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The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May ... 2000 509,007 [34] 330,604 89,681 2001 533,952 [34] 343,991 ...
The BMW 3 Series (E46) is the fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars manufactured by German automaker BMW. Produced from 1997 to 2006, it was the successor to the E36 3 Series , which ceased production in 2000.
The third generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars is designated under the model code E36, and was produced by the German automaker BMW from 1990 to 2000. The initial models were of the four-door saloon body style, followed by the coupé, convertible, wagon ("Touring"), and eventually hatchback (" Compact ").
The BMW M52 is a straight-6 DOHC petrol engine which was produced from 1994 to 2000. It was released in the E36 320i, [ 1 ] to replace the M50 . The BMW S52 engine is a high performance variant of the M52 which powered the American and Canadian market E36 M3 from 1996 to 1999.
Since 1995, various models using a 2.5 litre six-cylinder engine have been named 323i and 523i. For the E36, E46 and E39, this was due to the previous 325i/525i models being higher in the model range than the new models, therefore a lower number was used to indicate to customers that it was not a highly equipped model.
First marketed in March 2005, the car quickly became BMW Group's best-selling car worldwide, and by the end of the year 229,900 vehicles had been delivered. [76] The BMW E90 series was the best-selling luxury car in Canada and the United States. The 2006 E90 marked the 15th consecutive year that the 3 Series was named on Car and Driver's 10Best.
The four-cylinder 320 model was replaced with the 320/6, featuring a 2.0 litre version of the M20 engine. The new range-topping 323i model was introduced, featuring 2.3 L with 105 kW (141 hp), which gave the 323i a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). [28] The braking system was also upgraded, with the 323i featuring disc brakes on all wheels.
The E46/5 was not as successful as the E36/5, even though BMW had fixed many of the E36/5's shortcomings (limited range of engines, rear-seating room). While lauded as a driver's car, the E46/5 received some criticism for its unique headlights and tail-lights which were considered unattractive compared to the rest of the E46 lineup.