The company, which today launched the all-new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe priced at Rs 86.40 lakh, also said it will bring three more new products by March 2013.
"By the end of 2013, we will start assembly of completely knocked down (CKD) units of the 1 series at our Chennai plant for the Indian market," President of BMW Group India Philipp von Sahr told PTI.
He said while a product like the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is mainly aimed at enhancing the brand equity of the company, the company has also plans to bring other products to drive voThe BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. Successor to the BMW New Class, it has been produced in six different generations and in five different body styles. It is BMW's best-selling model, accounting for around 30% of the BMW brand's annual total sales (excluding motorbikes).[2]lumes.10 percent across all
History
There have been six generations; their respective chassis codes are:
- BMW E21 – (1975–1983) 3 Series
- BMW E30 – (1983–1991) 3 Series
- BMW E36 – (1991–2000) 3 Series
- BMW E46 – (1998–2006) 3 Series
- BMW E90 – (2005–2011/EUR, 2006–2011/US) 3 Series saloon
- BMW E91 – (2005–2011/EUR, 2006–2011/US) 3 Series Touring (Sports Wagon)
- BMW E92 – (2007–2011) 3 Series Coupé
- BMW E93 – (2007–2011) 3 Series Convertible
- BMW F30 – (2012–) 3 Series saloon
- BMW F31 – (2012–) 3 Series Touring (Sports Wagon)
E21, First generation, 1975–1983
| Production | 1975–1983 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door cabrio |
| Layout | FR layout |
Main article: BMW 3 Series (E21)
The first generation was a two-door saloon model only. A factory authorised cabrio 
E30, Second generation, 1982–1991
 |
|
| Production | 1982–1994 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 4-door saloon 5-door touring |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive / All-wheel drive |
| Related | BMW M3 |
Main article: BMW 3 Series (E30)
The E30 was sold from 1982 through 1991 in saloon form, and through
1993 in convertible form. The E30's introductory price was nearly double
that of the E21 just seven years earlier, but the availability of a six-cylinder
engine and four-door body style (in 1984) earned sales. The torquey
"eta" six in the 325e produced 121 hp (90 kW) and 172 lb·ft (233 N·m) of
torque, but met the strict emission standards of the time. The E30 was
the most powerful compact BMW offered in the United States since the 2002 Tii.The lineup was augmented in 1985 by the high-output 325i and 325is. Though the engine displacement was reduced to 2.5 L, output was up to 168 hp (125 kW) but torque dropped to 164 lb·ft (222 N·m) as the company focused on performance rather than economy. The rev limit for the new motor was raised from 5,000 rpm to 6,500 rpm.
The 325is was an upgrade from the standard 325i, as some new features were added to the car as standard. These included the full electrics package, black roof-liner[citation needed], BMW "is" body kit, BMW 14 inch BBS "Basketweave" wheels and a close ratio gearbox[citation needed]. Other features also found on the 325is were options, however over time, some have been mistaken for standard features. These options include a 25% Limited Slip Differential, M Sport suspension with Bilstein struts, M-Sport II steering wheel, BMW sports seats, leather interior, sunroof and BMW 15 inch BBS wheels. Options differed on vehicles produced for the United States market.
In 1987 a left hand drive only all-wheel drive version, the 325ix, joined the lineup with a touring version being introduced in late 1987. The 1.8L four-cylinder was dropped in 1985, but was brought back with a new, 1.8 L DOHC motor (M42B18) for 1991.
At the end of 1987, BMW introduced the touring version of the E30. It was very popular during its production up to 1994. It was available with a 1.6-, 1.8-, 2.0- or 2.5-litre engine and also 2.4-litre turbo diesel.
The most powerful American BMW E30 in 1989 came in the form of the M3, using a 192 hp (143 kW) S14 straight-four with a four-valve head adapted from the M88 six and Bosch fuel injection.
A so-called 'run-off model' of the E30 318 was produced in 1990[4] that featured BMW's new 16-valve 136 bhp 1.8 engine from the upcoming E36 range that was to replace the E30. This newer engined E30 was named the 318is and came as standard with Recaro interior, black headlining and M-Tech suspension. It was not offered as a four-door model or as a convertible.
E36, Third generation, 1990–1999
 |
|
| Production | 1990–1999 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 4-door saloon 5-door touring |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Related | BMW M3 BMW Z3 |
Main article: BMW 3 Series (E36)
The E36 was introduced in 1990 as the successor to the E30. It
was eventually superseded by the E46 starting in 1999 for saloons, and
2000 for coupés and cabriolets.The E36 experienced enormous success in the market. It laid strong foundations for the success that the E46 experienced in subsequent years.
The E36 employed the "Z-axle" multilink suspension in the rear which had been proven in the Z1. VANOS variable valve timing was introduced on the DOHC I6 (inline 6-cylinder) engines in 1993.
The four-door E36 was produced from early 1990, initially for sale in Europe only, and was introduced to other worldwide markets up to a year later. The coupe version was produced from 1991, with the Cabriolet version following in 1992. The three-door hatchback Compact was introduced in 1994 and was moderately popular in Europe. The Compact was identical to the regular E36 saloon from front bumper to A-Pillar. Everything else was unique, namely its rear semi-trailing arm suspension, based on the old E30, instead of the Z-Axle Multilink employed in all other E36's. The Z3 and M Coupe have similar rear suspension setups as well. BMW developed several prototype five-door versions of the Compact model, but these never entered production. The "Touring" estate also began production in 1994, but was never offered in the United States.
