The BMW 3 Series has undergone five generations of significant changes in the model. It has withstood several complete overhauls of the exterior, engine upgrades and its fair share of criticism for being the highest priced vehicle in its category. Nevertheless, BMW has continued producing one of the best ranked compact luxury vehicles on the road. And, even though the price was steep, the 3 Series succeeded in generating over 40% of all of BMW's sales for the 2005 fiscal year.
The first generation of the BMW 3 Series was referred to as the E21 and took the place of the BMW 2002 in the maker's lineup in 1977. This compact 2-door featured the classic BMW boxy frame, circular quad headlamps, and its most powerful engine choice was a 2.0L M43 I4 that reached around 110 horsepower. It wasn't until the second generation of the 3 Series (the E30) came around in 1984 that the car received any major changes, like the addition of a 4-door model and a more commanding 6-cylinder engine. In 1988, BMW introduced an all-wheel drive version of the E30 and the horsepower was bumped up by 58 horses.
The third generation of the BMW 3 Series was called the E36 and went through a complete makeover. The boxy body style was swapped for more curvaceous lines and a slightly upraised rear. DOHC engines were introduced in the third generation and, in 1996, BMW started production on a convertible version. Eventually, the E36 name was dropped for E46 and Europe saw the addition of a 3-door hatchback edition. When the fifth generation began in 2006, BMW had developed an automatic, fully retractable hard top for the convertible model, a new series of "N" line and turbo engines and a more streamlined appearance.
Though the BMW 3 Series has long been considered the standard yuppie car, the maker has succeeded in both creating a brand that was ranked the Best Resale Value of 2006 by Kelley Blue Book and continued steady production of a compact luxury vehicle for over 30 years. The 3 Series has placed in the top ten best vehicles over fifteen times for Car and Driver magazine. Also, at the 2006 New York Auto Show, judges named the BMW 3 Series the World Car of the Year, an impressive accolade. The BMW 3 Series has also made its mark on the racing industry, placing 1st in the World Touring Car Championship in 2005 and 2nd in two different categories of the 2006 Grand Am competition.
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