Will BMW, SHOULD BMW Make The Next 3-Series Just A Smaller Sausage Than The 7 And 5?

It's pretty evident to us after the launch of the 2011 BMW 5-Series in Portugal that they are in the evolutionary phases of their product cycles.

So since our main business is revealing the goods before everyone else, would it be wrong to surmise that when the 2012 BMW 3-Series makes its formal debut, it will just be a smaller sausage than the new 7 and 5, with no major differentiation except size as illustrated in this sketch from BMW Blog?

And if so, in your opinion, is this the right strategy for the next 3 or should it be the MOST radical and revolutionary design in the product line because it skews the youngest demographic,

After all, is the 3 not the soul of BMW?

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LACMAN - 2/1/2010 3:33:04 AM

+6 Boost

No. The 3series should be more agressive that the 5 and 7. (See Z4)

On another note: Its too late to ask this question. Isnt the mule of this vehicle (next 3) on roads right now?

Agent00R - 2/1/2010 3:46:37 AM

+3 Boost

Yes, mules have been spotted.

freeagent - 2/1/2010 7:29:39 AM

0 Boost

a smaller slice of sausage is the right strategy

Yonder7 - 2/1/2010 8:57:26 AM

+5 Boost

And honestly the test mule looks very common...let´s wait till the real thing to talk.

OBie - 2/1/2010 10:06:01 AM

-3 Boost

BMW seems to be adopting the Audi formula... take one good design and apply it across the board. Except it doesn't work with their front end, like it does with the Audis IMO.

vman1013 - 2/1/2010 10:50:43 AM

+2 Boost

not sure if any of you will recall but the above sketch looks similar to the sketches of what BWM said the E92 M3 would look like. i'll try to find the photo and post it.

BondMI6 - 2/1/2010 10:51:16 AM

+3 Boost

The German sausage routine will only work if BMW puts in enough design details for it to be interesting and to differentiate from the 5 and 7.

Steve - 2/1/2010 10:56:36 AM

+1 Boost

BMW wisely "plays it safe" in their bread 'n butter 3-series. That's why the 3s never became downright ugly, like the 2002 model year 7 series, or the outgoing 5-series -- They kept their "sophisticated and complex" (AKA "polarizing") "flame surface" styling away from it, as much as possible.

Like the Monty Python "Spam" sketch, in which one dish is all the rave because it has the *least* spam in it (though not *no* spam at all), the venerable 3-series has the least styling "stuff" in it that makes the bigger BMW's awkward, gangly, or just "not beautiful" to the eye.

(PS: What does it matter what Autospies think about a non-BMW-artist's drawing of what imagines the new 3 to look like? I suppose just to raise the number of posting arguing yay versus nay.)

LexSucks - 2/1/2010 2:08:53 PM

+2 Boost

Who cares?

JRobUSC - 2/1/2010 4:05:11 PM

+4 Boost

I don't really care about the "same sausage, different lengths" thing as long as the car looks good. I hope it looks like that sketch.

theman440 - 2/1/2010 10:40:33 PM

+2 Boost

Who gives a rat's ass...

LACMAN - 2/2/2010 8:00:02 AM

+1 Boost

Im feeling that sketch, btw...

yoyo123 - 2/5/2010 12:02:03 AM

+1 Boost

FIGURES THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TRUE:

Horspower peak up 335i 300hp-->320hp (as boosted in the new 335is model)

A screen to control radio, a/c, etc (NO nav) will most likely be as a standard in all models. (current 3's with no i-drive are plain on the inside)

New 3 Series GT in the works which should have an agressive x6 design.

The New 3 Coupes will be slighly longer to compete with the A5 and E- Coupe.