SCOOP! 2012 F30 BMW 3 Series spied *UPDATE* Unveiled (Pg. 22)

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by PM - B

All

Is it just me or what?
The bonnet ends much before the kidney grill. And i find it slightly unsettling.
All along the bonnet edge used to end over the grill and one would see clean sheet metal.

This is the second one that i can recall off the cuff,
The first being the Renault Fluence.

I prefer this. Its like on the F10. Even on the Fiat Punto, the leading edge of the bonnet is not seen.

But the best setup is the one on the old Bimmers, with the kidney grille being part of the bonnet, like the E46. Even the old Mercs had it like that.

[amitg79]

The F30 looks stunning. They really got the design right on this one. Something that I felt was lacking in the previous couple of generations.

Btw, in one of the above pics, it looks like armies of BMW and Mahindra Boleros ready to battle each other. Automotive version of 300?

[motorworks]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but isnt the current 3 series sedan assembled in Chennai? I always thought that the 3 was imported as a CKD and assembled at chennai. If the new one is a CBU wouldnt it take the cost higher?

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Blinking DRL ?? I don't think thats how it is (correct me if i'm wrong).

What you're seeing is the (constant) LED lights flickering only because they are being captured by a digital video camera.

cya
R

I dont know if its 1 and the same concept but if you have seen some videos of the A4/A6 etc, the pearl DRLs are shown to be flickering at a steady pace.
Was that an added feature to the DRLs for Europe spec cars thanks to the mist/fog there or was it because of the camera ?
I noticed the effect isnt there on the current generation A8/A7 in videos.

[Y@SH]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

I dont know if its 1 and the same concept but if you have seen some videos of the A4/A6 etc, the pearl DRLs are shown to be flickering at a steady pace.
Was that an added feature to the DRLs for Europe spec cars thanks to the mist/fog there or was it because of the camera ?
I noticed the effect isnt there on the current generation A8/A7 in videos.

The LED's flicker due to the incorrect shutter speed of the camera. I dont know the exact reason but am 100% sure that its because of the camera.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by Y@SH

The LED's flicker due to the incorrect shutter speed of the camera. I dont know the exact reason but am 100% sure that its because of the camera.

Its quite puzzling though. What i saw in the videos was a set of LEDs constantly flickering at a steady pace.
On the contrary, we recently put a video of our drive (German cars) to Nashik and back. In that video , while the BMW seems like it is winking , the Audi DRLs are constant. No flickering.
Am putting up a video for reference. Keep an eye on the Blue 5 series and then on the White A4.

German Dash - Sula Vineyards, Nashik, India - YouTube

[911987]

@Motorworks,
You are absolutely right ,the BMW 3 and 5(with the exception of the GT and possibly the 330d convertible) models are assembled from ckd kits in Chennai.
The cars pictured in Mumbai docks are from the 2012 F30 range,as yet not launched in India.The remaining BMW's pictured are from the CBU range,as of now at least.
We presume they have come in for homologation,display etc. prior to import of ckd kits which will be assembled here.
Cheers.

[heavy_foot]

Originally Posted by Y@SH

The LED's flicker due to the incorrect shutter speed of the camera. I dont know the exact reason but am 100% sure that its because of the camera.

O.T: AFAIK, the shutter remains permanently open when shooting in a video mode.

[Y@SH]

Originally Posted by heavy_foot

O.T: AFAIK, the shutter remains permanently open when shooting in a video mode.

Ok small mistake from my side, shutter remains open while shooting in the video mode, But it is the frames per second that causes this. fps is accomplished by what is known as "rolling shutter", which energizes the sensor from one end, to the other, in a scanning motion much like a CRT television scans each line very quickly (so quickly, at 30 fps your eyes can't discern the scanning), which does not require a physical shutter to open and close.
Havent you heard camera companies saying HD video recording at 113frames/sec?

