New BMW 3 Series Coupe In Depth

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Concept
Page 3: Design
Page 4: Power Units
Page 5: Automatic Trans.
Page 6: Suspension
Page 7: All Wheel Drive
Page 8: Body & Safety
Page 9: Light Concept
Page 10: Features/Equipment
Page 11: Production
Page 12: History

Features and Equipment

Exclusivity Tailored to the Driver

• High-quality finish, attractive range of standard features

• Innovation for extra comfort: automatic belt feed

• Wide range of customisation options

Apart from outstanding driving dynamics, quality, exclusivity, and individual style give the new BMW 3 Series Coupé its particular character.

Through its unique body design alone, BMW’s new two-door performer offers particular status, with the design of the interior clearly setting the car apart from the BMW 3 Series Saloon and Touring.

This unique flair and style is also ensured by a wide range of features and equipment with details geared specifically to the new Coupé. Indeed, the sheer number of standard features alone underlines the exclusivity of the 3 Series Coupé, while at the same time the customer has numerous options to personalise his car to his individual preferences and style.

In terms of materials and quality of finish alone, the BMW 3 Series Coupé clearly sets new standards in its segment. Sophisticated, high-quality grained plastic surfaces, painted trim strips optionally available also in wood or brushed aluminium, as well as softly padded armrests in the door linings and on the centre console highlight the exclusive character of the car in both looks and surface touch.

The instrument panel is finished in high-quality structural leather, offering the customer the choice of Black and Grey as well as Savannah Beige exclusive to the Coupé. Air vents and protruding cupholders are integrated near the trim strips, while the door openers, grab bars, the bracket on the gearshift lever and air vent adjuster as well as the trim brackets in the leather sports steering wheel featured as standard all come with a Pearl Grey chrome surface developed exclusively for the new BMW 3 Series Coupé. This also applies to the trim surround on the start-stop button exclusive to the new model.

Driver-oriented cockpit.

On both the petrol and diesel models, all the driver has to do to start the engine is press the button to the right of the steering wheel. Indeed, the entire design of the cockpit emphasises the sporting and driver-oriented character of BMW’s new Coupé, the driver, upon taking his seat, immediately focusing on the speedometer and rev counter reading up to a maximum speed on the top-end BMW 335i Coupé of 280 km/h or 175 mph and maximum engine speed of 8,000 rpm (260 km/h (160 mph) and, respectively, 7, 500 rpm on the other models).

The newly designed instruments on the petrol models also include an oil temperature gauge placed beneath the rev counter, while the BMW 335d Coupé and 330d Coupé both come with their fuel gauge in the driver’s central line of vision.

No matter how tall or short, both the driver and front passenger will find their ideal seating position without the slightest effort – simply because the newly designed seats in the BMW 3 Series Coupé offer a wide range of individual adjustment, superior long-distance motoring comfort, and excellent side support.

Seat heating available as an option, in turn, guarantees particularly pleasant driving conditions in winter, the seat surfaces being heated throughout from top to bottom with individual temperature control as an innovation in this segment. This means that both the seat bottom and the backrest as well as the side supports at the bottom and the rear are fully heated to meet the occupant’s requirements.

Discreet and helpful: automatic belt feed.

The newly developed belt feed makes the process of buckling up in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé both pleasant and easy for the driver and front passenger: The seat belt mounted in typical coupé-style far behind on the B-pillar is "fed" to both the driver and front passenger once they have closed the doors and the driver has inserted the wireless ignition key into the opening to the right of the steering wheel.

This belt feed function interacts with the seat occupancy detector, meaning that the two belt feeds are only activated when a passenger is actually sitting on the front seat. A further interesting point is that this innovative comfort feature remains discreetly in the background when not required, housed conveniently in the side panels when not in use in order to avoid any impairment of the interior and its harmonious appearance.

Naturally, the new BMW 3 Series Coupé offers an outstanding driving experience also for four occupants, access to the two rear seats being facilitated by the comfort entry function on the front seats. In ergonomically perfect arrangement, the seat release lever is positioned at the top on the outside of the seat backrest. After the passenger has entered or left the car, the seat returns to its original position, merely requiring slight pressure on the backrest on seats with manual adjustment. On seats with electrical adjustment available as an option, this return function is activated even more conveniently by a button on the backrest.

First-class seats also at the rear.

The new BMW 3 Series Coupé reflects BMW’s heritage of particularly sporting 2 + 2-seaters. Hence, the passengers at the rear will enjoy the ride in extra-comfortable individual seats separated from one another by a centre console. This means that not only the driver and front passenger, but also the two passengers at the rear will enjoy excellent side support in their seats right from the start.

With the rear seats being far lower than in the 3 Series Saloon, the occupants enjoy optimum headroom despite the low-slung roofline of the Coupé.

This feeling of first-class pleasure is further enhanced at the rear by the centre console taking up the lines of the front console and even displaying similar functions: Depending on the customer’s choice, the centre console at the rear offers covered storage boxes, an ashtray, additional air vents and footwell lights. Both rear seats come as standard with ISOFIX fixtures for safely attaching child seats, and the folding centre armrest for the rear-seat passengers also comes as standard.

Generous and variable storage options.

