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

The Lights Concept

Superior Innovations for better Vision and Visibility

• Bi-xenon headlights featured as standard

• Corona rings serving as daytime driving lights

• Exclusive lights package within the interior

With active motoring requiring optimum visibility also in the dark, the new BMW 3 Series Coupé comes as standard with bi-xenon headlights. Another innovation highly relevant to driving safety is daytime driving light provided in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé by corona rings in the headlights.

Adaptive headlights come as an optional extra combined additionally with turn lights activated at low speeds in order to illuminate the road ahead in good time when turning to the left or right.

LED light units in the rear of the car ensure an optimised signalling effect and serve, like the corona rings in the headlights, as a clear sign of distinction setting the new BMW 3 Series Coupé significantly apart from other cars also at night.

Bi-xenon headlights in ellipsoid technology ensure particularly intense, carefully directed and therefore dazzle-free illumination of the road ahead. Through their compact structure and design, the bi-xenon bulbs
featured as standard on all variants of the new BMW 3 Series Coupé make the headlight units particularly low and striking in their design.

Xenon bulbs are used both for the low and high beam, with the new BMW 3 Series Coupé naturally featuring the latest generation of xenon technology with an ellipsoid reflector and a 70-millimetre lens. The high beam is activated by folding down a shutter within the ellipsoid module, allowing the entire light beam to leave the headlight unit. Accordingly, there is no longer any need for an additional halogen bulb providing the high-beam function as in the past.

Striking and safe: daytime driving light with corona rings.

Using the headlights also during the day serves to give the car an even greater level of distinctiveness and at the same time reduce the risk of accidents under everyday traffic conditions. This is confirmed by scientific studies conducted in several European countries, ultimately motivating the authorities to make the use of headlights during the day on all kinds of vehicles a legal requirement.

While in Germany the lawmaker also recommends use of the headlights during the day, the debate is still on as to whether the light sources used on the low-beam headlights in the dark really provide the right kind of light also at daytime.

Taking this into consideration, BMW is now presenting a new, fully legal and highly attractive option for daytime illumination of a car: The new BMW 3 Series Coupé comes with headlights incorporating light rings to provide an appropriate daytime light function with specific light management.

Activating the daytime lights, the driver switches on light rings both in the right- and left-hand headlights, the inner ring providing a transient light, the outer ring serving as a guiding light.

Both daytime light and the parking lights use one and the same H8 bulb, with the light generated being dimmed to a lesser extent in the daytime illumination mode. This creates a particularly striking look not only arousing additional attention, but also serving as a clear sign of identification. Indeed, daytime lights with corona rings are an exclusive feature to be found only on BMW cars.

Adaptive headlights and turning lights.

Like the other models within the BMW range, the new BMW 3 Series Coupé is also available as an option with adaptive headlights ensuring appropriate illumination of the road ahead on winding roads. Applying this concept, the headlights follow the position of the steering wheel, the yaw rate, and the road speed of the car.

An additional function offered in combination with adaptive headlights in the new BMW 3 Series Coupé is the turning light option activated at speeds of less than 40 km/h or 25 mph as soon as the driver operates the direction indicators or turns the steering wheel to a particularly steep angle. The advantage in this case is optimum illumination of the road ahead when manoeuvring or on serpentine roads.

Striking night design also at the rear.

The BMW 3 Series Coupé sets new standards also in the design of its rear lights. Integrated flush in the rear and side panels, the rear light clusters are split up into two sections and extend into the lid of the luggage compartment. The character lines of the car as seen from the side are continued in the outer sections of the rear lights, while LED-fed, horizontal light rods give the car a truly unique and unmistakable look at night, similar to the effect provided by the corona rings on the headlights.

The entire rear view of the car is thus characterised by horizontal lines accentuating the wide track of BMW’s new Coupé and the low, sporting appearance of the car also from this angle.

Interior lights package ensuring an exclusive ambience.

Light plays an important role also in the interior of the new BMW 3 Series Coupé. Even with the car in basic trim, indirect illumination provides a particularly stylish, exclusive atmosphere – and the lights package available as an option enhances this impression in particular style
and with powerful emotion.

The central feature in the lights package is the decoration line extending along the door lining and side panels at the rear in a smooth and gentle curve throughout the entire length of the car’s interior. Spotlights are integrated in the lower section of this trim bar, with gentle beams facing to the bottom to provide stylish and discreet illumination within the new BMW 3 Series Coupé.

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