Review of the new BMW 3 Series Coupe Range

As successful as the last generation BMW 3 Series Coupe was, there were many who felt that the car was too much of a 3 Series and not enough of a coupe. Unless you opted for an M3, the E46 generation coupe was a rather unobtrusive thing. Coupes are all about making a statement and as good as it was to drive, the statement that car seemed to make was that there were many more interesting things to look at. The replacement E90 generation model is a whole different ball game.

For a start, it's beautiful in its own right. Contemporary BMW design has been a strangely hit and miss affair but the bullseye has been firmly hit in this instance. Taut, sleek, muscular and boasting not a single shared body panel with the 3 Series saloon, the latest Coupe will earn whole legions of buyers before they ever clap eyes on one in the metal. The silhouette is lower and more elongated, giving it an elegance that's singularly lacking in the buttoned-down saloon.

The kidney grilles at the front have been restyled to give a simpler, cleaner look while the headlamps have a more piercing stare. Move round to the rear and you'll pick out the broad tail light clusters that incorporate horizontal LED rods. On the way, you'll spot the sculpted flanks and should you tap the front wings, you'll find that instead of the high-pitched ring of steel, you'll hear the duller thud of plastic. In a bid to cleave weight from the 3 Series Coupe, BMW have used plastic as well as the more traditional method of 'tailored blanks' - panels that are thick where structural rigidity is needed and thin where it's not.

"The BMW 3-Series Coupe is now a car you'll buy for aesthetics alone. Thankfully there are many other reasons to purchase"

This focus on shaving weight comes hand in hand with some seriously powerful engines. The petrol line-up starts at around £26,000 with the 320i, then comes the 218bhp 325i Coupe model, which sits just below the 272bhp 330i derivative. At the top of the pile sits the legendary M3 but another version that's got everybody in the know excited, is the 306bhp 335i. This is a revolutionary engine insofar as it marks BMW's first turbocharged petrol unit offered in this country since the 2002 turbo, a car that was pensioned off in 1975.

Accelerating from zero to 60mph in just 5.5 seconds, the 335i is a car that's almost as fast as the old-shape M3 yet which is far less temperamental. As is the norm with high-end BMW models, the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. Ignore the badge on the back, this is no 3.5-litre unit. Instead it's a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre powerplant, each blower supplying compressed air to three cylinders each. Using smaller turbos helps to overcome the inertia of one big unit, this lack of turbo lag in turn helps this forced induction engine to replicate the progressive power output of a big, normally-aspirated powerplant.

In order to get this sort of power from a normally-aspirated engine, you either need to throw a lot of money at it (like the old M3's unit), or you'd need a bigger capacity with more cylinders (like the current M3). Given that BMW pride themselves on the near perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution of their products, the big engine route was never going to be easy and that's partly why the 420bhp M3 costs over £50,000. Piezo fuel injectors help the 335Ci to a very creditable 31mpg combined fuel economy figure. To put this into perspective, an Audi A4 3.2 with its trumpeted FSI engine manages 5mpg less and generates 50bhp less. No wonder Munich are pleased with the results.

Mind you, even the entry-level 2.5-litre petrol engine is no sluggard, punting the Coupe to 60mph in 6.6 seconds and on to 155mph. Fuel economy is rated at 39.8mpg, helped by BMW's patented Valvetronic technology and the EfficientDynamics package that's now included across the range. This engine also uses the lightweight magnesium-aluminium composite cylinder block that debuted on the 630i coupe. If you can find another £3,000 for the 330i model, you're looking at 0-60 in 6.0s and a 155mph top end, combined with 39.2mpg fuel economy.

That leaves the diesels. The 330d Coupe is likely to be a favourite with British buyers. With 231bhp and 500Nm of torque, you'll still get 46.3mpg from this oil-burning model and be able to see off many so-called sports cars with a sprint to the benchmark 60mph of just 6.6 seconds. The diesel flagship is the 286bhp 335d, with even more massive reserves of torque and low running costs. Petrol and diesel customers can select from SE or M Sport specifications, the later offering M3 looks without the pricetag.

All models come with close-ratio six-speed manual gearboxes but there's also a very decent automatic option that halves the shift times of a conventional auto thanks to a smart interface between software and torque converter. There is even a pair of paddle shifts behind the wheel for when the driver wants to have some fun. That three letter word figures large in the 3 Series vocabulary. One look at the aluminium suspension parts and the direct rack and pinion steering shows that BMW are serious about upholding their reputation for producing the Ultimate Driving Machine.

With a fixed centre console dividing the rear seats, the 3 Series Coupe is a proper four seater with room in the back for two adults. The 440-litre boot and folding rear seats add a welcome dose of practicality but this is, above all, a coupe model. Customers will thank BMW for keeping that in focus.

TOP 5 3 SERIES DEALS

The results below show the top 3 SERIES deals on buyacar

BMW 3 Series 320d Luxury 4dr Step Auto Diesel Saloon
Price £28,706 Read 3 Series Reviews	Save £3,399
BMW 3 Series 320d M Sport 2dr Diesel Coupe
Price £27,980 Read 3 Series Reviews	Save £5,435
BMW 3 Series 320d Sport 4dr Diesel Saloon
Price £26,135 Read 3 Series Reviews	Save £2,945
BMW 3 Series 320d EfficientDynamics 4dr Step Auto Diesel Saloon
Price £26,581 Read 3 Series Reviews	Save £3,024
BMW 3 Series 320i M Sport 2dr Step Auto Coupe
Price £27,478 Read 3 Series Reviews	Save £5,257
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