A Better Bimmer
Most car manufacturers are satisfied with annual model changes that are a molding snip here, a bumper tuck there. When BMW introduces a vehicle, it is a transition to a new epoch after many years of thought.
That makes the new 325i an elegant, fundamental shocker of summer.
The 1992 car has been freed of the flat planes, slab sides, blunt ends and somewhat boring three-box design that has been the hallmark of entry-level Bimmers for more than a decade.
The new windshield and rear window finally show more slope than the average forehead. The front end is raked for the first time. Even BMW’s classic kidney grille has evolved into vents that are more rectangular than renal.
Yesterday’s 325 was styled as a typical four-passenger sports sedan of the ‘80s: square, spare, light, flighty and even a little delicate.
Today’s 325 follows in the tire prints of BMW’s new 5- and 7-series grand touring cars for the ‘90s: longer, heavier, wider and squatter, with the look of serious performance.
The wheelbase has been lengthened by five inches, with the front wheels moved forward to create a drastically reduced overhang. The back end has been shortened, shoved in and heightened to form the thick end of a wedge profile. Pinched side sills and a slotted front air dam give the car a lower stance with the European flair of Mercedes and the Alfa-Romeo 164.
In short, it is an enormously adult Bimmer.
The only jarring note is the flat, clear plastic covers over the headlights. When positioned alongside curved, molded and amber lenses for the turn signals, the headlight lids come off as aerodynamic afterthought.
Under the car’s solidly handsome looks, there’s a new engine borrowed from the 525i: a 24-valve, inline-six producing 189 horsepower. That is 12% more power than last year’s car with a corresponding improvement in low-end performance.
BMW has always built cars that were as much of their moment as the Beach Boys, sideburns and tank watches. But with Elvis dead, quiche appearing on cafeteria menus and yuppies an estranged species, BMW continues to transcend fads with a permanence built upon thoroughness of workmanship and technology.
Now the German company is storming ahead of its time with the 325i, which surely qualifies as the world’s first production Green Car:
* Buyers may order a nonsmoking version with front and rear ashtrays replaced by small storage boxes. The cigarette lighter is removed, but its socket and wiring remain to power portable phones, radar detectors and blenders for instant freeway breakfasts.
* The intake manifold is cast from fiberglass-reinforced polyamid which, along with other plastic parts of the car, is fully recyclable. Some of those plastic parts already have been manufactured from recycled materials.
* Standard on the 325i is an electrostatic microfilter attached to the climate-control system. It removes pollen, plant dust and even some bacteria from air entering the car.
Then there is BMW’s knack for separating mechanical gimmicks from technological assets and establishing safety features that likely will still be around in 10 years.
* Crash research has shown that doors commonly jam on impact and dangerously deny egress to occupants. So the 325i comes with a crash sensor that unlocks the doors in an accident and activates emergency flashers and interior lights.
* The restraint harness--complemented by a driver’s-side air bag, with a passenger’s pillow on the way--is fitted with an automatic tensioning system that, under collision force, snugs up lap and shoulder belts more than two inches.
* Energy-absorbing front and rear bumpers are connected to the body of the car by disposable cylinders. These inexpensive tubes soak up collisions up to 9 m.p.h. before damage occurs to more expensive structures.
Internally, the new 325i is slightly roomier than earlier models--particularly in rear-seat legroom--because of its stretched wheelbase.
There is a small increase in trunk space, although the welcome addition here is a sill somewhere around the loader’s ankles. On the other hand, the lid rises tall and requires a long reach with some hefty slamming to latch easily.
The interior is something of a disappointment. This 325i seems to have lost much of the classic design and superior materials that add to the cachet of the blue-and-white roundel.
Optional leather seats on the test car were soft, supportive and probably worth an extra $1,100. But dashboard plastics and fabric linings hinted heavily at mass production and low bids, which is simply not the feeling one expects from a $30,000 motor car.
In truth, the lines framing the analog instrument cluster and center console rely heavily on curves and swoops to encapsulate the car’s occupants. Such design is reminiscent of Asia and the very last influence one wants to find in a thoroughbred German automobile. The interior door latches are too small, mounted too high and set too far to the rear of the door for easy opening. And we would have liked a remote release for the trunk.
Yet there is nothing to dilute the performance of the 325i. If anything, BMW has improved its longstanding reputation for versatility, combining passenger hauling with the pure handling of a sports car.
The new 2.5-liter engine is served well by all those valves and double-overhead cams. It whispers during peaceful cruising, snores magnificently when asked to do exhilarating things and, with a top speed in excess of 140 m.p.h., is certainly much lustier than the average driver’s talents.
Thanks to a 60% increase in body stiffness and a rear-axle setup adapted from BMW’s vaunted Z-1 sports car (available only in Europe), the 325i handles flat and sure-footed.
When the car’s weight begins to shift during hard lane changes or heavy braking, the resultant tendency to lurch and roll is fully tamed by the suspension. The accuracy and feel of steering and straight-line stability is preserved through all but the most excessive maneuvers.
Older 325s were more inclined to get loose in the rear end when powered hard through turns. That tendency to over-steer remains with the new car. But it is harder to induce, escalates only gently and is easily corrected.
And unlike cars with lesser suspensions, the 325i performs this full range of settling movements without the penalties of harsh springing or any loss of ride comfort.
Add 15-inch wheels, meatier tires and bigger disc brakes coupled to an anti-lock system, and only the young and intemperate should get into trouble in this car.
It’s only serious deficiency is the one blemish that has haunted Bimmers since birth: The final cost of this ultimate driving machine.
Ten years ago it wasn’t such an issue. BMW had authored the brochure on high-powered four-doors that could outrun anything in their class.
Now there are several contenders. The five-cylinder Acura Vigor, all wood trim and elbow-deep luxury, is one. The new V-6 Mitsubishi Diamante LS putting out 200 horsepower is another.
True, neither of these contenders has the soul and set of the Bimmer. But for $6,000 less, and if valet parking vanities be the only consideration, they beg a lot of examination.
1992 BMW 325i COST: * Base: $27,990 * As tested, $31,560 (including automatic transmission, leather upholstery, heated seats, metallic paint and other options. Driver’s-side air bag, anti-lock brakes, dual climate control, power seats all standard.) ENGINE: * 2.5 liters, 24-valves, inline six cylinders and double-overhead cams developing 189 horsepower. TYPE: * Rear-wheel drive, five-passenger, four-door high-performance sedan. PERFORMANCE: * 0-60 m.p.h., as tested with automatic, 9.4 seconds. * Top speed, manufacturer’s estimate, 140 m.p.h. * Gas consumption, EPA city-highway, with automatic, 18-25 m.p.g. CURB WEIGHT: * 3,021 pounds. THE GOOD: * Styling for the decade ahead. * Flat, sure-footed, performance handling. * Environmentally correct. * Safety-oriented. THE BAD: * Interior moving to the generic. * Still pricey after all these years. THE UGLY: * Headlights with contact lenses.
