BMW 3 Series (F30)
The BMW F30 series is the sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars. The car will also be available as a touring (designated as F31) in the fall of 2012. It is the successor to the E90 model and was unveiled by automaker BMW on October 14, 2011 in Munich, Germany. The world premier was broadcasted live over the internet through Facebook.[6] It was released as a 2012 model and has been on sale since early 2012. The F30 sedan was launched on February 11, 2012 by BMW Press. The BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics is the most widely used vehicle in the London 2012 Olympics due to BMW’s official partnership.[7] New for 2012 is the introduction of a four-cylinder engine for North America since the 318i of the late 1990s.[8] The new 3 Series is also the first to introduce the new BMW face, with flat headlights reaching the BMW kidney grille. Designed by Christopher Weil under design chief Adrian Van Hooydonk (into March 2009), the new BMW 3 Series has grown in all dimensions compared to its predecessor.[9][10][11] The styling is similar to previous generations with a sweeping bonnet, short front overhang, and long wheelbase typical of previous generation BMW. The front and back of the BMW 3 Series is now wider (+ 34/77 mm at the front/rear) with a slightly forward-slanting BMW kidney grille. The rectangular headlights extend up to the frame of the kidney grille merging the headlight and grille adding further emphasis to a more broader stance. Exterior mirrors also have integrated turn signal light
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. The rear lights return to the traditional BMW L-shaped design positioned at the outer edge of the back end. The interior continues BMW design by angling the cockpit towards the driver by seven degrees. In the driver’s area all the lines converge on a single point behind the wheel. Positioned on the horizontally-structured instrument panel is the freestanding iDrive monitor. Large drink holders are now integrated into the centre console in front of the gearshift lever. The BMW 3 Series can also be ordered with three distinct design variants. The Sport Line, Luxury Line, and Modern Line features different exterior and interior design elements for each line.[12] Sport Line [edit]Sport Line The distinguishing element in the sport line is the high-gloss black that gives a more dynamic appearance to the BMW 3 Series. Eight black kidney grille slats in a chrome-colored surround gives the front end of the car a sporty look. Black inserts in the front apron make the air intake and wheel arches appear larger. High-gloss black painted exterior mirrors and B-pillar and window guide add to the sportier look. Finally a black trim strip on the lower crease underlines the width-enhancing effect of the rear styling along with a black tailpipe. The sporty interior ambiance is expressed by contrasting red and black accents. Red trim rings, red scales in the dials, red stitching on the steering wheel underline the ambiance of the cockpit. The ignition key is also specially identified by its black finish and red detailing.