IN THE mid-1980s,
Germany’s sports/luxury
carmaker BMW made a
surprising move: it dropped
the company’s most afford-
able 318i model in a bid to
move upscale and distin-
guish itself as a manufac-
turer of high-end cars.

What appeared to be a smart
move at first turned sour when
budget-conscious Yuppies started
shopping elsewhere for inexpen-
sive status cars.

By the time the 1990s came
around, BMW turned back its
page and re-introduced the four-
cylinder equipped 318i to cater to
the cost-sensitive buyers, and
quickly cranked up the pressure in
the ever-competitive low-end,
upscale car segment.

For 1995, BMW is further
expanding this affordable-car
strategy by introducing the low-
est-priced BMW yet: a hatchback
318ti. With an expected price tag
of only $25,000, the new 318ti
will enter the three-door compact
market for the first time when it
officially debuts in the beginning

66 ...the 318ti is
targeted at a younger
crowd, including the
Generation X bunch,

who may not have
considered a BMW
before... 9¥

of the 1995 calendar year.

The current 3-series lineup
includes the four-door 318i and
325i sedans, two-door 318is and
325is coupes, and the correspond-
ing 318i and 325i convertibles.

Equipped with a peppy — if
not exhilarating — 1.8-litre
DOHC four-cylinder engine and
BMW-famous, autobahn-grown
suspension setup, the 31 8ti will
give car buyers a new, upscale
alternative to Volkswagen’s Golf
GTi, Mazda’s MX-3, and Honda’s
Civic Si.

How dogs the new entry 3-
series differ from its bigger and
more expensive siblings?

From a marketing point of
view. the 318ti is targeted at a
younger crowd, including the
Generation X bunch who may nol
have considered a BMW before
because of its relatively high
prices.

On the outside, the 318ti por-
trays 4 somewhat mixed image.
From the front, the car tooks much
like other 3-series, with the usual
plastic-covered headlights and
kidney-shaped grille. But from the
rear, the 318ti shows off a differ-
ent look, and almost resembles a
Volkswagen Golf.

And then there’s the side pro-
file, which may be the most con-
troversial part of the design. To
put it bluntly, the car simply looks
odd from this angle because it
looks like a regular 3-series sedan
with a trunk chopped off.

The inside, however. is pieas-
ant and youthtul, thanks to the all-
hew interior which inctudes a

SADR oP IRR REE EMRE UL

OVERDRIVE

clean, ergonomically-designed
dash panel that gives a more airy
feel.

The 318ti borrows many com-
ponents from other 3-series mod-
els, but not the rear suspension
pieces. Here, BMW decided to use
the semi-tailing arm rear axle
from the previous generation 3-
series (pre-1992 model) to save
costs. We can only hope that this
compromised setup has not result-
ed in compromised handling char-
acteristics,

With a lighter body, the new
318ti is expected to accelerate ata
more rapid pace than the larger
318i sedan and coupes, which are
also powered by the same 138-
horsepower engine. The compact
dimensions of the ti should also
make the car easier to park and
manoeuvre around traffic.

Don’t get too excited yet.
because the 318ti isn’t the only
major news at BMW for 1995.

At the extreme upper range of
the lineup, BMW has introduced
the redesigned 7-series models,
complete with innovative new fea-
tures like Xenon headlight tech-
nology, ultrasonic parking dis-
tance control, and articulated
Comfort Seats.

The new V8-powered 740i is
longer by 74 mm (2.9 in.) and
wider by 17mm (0.68 in.), and sits
on a 97 mm (3.9 in.) longer
wheelbase. The larger exterior
dimensions, combined with a
more elfective use of space,
increases the interior room signifi-

cantly.

The long wheelbase versions
(740iL and 750iL) add another
114mm (5.8 in.) to the length and
wheelbase of the 740i, so you can
imagine yourself stretching your
legs in these models.

The V8 powered 740iL and
V12 powered 750iL are both des-
ined to arrive some time after the
New Year. The 4.0-litre V8 in the
$79,900 740i is identical to the
1994 version, but the V12 engine
in the lop-range 750iL receives a
Significant power boost — it now
pumps out a whopping 322 horse-
power.

Numbers aside, the new 7-
series models promise to deliver a
smoother ride, quieter cabin, and
more confortable environment
without any sacrifice in the han-
dling department.

In fact. BMW says that the new
7-series — despite its larger size
and heavier weight — handles
better and more predictably than
its predecessor.

With new models being added
at both ends of the BMW spec-
trum, BMW is ready to capture a
wider range of customers than
ever — the competitors better
watch out.

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