The 2.5 L M50B25 used in the 325 models was replaced in 1996 with the 2.8 L M52B28, creating the 328i line. Another 2.5 L engine, the M52B25, was reintroduced in 1995 but the cars were sold as 323 rather than 325.
E46, Fourth generation, 1998-2006
 |
|
| Production | 1998–2006 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 4-door saloon 5-door touring |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive / All-wheel drive |
| Related | BMW M3 BMW X3 |
Main article: BMW 3 Series (E46)
The E46 was introduced in 1998 as a 1999 model, in saloon
version only, replacing that of the E36 the same year, while the older
"E36" coupé and convertible remained for one more year. This was keeping
with what is now known as the traditional 3-series model introduction
cycle. The initial inline-six engines available were the 2.5 L 323 and
2.8 L 328 (the 323 badge did not match engine displacement but it was
numbered as such to increase the spread between both models). The touring and coupé models appeared in 1999 with BMW's newly designed steptronic manumatic transmission, and the convertible and M3 later in 2000. The E46 Compact,
a three-door hatchback, was revealed in 2001 to be sold in European and
Australian markets. xDrive all-wheel drive was introduced as an option
in 2001 for left hand drive markets only due to clashes between the
running gear and steering rack.
Also in 2000, the E46 lineup expanded to include the new (model year) 2001 M3 Coupe. The M3 only came in a coupe and convertible (model year 2002) platform, with either a six-speed manual or SMG. Unlike its predecessor, the E46 M3 shared very few parts with the standard 3 series. The exteriors of the two cars only shared the doors, roof, and boot. The exterior of the M3 had wider bumpers and "M styled" bumpers, side skirts, mirrors, a protruding bonnet, spoiler, and the new tradition of M marked grills on the front bumpers and four exhaust pipes. The interior of the M3 was accented with an M steering wheel, seats, rear view mirror, and instrument cluster.
The first major overhaul occurred when the E46 saloon underwent a facelift from September 2001, which included re-designed headlights, new bumpers and a stiffer chassis. Also, the 316i and 318i models received new, more powerful engines. Then from March 2003 the coupe and convertible had a facelift which included new headlights, new front wings and bumpers, new selections in exterior colour, and redesigned sidemarker lights and LED tail lights. The M3s got a much more mild facelift that same year, with the inclusion of the updated boot and LED tail lights from the coupe/convertible.
Despite being introduced last, the E46 compact was the first to be replaced when the 1 Series was launched in September 2004. In mid-2005 the E46 saloons were phased out with the introduction of the new E90 saloons. The E46 touring was also replaced later that year with E91. The E46 remained in production as coupé, convertible and M3 until the E92 coupé and E93 convertible was revealed in late 2006. The new M3 coupé concept was later unveiled in March 2007 during Geneva Motor Show.
The E46 experienced enormous success in all markets and was widely considered the performance benchmark of its class. The record year for the E46 was 2002, when 561,249 vehicles were sold worldwide.[5]
As a credit to the E46 series, it was chosen for Car and Driver Magazine's "10 Best Cars" every year of its production. See Car and Driver Ten Best.
E90, Fifth generation, 2005–2012
 |
|
| Production | 2005–2011, 2007-2012 Coupes only |
|---|---|
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 4-door saloon 5-door touring |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive / all-wheel drive |
| Related | BMW M3 BMW X3 |
Main article: BMW 3 Series (E90)
Currently, twelve engine options are offered, two being part of the new 'N' series of BMW inline engines featuring a host of new technologies. The N52 naturally aspirated inline-six engine (powering the 323i, 325i/xi, 328i/xi, and 330i/xi) features technological innovations such as lightweight magnesium/aluminum construction, electric water pump, Valvetronic (steplessly variable valve lift), and Double-VANOS steplessly variable valve timing contribute to produce a lighter and more powerful motor than its predecessor, but yield a 15% increase in fuel economy. The introduction of the N54 twin turbo inline-6 engine, which produces 306 PS (225 kW; 302 bhp) and 400 N·m (295 lb·ft) torque, marks BMW's return to petrol turbocharging and is found in 335i/xi trims.
Major features include Comfort Access, HID Xenon adaptive headlamps, Active Cruise Control, and Active Steering.
Sales of the E90 have been very strong. In 2007, a record total of more than 550,000 vehicles were sold and it was the seventh most popular car in the United Kingdom.[6] But E90 production ended in October 2011.
The saloon and touring (wagon) received more powerful engines in late 2006 for the 2007 model year, particularly the N54 twin turbo, the same engines available in the E92 coupé and E93 convertible that debuted at a similar time. The sedan and wagon got a mid-generational facelift for the 2009 model year which comprised changes to the grille, headlights, bonnet, taillights and boot. In spring 2010, the refreshed coupé and convertible were released as 2011 models, with the 335i/xi receiving the new N55 single turbo I6 (with a "TwinPower" twin scroll turbocharger), and a sportier 335is with a tuned N54 engine and an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual.
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