Mumbai’s coastal road, early Sunday morning. Empty stretches of intra-city highway as far as the eye can see – the impressive skyline of Mumbai on one side and wide-open vistas of the Arabian Sea on the other. And we’ve been lucky, blue skies abound. Truth be told, the patches of blue sky look distinctly Bavarian today. Seems only fitting that the line-up we have today that celebrates 50 years of the 3 Series is extra special – we have every single generation put into production! And that includes every generation sold in India. What an opportunity to drive every generation of the world’s premier rear-wheel-drive sporting sedan back to back.
E21: Origin of the species
Climbing aboard the E21 is like stepping into a time warp. The chunky dash angled towards the driver, the era-specific cloth-trimmed bucket seats, the manner in which the ‘T’-shaped automatic gear selector engages; the selector even has trim brushes. How quaint. And this car is compact. I can all but reach out and touch the far-side door from the driver’s seat. On the move, the controls aren’t weighty – as you would expect of a car made in 1975 – but light and effortless. And you can feel the car’s age when carving up corners. The large four-spoke steering wheel feels oversized, there’s a fair amount of body roll, and it doesn’t have a lot of grip. It does encourage you to drive faster, however, and that M20 six-cylinder is an absolute gem. Responsive, smooth and linear, it goads you into driving the car more enthusiastically; the essence of a 3 Series.
E30: Come out and play
The E30 feels so playful you tend to exploit it to the max.
What sets the E30 apart is that it is super playful, delightfully agile, and constantly prodding you to exploit the chassis. While it’s not much larger than the E21, agility is so much better that it feels even more compact from behind the wheel. It turns in so naturally, all you need to do is flick it into the corner and it’s there in a flash, no washing off of momentum needed. This, after all, was the first 3 Series to get 50/50 front-rear weight distribution. Under the hood, another reason to put a smile on your face, the M20B25 straight six. So not only does it feel like a little go-kart, it also comes with a grunty, rev-happy, explosive straight six. Put your foot down, and this engine seems to say “let’s go”, pulling hard from 3,000rpm, accompanied by a brassy soundtrack. Even shifting gears with the manual is a sensory joy.
E36: Growing plans
It feels more luxurious and grown up, but show it a corner and the 3 Series inside wakes up.
More luxurious, more comfortable, more refined, and more Mercedes-like; BMW widened the appeal of the 3 Series with the E36. This is why it initially feels more staid and calm from behind the wheel. The driving position, however, is offset, and with the big six-pot diesel up ahead and more weight on the front wheels on this car, straight-line stability is very good. The big diesel also means there’s plenty of grunt and performance is effortless. So yes, step out of an E30, and this clearly feels more grown-up, more mature. But the way it sits on the road, the manner in which it loads up as you turn it into a corner, it still feels very BMW and very 3 Series. And the more I lean on it, the more 3 Series-like it feels. No wonder this once-underappreciated 3 is getting more and more popular with BMW fans.
E46: Return to sport
BMW put special effort into adding more driving pleasure here, and it shows.
After the more luxurious, larger and more comfort-oriented E36, BMW made a special effort to return to its roots. This becomes apparent as soon as you feed the E46 into the first corner. Lighter on its feet and more agile, the E46 is more willing to turn, and what amps it up even further is this engine. The 2-litre straight-six with its small pistons and low mass just loves to rev, and what sweetens the deal here is the light and accurate six-speed manual that makes for a very involving drive. Heel and toe your way down the box before a corner, feed the car in progressively, and then revel in the sensations as the chassis, steering and suspension all communicate grip levels through to your hands. Delicious. It doesn’t feel as playful as an E30, but what it loses in agility, it sort of makes up for in grip and balance.
E90: Connected car
The E90 set the tone for the 3 Series in India, especially the fun-to-drive element.
The first 3 Series launched officially by BMW in India, the E90, is another landmark. Jump into the E90 after seat time in its predecessors, and what smacks you in the face is the extra dose of weight and feel from the steering. Early cars sold in India had a super stiff suspension setup, but this 2.0 diesel is a later model, where ride comfort, grip and driving manners are well balanced. Also nice is how responsive and punchy these non-BS VI diesels feel when you hit the throttle. And while the redline is only 5,000rpm, this diesel is happy to rev as well. While early cars in India got the zingy 325i six-cylinder petrol, the more powerful 330i is the one to have, especially the one with hydraulic power steering. What a great modern classic it will make; hurry while stocks last and before prices climb.
F30: Light and agile
The F30 feels like an athlete, light and agile on its feet.
Along with the code name change comes a change in character. Lighter to steer and more agile, the F30 initially doesn’t impress quite as much, especially at low speeds. The steering, however, is accurate, the car is beautifully balanced as you go faster and load up the rear wheels, and wow, it just shines. What also makes driving this special is the spot-on driving position. Low, comfortable and very supportive, with the steering wheel and pedals in just the right place, it feels just right. You do miss the heft and extra connect of the E90, but this car, also a 2.0 diesel, has more grunt, a faster gearbox, and a piece of tech that actually makes a massive difference to the driving experience – the Sport + mode that loosens the reins on the ESP and allows the rear to do narrow-angle slides before it cuts in. And BMW, please get the toggle switch for the drive modes back.
G20: Time to evolve
All change for BMW in India with the long-wheelbase car (codename G28), which, despite being less agile than the short-wheelbase version, is still great to drive. This is even when driven back-to-back with the regular wheelbase 3 Series, something we did extensively when the new LWB car was launched. However, for the well-heeled enthusiast, BMW brought back the regular wheelbase 3 Series in the guise of the M340i; a 3 Series with a sledgehammer under the bonnet. With its turbocharged straight-six, four-wheel-drive system and more dynamic setup, this is as far down the road you can go without getting a full-fledged M car. Yes, the four-wheel-drive system means it lacks the purity and spot-on balance of the rear-wheel-drive 3. Still, when it comes to performance, 374hp and 500Nm walk the talk, making this the most thrilling 3 Series yet.
BMW has sold more than 40,000 3 Series’ in India. And this number, with the long-wheelbase 3 Series, is only set to grow. But how long can luxury sedans post strong numbers when everyone and his wife wants an SUV? And will there be a market for the 3 Series in the coming years? Yes, there will. Sedans will always ride better and be nicer to drive. And with more and more luxury car owners driving their own cars at this price, and the vast majority thoroughly enjoying the experience on our new intra- and inter-city highways, the 3 Series seems all set for the future.
Also see:
Celebrating 50 years of the BMW 3 Series
Washington's mountains explored in a Ford Bronco
Lamborghini CTO Rouven Mohr on rewriting the rules for the Temerario
