BMW's 2007 3 Series Coupe.SAY HELLO TO THE N54. The twin turbo inline six-cylinder (small turbos fill cylinders 1-3 and 4-6 to boost performance and cut lag), dispenses with the naturally aspirated engine's magnesium/aluminum bedplate bed·plate n. A plate, frame, or platform serving as a base or support for a machine. construction (found in the 328i and all-wheel-drive 328 xi models) for an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners to better handle the boost pressure. Piezo-electric injectors--adapted from BMW's diesel engines--are used to give better mixture distribution. Their quicker response lowers fuel consumption by about 3% while reducing emissions by 20%. An air-to-oil heat exchanger heat exchanger Any of several devices that transfer heat from a hot to a cold fluid. In many engineering applications, one fluid needs to be heated and another cooled, a requirement economically accomplished by a heat exchanger. is mounted in the wheelwell, and dual exhaust pipes are used though--at low loads--most of the gas is exhausted through one pipe to reduce low-frequency rumble. Both manuals and automatics are of the six-speed variety. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT. The 3 Series Coupe sits on the same wheelbase wheel·base n. The distance from the center of the front wheel to that of the rear wheel in a motor vehicle, usually expressed in inches. wheelbase Noun as the sedan Sedan (sədäN`), town (1990 pop. 22,407), Ardennes dept., NE France, on the Meuse River. A noted textile center since the 16th cent., Sedan also has metal and brewing industries. The town became part of French crown lands in 1642. , is just over two inches longer overall, and is 1.3-in. narrower despite having the same 59.1/59.6-in. front/rear track. Up front, the steel hood is new, with strong character lines that curve from the twin kidney grille to the A-pillars. The front fenders are thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. , which saves 6.6 lbs of weight, and--on average--the Coupe weighs 22 lb less than a sedan despite having more equipment. Rigidity is up 25%, and the B-pillars use an ultra-high-strength steel tubular reinforcement that is warm-molded and heat-treated while in the die. Adaptive lights that "steer" in response to steering angle, vehicle speed, and yaw yaw, in aviation: see airplane; airfoil. See pitch-yaw-roll. rate are standard, as are cornering lights that operate at speeds up to 25 mph. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GIVING A HAND. This is the belt minder. It extends the seatbelt forward because the designers didn't want a large headrest-mounted belt loop messing up the aesthetics, or impeding rear seat access since the B-pillar is further behind the front seats on the Coupe. The arm is hidden within the rear side panels when not in use. Ambience lighting utilizes LEDs in the upper ledge of the door and rear side panels to bathe the interior in a soft red light at night, and iDrive is part of the optional navigation system A GPS-based electronic system in a car or truck that provides a real time map of the vehicle's current location as well as step-by-step directions to a programmed destination. See GPS and vehicle tracking. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Christopher A. Sawyer, Executive Editor |
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