The standard leatherette upholstery is available in Black and new Creme Beige, which is lighter then the familiar Sand Beige. For the optional leather upholstery, the softer and more luxurious Dakota grade replaces the previous Montana grade as in the 3 Series Sedans and Sports Wagons. Here too, Creme Beige replaces Sand and there are two new choices, Coral Red (as in the 5 Series) and Saddle Brown, in addition to Gray and Black. Upholstery leather appears on the seat facings, door inserts and door handle surrounds; other leather-trimmed items include the gear shift boot, handbrake grip and steering wheel.

In other items of trim that don't change with upholstery or trim options, the interior door handles, gearshift surround trim, steering wheel spokes, instrument dial and engine Start/Stop button surrounds, dash air-outlet adjusting tabs and the optional iDrive controller are in pearl-gray galvanic material; climate-control knobs receive the same improvements as in Z4s (galvanic trim and rubber grip surfaces of finer tactile quality). Another trim material, called Titanium Light, appears in several accent locations on the dashboard, center console and doors.

An elegant ambiance is further created in the interior by special lighting and switches with a premium look and feel. Ambiance Lighting, streaming down from under the ledge on the door and side panels, and running from the A pillar all the way to the rear passenger area, creates a particularly warm, indirect lighting effect. 

Through its design and configuration, the cabin emphasizes the sporting and driver-oriented character of BMW's new Coupe. Taking a seat behind the steering wheel, the driver will immediately focus on the new instrument cluster which includes an oil temperature gauge positioned below the tachometer.

Buckling up has never been easier for the driver and front passenger because of the newly developed belt feeder arm: The seat belt integrated in the B-pillar, moved rearward in typical coupe fashion, is automatically "delivered" to the driver and front passenger once they close their respective door and the key has been inserted in the ignition slot. Connected to the seat occupancy detector, the passenger-side belt feeder arm is only activated when the front passenger has actually taken a seat. With the belt delivery unit housed conveniently within the side panels, this new system does not impair the elegant look of the interior.

Access to the two seats in the rear has been made even easier; the lever for releasing the seat positioners is fitted at the top of the outside of the backrest. 



Inline six-cylinder engines enter new dimensions of performance

The new BMW 3 Series Coupe will arrive in the U.S. with the choice of two six-cylinder engines including an uprated version of the powerplant in the 2006 325i and 325xi Sedans and Sports Wagon and the world's first inline six with twin turbos, high precision fuel injection, and an all-aluminum crankcase.

The 328Ci Coupe is powered by BMW's N52 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder engine, with horsepower increased to 230. Its magnesium / aluminum construction and Valvetronic variable valve lift are features found only on BMW engines. Compared to the M54 engine family of the new 3 Series Coupe's predecessors, the N52 achieves impressive progress on all fronts.

The new engine has more power: 230 hp vs. 184 hp, greater torque: 200 lb-ft. vs. 175, and torque characteristics across the broad range of engine speeds. Its "red line" is 7000 rpm compared to 6500 for the M54.

The new N52 weighs 22lb. less than its predecessor. Had BMW engineers developed the previous engine to meet their goals, it would have added approximately 30lb. - and thus would have weighed 52lb. more than the new engine does. Because there is just one external drive belt, compared to the previous two, overall engine length is about an inch shorter.

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