BMW 3 Series (E36)
| BMW 3 Series (E36) |
|
|---|---|
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|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Production | 08/1990 – 08/2000 |
| Assembly | Germany: Munich Germany: Regensburg Egypt: 6th of October City (BAG) Mexico: Toluca South Africa: Rosslyn USA: Spartanburg, SC |
| Designer |
Pinky Lai(1987) Boyke Boyer(1987, 1988) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Entry-level luxury car |
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible 4-door saloon 5-door touring |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related |
BMW M3 BMW Z3 BMW 3 Series Compact |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
Petrol: 1.6-1.9 L 4-cyl 2.0-3.2 L 6-cyl Diesel: 1.7 L 4-cyl turbo 2.5 L 6-cyl turbo |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual 6-speed manual 4-speed automatic 5-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm (106.3 in) |
| Length | 4,432 mm (174.5 in) |
| Width | 1,697 mm (66.8 in) |
| Height | sedan: 1,392 mm (54.8 in) coupe: 1,367 mm (53.8 in) convertible: 1,349 mm (53.1 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | BMW E30 |
| Successor | BMW E46 |
The BMW E36 series is the third generation of the BMW 3 Series range of entry-level luxury cars, and was produced from 1990 to 2000. The body styles of the range are:
The E36 was the first 3 Series to be offered in a hatchback body style. These models, called the BMW 3 Series Compact, were popular in Europe but largely unsuccessful in North America. It was also the first 3 Series to be available with a 6-speed manual transmission (in the 1996 M3), a 5-speed automatic transmission and a four-cylinder diesel engine. The multi-link rear suspension was also a significant upgrade compared with previous generations of 3 Series.
The E36 was named in Car and Driver Magazine's 10Best list for every year it was on sale.
The E36 M3 is powered by the S50 straight-six engine, except for the 1996-1999 North American M3's, which are powered by the S52 straight-six engine. The E36 M3 was released in 1992 and was available in coupe, sedan and convertible body styles. It was named Car and Driver's best handling car for over $30k in 1997.
Development began in July 1981, with the final design being frozen in 1988.
All E36 saloons, coupes, and estates employed the "Z-axle" multilink suspension in the rear which had been proven in the Z1. The hatchback body style (known as the "E36/5" or "BMW Compact") used a rear semi-trailing arm suspension based on the older E30 (also found in the Z3 and M Coupe), instead of the "Z-Axle" Multilink employed in all other E36's. This was done in order to save space due to its truncated rear end.
Initially, the 4-cylinder petrol engines from the E30 (M40 SOHC engine and M42 DOHC engine) were carried over. In 1993, the M40 was replaced by the M43 SOHC engine. In 1996, the M42 was replaced by the M44 DOHC engine.
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