[marcus330i]

The 3 Series is to BMW as Barry Bonds is to the Giants: the franchise.

Just as Bonds brings his team to the attention of thousands of fans, the 3 Series is for many the face of BMW. It is the company's best-selling car year after year, and in 2005 it's celebrating its 30th anniversary. In June, BMW will release the fifth generation of its 3 Series in the U.S., and that vehicle will be the latest edition of the most successful BMW of all time. (To read more about the new 3 Series click here.)

How successful? Since 1998, when the predecessor of the current generation was introduced, BMW has sold more than 3 million 3 Series cars. (In 2004, sales declined 14.9%, but that dip is attributable to the end of the product cycle and customers' anticipation for the upcoming redesign.)

The 3 Series is also one of the most widely targeted cars on the market, its performance and reputation the benchmark by which all other four-seat sports models are judged. Competitors such as DaimlerChrysler (nyse: DCX - news - people ), Toyota (nyse: TM - news - people ) and Honda (nyse: HMC - news - people ) have worked hard to dethrone the 3 Series. But no matter how good the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class or Lexus IS 330 become, they are still eating BMW's dust.

The company introduced the first 3 Series at a special event at Munich Olympic Stadium--near BMW's headquarters--in July 1975. The original model had the "kidney grille," which is still a 3 Series hallmark. It featured a wedge shape that extended to an unusually high rear end. When critics complained about these proportions, BMW toned down the rear by adding a black plastic trim panel between the taillights.

The first 3 Series interior was marked by a center console that faced the driver--a feature that would become characteristic of BMWs for many years.

BMW claims the 3 Series was the first car in its class with a six-cylinder engine, a type of power plant the company introduced at the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show. A 2.3-liter six-cylinder gave the 3 Series 143 horsepower (hp) and a top speed of 118 mph.

By 1980, the 3 Series had acquired its reputation for superior performance. A study conducted in that year said 77% of 3 Series buyers purchased the car for its performance. Superior handling--response to steering forces--was a motive for purchase to 65% of customers and is still a trait of the 3 Series. Looks were cited by 64% of buyers as a factor in their decision. Almost two-thirds of buyers said their next cars would be BMWs.

In 1981, the millionth 3 Series came off the lines. Six years into its life, the 3 Series was already the highest-selling BMW in history, and a second generation appeared in 1982. This model featured more interior room, despite a shorter overall body length.

The first four-door 3 Series appeared in autumn 1983; all previous models had been coupes. By the mid-1980s, the 3 Series convertible and the high-performance M3 model had joined the lineup. The first M3 used a racing-derived, 200-hp four-cylinder engine. BMW's factory in Munich soon reached its capacity, and a new plant in Regensburg, Germany began building cars in November 1986.

In 1984, a BMW engineer with a pregnant wife wanted his 3 Series to have more versatility and, in his own garage, turned the car into a station wagon. His superiors saw the vehicle and were impressed enough to start a program to mass-produce 3 Series wagons. Deliveries began in early 1988, and the wagon completed a range, which to this day includes sedans, coupes, convertibles and wagons.

The third-generation 3 Series appeared in 1990 and smoothed out some of the older model's box-like proportions. The fourth-generation--of which the current 2005 3 Series is the last member--came out in May 1998. By autumn of that year, the 3 Series was a modern machine, featuring xenon headlights and a navigation system, and by 2000 the first all-wheel drive 3 Series cars began to appear.

The 3 Series is today one of the most desirable vehicles in the world. Although it is not a purebred sports car--such a vehicle has, by definition, only two doors and only two seats--it is one of the more sporting luxury cars on the market. The 2006 model will have an estimated starting MSRP of $28,000.

When the new 3 Series goes on sale in June, it will feature two inline six-cylinder engines: a 2.5-liter, 218-hp power plant and a 3.0-liter, 255-hp one. The exterior and interior will feature all new styling, and the car will house the first application of BMW's complicated iDrive infotainment controller.

[roburado]

Originally Posted by marcus330i

The 3 Series is today one of the most desirable vehicles in the world. Although it is not a purebred sports car--such a vehicle has, by definition, only two doors and only two seats--it is one of the more sporting luxury cars on the market.

I guess the Porsche 911 has never been a purebred sports car then.

Originally Posted by marcus330i

The exterior and interior will feature all new styling, and the car will house the first application of BMW's complicated iDrive infotainment controller.

Makes it sound like the 5, 6, and 7 don't have iDrive.

[marcus330i]

Unless the word "infotainment" implies new content only found on the 3......HBO and e-mail hopefully!

[kchika]

Originally Posted by roburado

I guess the Porsche 911 has never been a purebred sports car then.


Makes it sound like the 5, 6, and 7 don't have iDrive.