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Its quite puzzling though. What i saw in the videos was a set of LEDs constantly flickering at a steady pace.
On the contrary, we recently put a video of our drive (German cars) to Nashik and back. In that video , while the BMW seems like it is winking , the Audi DRLs are constant. No flickering.

I guess something to do with the angle or frequency of the LED. Im not a master in this, just using the little knowledge I have about cameras. But I guess im talking sense.

[V-16]

The new # series should be around the corner. Look for attractive discounts ion the older gen, of which the 325i is an absolute gem to drive. They have done away with the earlier nomenclatures and adopted new ones, Sport, Luxury and Modern. They will be priced around the same and will offer features to go with their badging. The Sport, for instance, includes a red line running through the entire dash and the model also continues its quirks on the FOB key.

I particularly liked the Triangular halo lights, all LEDs and all white (instead of the older yellow) which also blink when the flasher is kept on. They have continued with their run flat tyres too. A fact that doesnt go down very well in India.

The sport includes, colour coded leather stitching on the upholstery, a meatier steering wheel amongst other things.

Reverse cameras have become standard on all variants.

To me t looks like a mix of the & series on the front and the % series at the back. A trend followed by most companies making a variety of cars across segments. All their cars look similar, varying only in size. See Audi for instance.

IMHO, BMW is the only car showing its true German pedigree. Audi is a wannabe and after a TD of a A8 3.0 Tdi this evening, i was disappointed with the car. Noisy as hell, i wonder what everyone is raving about?

Mercedes in the meanwhile has sold out to the luxury segment, making their handling suffer throughout their range and their cars look only suited for the 60 plus, seated at the rear in a Dormuiel suit.

BMW still gets a smile on your lips. Hope this new 3 series is all that the last one was and more. It is difficult to i,prove on perfection....but BMW always find a way.

Id love to be behind the wheel of the 330i. should be a killer car to drive.

BMW anyday!!

[aditya799]

Why are they covered in so much mud?

[carfreak77]

Exactly my question! Why are all the cars covered with mud/dust. Don't they cover them? Or atleast put that paper stuck on the body so that no dust and dirt settles on the new paint? If I were buying such an expensive car, I would probably change my mind knowing this is the way the cars arrive. I would think better care would be taken for a car of this price.

[nirav]

i LOVE the new F30- look at those interiors! Am quite excited about the launch here. Any changes to the entry level diesel in terms of torque and power? And what are the expected petrol variants? I hope they have replaced the sluggish 320i from the existing E90 range... Also the square-ish front appeals to me- sets it apart from the 5 and 7, which IMHO look too similar... Cant wait to drive it!

[samyakmodi]

the new 3 looks ravishingly fresh. this one qualifies for being called a beautiful car while the e90 wasn't even close to being a beauty.

but sadly - nowadays all the manufacturers it seems are making all their cars look alike - with just the size and features and engines and gearboxes varying.

wonder why don't they make cars that were really beautiful and when each had it's own identity like the olden days??

as far as the bonnet disconnected from the grill part is concerned - i am unable to understand how does it effect in pedestrian safety? i am sure there must be someway to make a bonnet with the grill attached to it which is still pedestrian safe. i still can't forget when i got close to one of the first beemers in my life and i was amazed to see the kidney grill attached with the bonnet when the bonnet went up.

anyways - the flashing LEDs are nothing but an illusion caused by the camera. OT: ever been to a 3D movie recently? while wearing those glasses, if you look at your mobile screen, you would panic that there is something wrong with the screen.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by nirav

i LOVE the new F30- look at those interiors! Am quite excited about the launch here. Any changes to the entry level diesel in terms of torque and power? And what are the expected petrol variants? I hope they have replaced the sluggish 320i from the existing E90 range... Also the square-ish front appeals to me- sets it apart from the 5 and 7, which IMHO look too similar... Cant wait to drive it!

As of now the 320d will have the same specs as now, barring the new 8 speed gearbox. The 0-100 time is improved by .1 second.

The only other engine available is the 328i which is a turboed 4 cylinder with 240 odd bhp.