Offering capacity of no less than 440 litres or 15.4 cubic feet (430 litres/15.1 cu ft on the BMW 335i Coupé), the luggage compartment helps to make the new BMW 3 Series Coupé an excellent grand tourer. To facilitate the transportation of particularly bulky objects, the rear-seat backrests fold down conveniently to provide extra space. The optional storage package for the luggage compartment comprises features such as a bag holder, a luggage net on the floor, a retention strap on the left-hand side and an additional net on the right-hand-side wheel arch. A 12-V power socket serves to provide electric power to a cooling box or other electrically operated equipment. And last but not least, a ski-bag module is available as an option, the opening to the luggage compartment required for this purpose being integrated in the centre armrest at the rear.

A special feature of this innovative ski-bag module is that it can be removed easily and conveniently from its frame in one quick operation allowing the driver to clean or dry the ski-bag outside of the car. And whenever the ski-bag is not required, the frame in the opening is able to take up additional cupholders, a further storage box, or a cooling box.

New: folding storage boxes in the inner door panels.

Folding storage boxes in the inner door linings also provide more than ample capacity. Indeed, this feature now available for the first time in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé enables the driver and his passengers to take along their belongings in privacy, keeping them away from prying eyes. The storage boxes are split up into three smaller compartments, and additional boxes are available in the door lining for smaller items.

Nets are provided on the rear of the front seat backrests and a multi-functional storage compartment beneath the front seat centre armrest again provides additional space for beverage cans of various sizes, a mobile telephone and various other objects. There is even a coin box and a 12-V power socket as well as an AV connector for linking up external entertainment media with the audio system.

Feeling well and comfortable: air conditioning and sunblind.

The elaborate ventilation, heating and air conditioning system in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé makes a significant contribution to enhanced motoring comfort. Both direct and indirect air vents are spaced out throughout the entire interior, ensuring highly effective, quick-acting but also draught-free circulation of fresh air and temperature control. The air conditioning in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé features a combination of efficiency and all-round comfort quite unique in this market segment, an anti-misting function as well as a solar sensor optimising specific and precise use of the system. Through its capacity, air conditioning in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé is able to exchange the air volume of the interior no less than three times within just one minute. Temperature control, in turn, is separate on the driver’s and front passenger’s sides.

A switch in the centre console serves to activate an optional sunblind which, operated electrically and guided by two arms, moves out of the parcel shelf whenever required, effectively reducing any sunglare through the rear window of the car.

Audio, navigation, telematics: high-tech from the luxury performance range.

The wide range of interior colours, upholstery and trim options enables the customer to express his or her individual style in the configuration of the new BMW 3 Series Coupé. In addition, BMW offers numerous high-tech solutions as an option above all in the area of audio, navigation and telematics equipment, which originally were developed for luxury performance cars and are now also entering this segment. This again clearly underlines the exclusive character of the new Coupé.

The Comfort Access option enables the driver to start the engine of his 3 Series Coupé without even taking the key out of his pocket. Instead, the ID sensor integrated in the wireless key is recognised by the car as soon as the driver comes close to his vehicle. This serves to unlock the doors and prepare the car for starting. Then all the driver has to do to fire the engine is press the start/stop button.

The BMW 3 Series Coupé features BMW’s systematic philosophy for controlling all functions relevant to the driver and comfort requirements, which has already set a new standard in the segment in the BMW 3 Series as such. The controls and instruments of direct significance to the driver are placed in an appropriately ergonomic position either on or directly around the steering wheel. The main air conditioning and entertainment functions, in turn, are controlled by buttons on the centre console.

All other functions and services are masterminded by the optional iDrive control system within easy and convenient reach of both the driver and front passenger. Placed on the centre console, the Controller allows the user to select and activate all functions desired for communication, navigation, entertainment, and air conditioning. The status of the function chosen is then presented on the Control Display in the middle.

The Control Display also serves to present maps in the navigation system as well as information provided by means of BMW Assist: Offering an emergency call function, BMW breakdown repair, the BMW Info information system, the V-Info plus traffic information system, and the mobility-based BMW enquiry service, BMW Assist provides a unique range of service amenities for every purpose. A particularly practical helper when travelling is the information provided on hotels, restaurants or films showing in cinemas at the driver’s destination. And last but certainly not least, BMW Assist is even able to tell the driver that his car will require service at his BMW Dealership in the foreseeable future and help the driver make an appointment with the dealer.

The emergency call function is one of the automated telematics services, with a call automatically being sent out to the service provider as soon as an airbag is activated. The current location of the car is transmitted by a short message service via the GPS navigation system, ensuring quick and efficient rescue activities. A further option is to activate the emergency call function manually by way of a button in the main function unit in the roof lining of the BMW 3 Series Coupé.

Whenever the driver uses BMW Assist to activate breakdown services or make a service call, data regarding possible defects and vehicle faults is transmitted in advance to the BMW dealer for his information. Then the system establishes a telephone connection with the driver’s service partner.

The V-Info plus traffic information system significantly facilitates stress- and congestion-free travelling in the BMW 3 Series Coupé. This function regularly retrieves the latest traffic information immediately processed by the car’s navigation system and taken into account in route guidance, thus guiding the driver past traffic jams and bottlenecks in good time.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Related entries:

WCF Test Drive: BMW 335i Coupe
BMW 335i M Sport Touring (UK)
New AC Schnitzer ACS3 Coupe Unveiled
Hartge H50 V10 Coupe
WCF Test Drive: BMW 335d