|
BMW 328Ci sports coupe leaps to action as ultimate performer
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Cock the sporty steering wheel to the left, then hold that position as the foot eases into an accelerator and the car, a new 328Ci compact coupe from Germany's BMW, heads in a circular path around a wet and greasy skid pad on premises of the BMW performance driving school in Spartanburg, S.C.
Set with a larger footprint in the new edition as wheels push to edges of the platform due to an elongated wheelbase and wider track, the malleable 328Ci contains a new six-cylinder aluminum-block engine tied to a five-speed Getrag ZF Type C manual shifter, with sophisticated hardware on-board to maintain vehicle stability, such as BMW's computerized Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) mechanism which can correct potentially dangerous car movements when wheels slip laterally.
On the skid pad you can run the coupe to a constant speed of 30 mph and feel the grip of big performance tires as they plow through intermittent puddles of water, which occasionally disrupt the tire bite. That's when you sense the force of the automatic stability control system at work, channeling brake pressure to an individual wheel to block outward slippage of the rear-drive wheels and keep the chassis pointed in the intended circular path.
Although a sport-tuned driver may prefer rear-wheel traction on dry pavement, due to the balance and control it provides, those rear-drive wheels often lose traction when rain or snow turns pavement glassy slick. The DSC controller, standard equipment now on all of BMW's Three Series compacts, maintains optimum traction with strong control regardless of wet or dry road condition.
In effect, that DSC unit elevates the utility of a rear-wheel-drive vehicle and makes driving that much safer.
But BMW's Bavarian designers have armed the 328Ci with so much active and passive safety equipment.
Passive standard gear includes frontal and side-impact air bags for front seat riders plus inflatable tubular air bags mounted atop A-pillars to cushion heads and shoulders during a side-impact collision.
Further, side air bags for rear seats are available.
Active safety-related hardware, either optional or standard, dazzles: Electronic brake proportioning which automatically modulates brake pressure front to rear; cornering brake control to maintain stability when turning by regulating brake pressure selectively per wheel; park distance control with sensors and an alarm that signals when the rear bumper gets too close to an object in the car's rearward path; rain-sensing wipers which deploy without cue when infrared sensors detect rain drops on windshield; high-intensity Xenon low-beam headlamps with automatic leveling, and a navigation system with satellite link to plot the coupe's terrestrial location and display it on a virtual map of an in-dash video screen.
The obvious emphasis on high-tech safety devices aboard the 328Ci extends the historical reputation of BMW for developing cars that appeal to aggressive drivers. No other automaker, in fact, can match the current lineup of performance models offered by BMW in all sizes and styles, from sedans to coupes to two-seat roadsters.
Structural changes and new equipment for the 328Ci mirror generational improvements effected on the 328i sedan in 1999 editions.
With the coupes, which include a price-leading 323Ci with smaller engine and less standard equipment plus the ultimate 328Ci, alphanumeric model nomenclature also changes from former designations of 323iC and 328iC, respectively.
We drove both, initially with controlled steering and acceleration tests conducted at BMW's Performance Center in Spartanburg, but subsequently through a series of road tests which led to a hair-raising romp over curvy two-lane routes laced through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
Overall impression of the 328Ci with the larger engine and increased equipment: It's an ultimate driver's car that invites aggressive treatment and responds eagerly with an athletic attitude.
It's also perfectly balanced, with weight distributed evenly at 50.8/49.2 percent over front/rear wheels, which makes it precisely controllable in predictable patterns.
&&& A steel structure which forms the core of the car increases in strength by 80 percent and measures 40 percent stiffer for torsional rigidity, yet the use of light-weight aluminum for independent suspension links helps to reduce unsprung mass, which makes it stick better and glide more uniformly over road bumps.
The form for coupes varies from sedans by stretching slightly longer and wider, but 1.8 inches lower at the roof.
&&& Nose grille splays wider above bumper and spoiler, with scant overhang up front in the pattern of racing machines. The windshield rakes back at a sharp angle, and behind A-pillars the line of roof and rear decklid follows a sleek sweep beyond frameless side windows to the blunt cap of an integrated tail spoiler. Subtle horizontal creases crimped into sheetmetal shoulders run along side panels from front corner lamps to rear edges, suggesting motion.
Inside, the expanded structure creates a larger passenger compartment with more space for heads and legs and shoulders. A new instrument panel contains electronic analog gauges, with flanking trim panels displaying decorative touches of brushed aluminum. Front bucket seats, rising high, have six-way power controls standard on the 328Ci or optional on the 323Ci.
Other standards extend to the automatic climate system, power windows with one-touch up and down functions, and an audio system with cassette deck and ten speakers, while options range from premium and sport packages to an in-dash CD deck and Harmon Kardon audio.
The in-line 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine for the 328Ci, rigged with dual overhead cams and infinitely variable valve timing, produces 193 hp and musters robust torque skewed decidedly toward lower engine speeds.
A 2.5-liter six-in-line for the 323Ci nets 170 hp.
In addition to a Getrag five-speed manual shifter for either engine, an automatic five-speed is available with sport mode for higher shift points plus controls which figure out an individual's driving style before harmonizing with it. A further choice for the automatic applies BMW's gated Steptronic shifter with forward/rearward movement inducing up-shift/down-shift without manual clutching.
&&& Extra gear clusters in packages. The sport pack applies 17-inch alloy wheels and performance tires with sport bucket seats, while the premium package installs a power moonroof, auto-dimming interior mirror, Myrtle wood trim, the rain-sensing windshield wipers and, exclusively on the 328Ci, special leather seat upholstery.
&&& Pricing for the BMW coupes begins at $29,560 for 323Ci and $34,560 for 328Ci, with sport/premium packages pegged at $1,000/$2,100 on 323Ci and $1,200/$2,900 for 328Ci.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2000 BMW 328 Specs |
| Description: |
Compact sports coupe
|
| Model Options: |
Compact sports coupe
|
| Wheelbase: |
107.3 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
176.7 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.5-L I6
DOHC 2.8-L I6
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/5/Steptronic
|
| Drive: |
Rear
|
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS/DSC
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
+ 2 (head) + opt. 2 (rear)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
2.5-L M/5: 20/29 mpg
2.5-L A/5: 19/27 mpg
2.8-L M/5: 21/29 mpg
2.8-L A/5: 18/27 mpg
|
| Price: |
$ 29,560 to $ 43,295 |
|
|
