that you can with a manual (drifting, for example... ), but for the average driver, going fast in an AT is ridiculously easy.

But, as no six-speed autos are within my price range... (I'd love the Focus DCT, but I don't have the jack for one at the moment) I'd still get an MT if I had to buy a car right now...

 

[Philly]

The Japanese didn't really "pave the way" for BMW with eco-friendly cars. If you caught the part about the "Efficient Dynamics", that is a program BMW has been researching for years now.

See, most Japanese companies are experimenting with smaller engines for hydrogen, electric, & what not. BMW though, combined petrol & hydrogen in a 6L V12 760iL, & use the hydrogen to ignite the engine rather than use it to create eletricity to power the car.

BMW had claim it's the first hydrogen car to begin production even though they limited numbers to a 100. But as they continued with it, they began introducing CleanEnergy & ActiveHybrid on their cars which has made its way into all their diesels.

I think that by "pave the way" I meant "made popular." It is essentially the Prius and other hybrids that are making the green image important enough for BMW to put these improvements in their cars. In fact, it seems that BMW is playing catch up to Toyota in the green image game.

The best auto-box I've driven so far is Ford's new DCT box... instantaneous changes, near-telepathic response. Only slight I can level against it is that it can sometimes feel clumsy changing down two gears at once (but then... what box doesn't) and the "manual" mode gives you a tiny window of control.

I think that DCTs are great. Aside from driver involvement, they seem to do everything right. They're faster than manuals, are perfectly fine for people who don't like manuals and seem so much more precise than older autos. It just feels great to feel like my foot movements are what are making the car accelerate, and not being merely a suggestion.

 

[ranhammerR34]

I really can't wait to see what this Bavarian looks like both inside and out! The Turbo 3 Diesel sounds pretty interesting... --- Randy