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Fifth generation, third in series and first-class, the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ is crowned Car of the Year
Pinaki Chakravarty

An astounding 40 per cent of BMW’s cars sold last year were from its 3-Series. Perfected since 1975, the line has been the German luxury-sports vehicle manufacturer’s smallest offering, until the 1-Series debuted in 2004. And that’s where its success is deeply rooted: in its compact, streetwise yet racy dimensions and trump card of attainable prestige.

That prestige rises and peaks with the utter luxury of the 7-Series – a massive splurge of metal, leather and electronics. That RO13,500 worth of insulation from the world means you’ll be ensconced within your own reality though. For a real driver’s car you need to cram yourself behind the small, stubby wheel of the 3. You can push it beyond anything legal on city streets, so you really have to ask yourself what you would do with anything more than its humble-on-paper two-litre engine. That deliciously controlled purr at idle effortlessly matches every additional inch you press your foot down.

But a lot of cars go fast, and a lot have more than a couple of litres of engine capacity and lots of airbags. What will really make you a convert is the sheer feel of the car, and that’s something you cannot read through charts and numbers. You have to drive one to know this, to get behind one of the most successful cars in its category in the world. You don’t have much of a choice – its limited interiors will have your passengers fighting over the wheel. This just reinforces our belief that that 3-Series is an unapologetically selfish purchase that every real driver must indulge in – and the fewer passengers he has to distract himself with the better.

That same single-minded purpose will also iron over other niggling concerns you’d rather ignore. The new design, although flashier, has lost the classic lines of the previous version. It might look more modern, but it’s also more like everything else, and its visual design will age quicker. Thankfully, BMW has left the worst looking part of the car at the back. Its derriere will only infuriate everyone you leave in your wake – an amateur, classless affair that looks mass produced and without heritage. Many blame design chief Christopher Bangle for such a departure from what everyone loved. These designs, which were much curvier, followed a design cue called ‘flame surfacing’ by Bangle, and did not rest well at all with BMW enthusiasts or the automotive press which referred to the new designs as ‘Bangled.’ Such hiccups in an otherwise gorgeous product prompted the BBC’s Top Gear to pronounce the new generation 3-Series the ‘Ugliest Car of the Year’ in 2005.

Such acidic shots at the car only reinforce the fact that this compact saloon has become such an international icon that even a few lines at the back gone awry can send critics into a frenzy. But the 3 is still as iconic as ever, and as everything exceptional must, whips up strong emotions either way. Despite all the fuss, BMW sales have increased year after year, showing the buying public’s embrace of the new visual philosophy. And do keep in mind that it has been on Car and Driver magazine’s annual Ten Best list 15 times, from 1992 through 2005, making it the second-most common entry there. And now, of course, the line has been crowned ‘2006 World Car of the Year’ at a presentation at the New York International Auto Show. The fifth generation car made an impressive showing by beating back 26 rivals in the competition for the most significant worldwide automobile award. The award is given by a jury of 46 international journalists, who evaluate the year’s most important model innovations on the basis of 20 criteria, including design, vehicle performance, handling, comfort and functionality.

“The BMW 3-Series has been one of the world’s most enduringly popular cars since we pioneered the sports sedan concept more than 40 years ago,” said Guenther Seemann, managing director for the Middle East. “Although in this region we see an inverted pyramid sales pattern with the larger BMW 5 and 7-Series as our top sellers, the 3 is by no means eclipsed. In 2005 the series represented 17 per cent of the total number of BMWs sold in the Middle East – it is a leader in its segment and the awards it has won are undeniable proof of this.”

Such popularity means that BMW boasts an international fan club that is fanatically loyal to the brand. It is one of the few automakers that supports driving its cars to their limits, suggesting ‘spirited driving’ in certain operation manuals. In the summer of 2001, BMW even went as far as starting the BMW Films website, showcasing some sporty models being driven to extremes. These videos are very popular within the enthusiast community, still in circulation even after the closure of the site. Such overflowing enthusiasm can be seen every year since 1999, when enthusiasts have met up in Santa Barbara, California, to attend Bimmerfest, perhaps one of the largest brand-specific gatherings in the U.S. Over 3,000 people attended this past year, and there were over 1,000 cars present.

What more reason do you need? Bayerische Motoren Werke has been in existence since 1913, and was originally producing aircraft engines. And while its logo points to the blue and white chequered flag of Bavaria, it also symbolises a spinning white propeller against the blue of the sky. Its blue-blooded history is known the world over, and for RO13,500 you could own one of the best cars in the world.

Available at: Al Jenaibi Int’l Automobiles Tel. 24567108