[P-Bass]

Interesting read, looking forward to more details.

http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...-bmw-3-series/

[ATLBlue]

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Now I think a lot of us could make a nice career in automotive journalism looking at the contents of the article. Starting with F30 bashing and continuing with a ton of obvious predictions that anyone could make unless you spent the last decade not following design trends

[Mike_L]

YES!!! We're getting the LWB sedan!! I can dump this fat ass hatchback for a 3 box car again!

[smithf80]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

YES!!! We're getting the LWB sedan!! I can dump this fat ass hatchback for a 3 box car again!

Haha, how happy are you?! Only a few more years!

[tex2670]

Someone did a really nice Photoshop job. I hope it ends up looking that nice.

I've had a BMW for 1 month now, so maybe just a "newbie" question--but why would they change to a "G" designation in the next gen, rather than keep with the "F"? The "E" lasted so many generations before the F3X.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by smithf32

Haha, how happy are you?! Only a few more years!

I'm thrilled. I would have loved to get an F35 instead of the F34. Hopefully I'll have some equity by the time this comes out.

[xlover]

they seem to have missed the obvious that it will be 330 and 340 years before then

[Blubaron79]

I can't remember if this is normal. Is LCI only two years? So we get a LCI f30 for 2016 and 17, then right to the G20 for 2018?

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

YES!!! We're getting the LWB sedan!! I can dump this fat ass hatchback for a 3 box car again!

Originally Posted by Mike_L

I'm thrilled. I would have loved to get an F35 instead of the F34. Hopefully I'll have some equity by the time this comes out.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it is exceedingly unlikely the U.S. will get the long wheelbase in anything other than the GT. There's just no demand for a LWB 3er sedan in the U.S. That's a demand unique to the Chinese culture.

The comment they make about low demand for the 4GC and having to "combine" with the 3GT is pretty stupid. In its very short time on the market the 4CG has already been enthusiastically embraced by Bimmerheads who were highly sceptical of it initially.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it is exceedingly unlikely the U.S. will get the long wheelbase in anything other than the GT. There's just no demand for a LWB 3er sedan in the U.S. That's a demand unique to the Chinese culture.

The comment they make about low demand for the 4GC and having to "combine" with the 3GT is pretty stupid. In its very short time on the market the 4CG has already been enthusiastically embraced by Bimmerheads who were highly sceptical of it initially.

Theres as much demand for a LWB sedan as there is for the hatchbacks, if not more.

[eric@helix]

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

I can't remember if this is normal. Is LCI only two years? So we get a LCI f30 for 2016 and 17, then right to the G20 for 2018?

It's very unlikely the new 3er will be a 2018 model. BMW typically produces their models for seven calender years. The F30 came to market in February 2012, so if BMW brings the next 3er in early 2018 that would be only a six year run for the F30. The F30 2012 model year was barely six months long.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Theres as much demand for a LWB sedan as there is for the hatchbacks, if not more.

Just my opinion, but I really doubt that. In China the LWB demand is from buyers who use their 3er as a "mini" limousine and have a driver for their 3er.

If BMW was going to build an additional extended wheelbase sedan for the U.S. the 5er would be the most likely candidate.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Just my opinion, but I really doubt that. In China the LWB demand is from buyers who use their 3er as a "mini" limousine and have a driver for their 3er.

If BMW was going to build an additional extended wheelbase sedan for the U.S. the 5er would be the most likely candidate.

They wouldn't do that because it would encroach on the SWB 7. If a 5 owner wants a bigger back seat they can step up to the 7. If a 3 owner wants a bigger backseat, they also have to step up to the 7 because the 5s backseat is small.
They need a car between the 3 and 7 with a decent back seat that can be had loaded for around $60-65k, because most 3 buyers can't step up to a $100k 7er (or an at least $80k LWB 5er) .
Plus theres the LWB 3 already in production, so it makes sense to use it and lower costs through the volume of cars using the platform.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

They wouldn't do that because it would encroach on the SWB 7. If a 5 owner wants a bigger back seat they can step up to the 7. If a 3 owner wants a bigger backseat, they also have to step up to the 7 because the 5s backseat is small.
They need a car between the 3 and 7 with a decent back seat that can be had loaded for around $60-65k, because most 3 buyers can't step up to a $100k 7er (or an at least $80k LWB 5er) .
Plus theres the LWB 3 already in production, so it makes sense to use it and lower costs through the volume of cars using the platform.

I don't disagree, but my opinion is still that the U.S. market would not buy a LWB 3er.

[Thumper333]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it is exceedingly unlikely the U.S. will get the long wheelbase in anything other than the GT. There's just no demand for a LWB 3er sedan in the U.S. That's a demand unique to the Chinese culture.

I tend to agree, you don't see LWB in anything outside the big executive sedans (A8s, 7-series, ext). Who knows, but an entry level sedan in a LWB would be an oddity, then again BMW specializes in oddities, es evidence by my car.

Originally Posted by tturedraider

In its very short time on the market the 4CG has already been enthusiastically embraced by Bimmerheads who were highly sceptical of it initially.

Just more proof you can sell ANYTHING if you stick a BMW roundel on it.

Kidding, kidding.......lol

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Thumper333

.... then again BMW specializes in oddities, es evidence by my car.



Just more proof you can sell ANYTHING if you stick a BMW roundel on it.

Kidding, kidding.......lol

Maybe not anything.

[Mike_L]

If the Z1 had an automatic and better engine, it would have sold.

[skw]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

They wouldn't do that because it would encroach on the SWB 7. If a 5 owner wants a bigger back seat they can step up to the 7. If a 3 owner wants a bigger backseat, they also have to step up to the 7 because the 5s backseat is small.
They need a car between the 3 and 7 with a decent back seat that can be had loaded for around $60-65k, because most 3 buyers can't step up to a $100k 7er (or an at least $80k LWB 5er) .
Plus theres the LWB 3 already in production, so it makes sense to use it and lower costs through the volume of cars using the platform.

If I'm not mistaken, the LWB 3er is made in China for the Chinese market, so there would be a great deal more involved to bring it here. For someone here in the US looking for a bigger rear seat or a vehicle to be driven in, doesn't the 535/550 GT fit the bill? Rear seat space of a 7er but decently equipped for about $65-70K?

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Theres as much demand for a LWB sedan as there is for the hatchbacks, if not more.

........which is tiny.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by skw

If I'm not mistaken, the LWB 3er is made in China for the Chinese market, so there would be a great deal more involved to bring it here. For someone here in the US looking for a bigger rear seat or a vehicle to be driven in, doesn't the 535/550 GT fit the bill? Rear seat space of a 7er but decently equipped for about $65-70K?

The 328/335GT has the LWB. All it would take is to put on a sedan body instead of the hatch.

The 5GT has the same problem the 3GT does. Both have the interior space of a SWB 7, but both also have the bulbous back end. BMW needs to do sedan versions of them instead of the hatches. Plus, the 550GT can crest $90k, which is 7 territory..

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by tex2670

Someone did a really nice Photoshop job. I hope it ends up looking that nice.

I've had a BMW for 1 month now, so maybe just a "newbie" question--but why would they change to a "G" designation in the next gen, rather than keep with the "F"? The "E" lasted so many generations before the F3X.

It will be a new platform all together. The letter designation begins with the flagship, the 7 series, the next version of which is already designated G11.