G20 BMW 3 Series revs up in 'Green Hell' to finetune ride comfort and sporty drive

By CARSIFU | 16 August 2018


MUNICH: Every performance car maker loves the Nürburgring. Not only to test their cars but also to crow about their association with the legendary track. Such disclosure does help to sell more cars.

Well, BMW has done the same thing in announcing today that the next generation of the 3 Series is now undergoing driving dynamics testing and set-up runs at the Nordschleife (North Loop) in Nürburgring. The latest 3 Series is due for a world debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October.

Test runs at the "Green Hell" traditionally serve as an endurance test for the drive and suspension technology of newly developed BMW models. A particularly extensive testing programme was developed for the camouflaged prototypes of the G20 3 Series at the Nordschleife, famed for its diverse track layout.

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The underlying concept of the four-door model shows just how much the development process for the new 3 Series is geared towards enhanced sporty flair.

The centre of gravity is some 10mm lower than in the predecessor model, axle load distribution is balanced at an ideal 50 : 50 and the total weight adjusted for fittings is as much as 55kg less. BMW says the rigidity levels of the body structure and suspension attachment – key to the steering set-up and ride acoustics – have been significantly enhanced. The car's agility and steering precision benefit from expanded track widths, while increased wheel camber levels offer additional potential for maximum transverse dynamics.

The new 3 Series will be the first model to get the most powerful 4-cylinder engine ever to be fitted in a BMW series production model. The thoroughly revised 4-cylinder petrol engine features fuel consumption figures that are still some 5 per cent below those of the predecessor engine.

One contributing factor here is the further developed 8-speed Steptronic transmission. A particulate filter optimises the emissions response of the new engine, enabling it to meet the Euro 6d-TEMP exhaust standard.



The new 3 Series will get an innovative damping system for a balance between sporty flair and ride comfort. The first ever lift-related dampers ever to be fitted in a BMW model function continuously and progressively in relation to the respective spring travel. As such, the vibrations that occur when compensating for bumps on the road and during dynamic cornering can be neutralised gently and precisely.

"We're using the lift-related dampers as an active set-up element so as to create supreme driving properties in all conditions," explains BMW Driving Dynamics chief Peter Langen. "With short spring travel, a sensitive damping response ensures comfortable vibration compensation. When the car passes over large bumps, the body movements are controlled by increased damping forces."

The lift-related dampers are a standard feature of the suspension technology in the new 3 Series. In a specific set-up, they also form part of the M sports suspension, which additionally includes a lowering of 10mm, 18-inch light alloy wheels and mixed tyres.

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This provides a boost to driving dynamics – something that can be experienced more intensely than ever before. The increased damping forces can be felt on the Nordschleife: in the M sports suspension these are some 20 per cent higher than in the standard suspension. "This means the difference from the standard suspension is much more perceptible than before," says Langen. "We've also made the M sports suspension much sportier, with more rigid bearings and stabilisers, harder springs and additional body struts."

In order to further reinforce the car's dynamic characteristics, the new M sports suspension is offered solely with the Variable Sports Steering. In addition to the speed-related steering assistance Servotronic, this also provides a variable steering ratio.

Variable Sports Steering has also been specially reconfigured for the new 3 Series. It already responds with much greater precision to slight steering movements, without seeming nervous in central position. The improved set-up of the steering system can be felt on long bends as well as when changing direction several times in rapid succession. A linear build-up of steering forces and optimised feedback increase precision when cornering in dynamic style.

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The new 3 Series also benefits from an M sports differential.The electronically controlled locking function in the rear axle differential is linked to Dynamic Stability Control DSC, ensuring needs-oriented limitation of rotation speed compensation between the rear wheels on the inside and on the outside of the bend.

Depending on the situation on the road therefore, it is possible to pre-emptively influence both understeering and oversteering without brake intervention. The active differential lock distributes drive torque selectively between the rear wheels. In this way, it prevents slip on a wheel with reduced surface grip while ensuring that the engine power can be used unrestrictedly to generate sporty driving fun.

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"Unlike conventional mechanical locks, the regulated M sports differential can optimise so much more than just traction," says Langen. "In addition to cornering dynamics, there is a particularly tangible increase in drive stability in the event of load changes, for example. This allows the new 3 Series Sedan to be driven remarkably confidently and effortlessly even when travelling in dynamic style."

For sporty driving, the active differential lock provides much higher levels of transverse acceleration as well as a perceptible boost in dynamic performance when accelerating out of bends. It also supports optimised stability, precision and cornering predictability in the new 3 Series – without brake intervention.

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