BMW 328i sedan honed to a hard edge for ultimate performance
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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LAKE GENEVA, Wisc. -- With tall stands of corn blurring past side windows, we're rushing down rough zigzag farm roads along the Illinois border of Wisconsin, bumping over potholes and grinding around squared corners, picking up speed on section straights but shutting it down quickly to make the next curve.
Our car -- a superb new design for the compact sports sedan from Germany's BMW -- does not protest such rough treatment. In fact, it seems to invite even more action.
Big wheels, capped by speed-rated rubber and floating independently at each corner, ripple through so many asphalt holes like a taut basketball dribbling in double time as suspension components of springs and shocks match the bouncy wheel rhythm yet never upset the perfect balance of this precision machine.
Tight curves can't shake it either.
Big disc brakes, linked to anti-lock and traction control devices, rein it rapidly in linear progression without notable front dive as sharp rack and pinion steering gears kick in to point the nose around the next hard bend. Tail, motivated by rear drive wheels, follows the lead of front wheels by etching a keen curve to the apex of the corner before settling into the straight.
Big torque, pumped from a beefed-up engine, exerts tenacious but controlled force on back wheels through the curve before increasing the effort while driver paws a short manual shift lever through up-shifts to play gears in a run up to high speed.
My romp through corn country clearly demonstrates that the new BMW sedan can meet the worst challenges of a rough route and still deliver uncanny control for driver for such important tasks as steering, accelerating, braking and all other linear actions of the automotive kind.
Of course, BMW has built its reputation on developing cars that appeal to aggressive drivers.
With the new 328i sedan, that appeal stretches further.
Bavarian designers at BMW have honed this latest take on the essential compact to a hard edge for ultimate performance, then equipped it with sophisticated hardware on the cutting edge of automotive technology.
Remember, it was BMW's designers who virtually invented the concept of a compact sports sedan in 1968 with the 1600-2. That little thing looked like three congruent cubes on wheels (a big one for riders sandwiched between smaller ones in front and back for engine and trunk) but it carried an overhead-cam engine plus an independent suspension and disc brakes -- and ran like crazy, hugging corners like nothing else in its day.
The 1600-2 led to another boxy compact, the 2002, and by 1975 to the first 3 Series sedan. A subsequent iteration in 1978 introduced 6-cylinder power, and by 1996 the 328i emerged with modern refinements and a swoopy shape that smoothed out the tri-cube angles of predecessors.
Namesake 328 traces to 1936 with a sleek roadster which became the most successful sports car of the era.
For 1999, 328i marks the fifth evolution for a 3 Series sedan, with coupe and convertible variations planned for model-year 2000.
It's wider and longer than the previous 328i, with wheels pushed to edges of the platform to stabilize the stance, and there's scant overhang remaining in front, as patterned after racing machines. More room for riders and new safety systems are in place inside, along with a new 6-cylinder engine tied to a 5-speed manual stick or optional new 5-speed automatic
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The exterior looks like someone squashed and skewed the previous sedan to shape it into streamlined fashion.
Fluid in arching form from tapered prow across a windswept cabin to the kicked-up rump, it appears to move even when parked. A subtle horizontal crease crimped into sheetmetal shoulders extends from front corner lamp to rear edge, emphasizing motion.
Park the 328i next to BMW's 5 Series mid-size sedan and you'll pick up similar shapes and lines, as styling for the compact conforms but in a tighter package.
Length between wheels grows by an inch and wheel track expands by 2.6 inches, setting up a larger footprint.
The new steel structure increases in strength by 80 percent and measures 40 percent stiffer for torsional rigidity, yet the use of light-weight aluminum for suspension links helps to reduce the car's unsprung mass by 26 pounds, which makes it stick better and glide more conformably over bad roads like the tester encountered.
A new 6-in-line aluminum-block engine, displacing 2.8 liters and rigged with dual overhead cams and high-tech infinitely variable valve timing, boosts output to 193 horsepower and musters more torque at lower speeds.
The Getrag 5-speed manual transmission keyed to a self-adjusting clutch is standard, but a new automatic articulated through five forward gears has a sport mode for higher shift points plus controls which figure out an individual's driving style before harmonizing with it.
Other high-tech hardware, either optional or standard, dazzles: Electronic brake proportioning which automatically modulates brake pressure front to rear to prevent wheels from slipping; cornering brake control to maintain stability when turning by regulating brake pressure selectively per wheel; park distance control with sensors and signal that sounds when the rear bumper gets too close to an object in the rearward path; rain-sensing wipers which deploy without cue when infrared sensors detect rain drops on windshield, and a navigation system with satellite link to plot the car's earthly position and display it on the map of an in-dash video screen.
Safety features go ballistic on 328i, including as many as eight air bags, with standard front and side-impact air bags for front seat riders plus BMW's exclusive Head Protection System with inflatable tubular air bags mounted atop A pillars to cushion head and shoulders during a side-impact collision. Further, the car adds optional side air bags for rear seats.
The plush passenger compartment, with more space for heads and legs and shoulders, orients to driver and fits like a glove. A new instrument panel with analog gauges emulates the 5 Series, and trim panels display decorate touches of aluminum or wood. Front bucket seats, rising higher now, get 6-way power controls.
Standards include automatic climate system and power windows with 1-touch up and down functions, while options range from premium and sport packages to Xenon headlamps, power moonroof, in-dash CD deck and Harmon Kardon audio.
1999 BMW 328i SEDAN
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| 1999 BMW 328I SEDAN VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact sports sedan |
| Model Options: |
Compact sports sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
107.3 inches |
| Overall Length: |
176.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.8-L I6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/5 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side) + 2 (head) + opt. 2 (rear) |
| Gas Mileage: |
20/29 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 34,000 to $ 40,000 |
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