BMW classics: old school and new class: BMW 3 Series comes in a double pack

The 3 Series is now available twice: When BMW introduces the electric i3 at the end of the year, they will also provide the new sedan with an update for the old one. And more family growth follows.

At the end of the year, BMW will bring the fully electric i3 based on the New Class onto the market and at the same time subject the existing generation of combustion engines to a comprehensive model update. Photo: Tom Kirkpatrick/BMW AG/dpa-tmn

Munich. One name, two cars: BMW is taking its openness to technology to the extreme and is creating a double three-series in the future. At the end of the year, Bavaria will not only be introducing the fully electric i3 from the New Class. They are also treating the previous generation of combustion engines to a thorough update.

At first glance, both cars can hardly be distinguished from the outside with the slim face and the inside with the new display bar under the windshield.

However, the price list helps when it comes to making a real distinction: According to BMW, combustion engines initially start at 49,900 euros, but the cheapest electric car costs exactly 10,000 euros more. And by the way, Bavaria isn't that open to technology: you won't find diesel in the model range in the future.

An electric M3 is also said to be in the starting blocks

The electric group starts with two 800-volt batteries with 82.8 or 108.7 kWh, which enable standard ranges of at best 912 kilometers and can charge with up to 400 kW. According to BMW, it combines it with two engines each, which have 275 kW/374 hp in the i40 and 345 kW/469 hp in the i50.

The i3 can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds and the Bavarians specify a top speed of 200 km/h. In the new year, they want to prove that there is even more to it with the first electric M3, which will have four engines, supposedly produce over 735 kW/1,000 hp and will certainly have a top speed of at least 250 km/h.

If you want to fill up with petrol instead of charging batteries, you will initially get a two 2.0 liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 115 kW/156 hp in the 318 or 155 kW/211 hp in the 320. The provisional top model will be the M350 with six-cylinder and all-wheel drive. It has a displacement of 3.0 liters and, according to BMW, produces 326 kW/443 hp. That's enough for a sprint time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.

Even if the 3 Series family is growing significantly with the electric line, BMW doesn't want to save money elsewhere: the station wagon will also soon be available electrically in the new class and, like the sedan, the petrol Touring will probably also get an update.

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