This New BMW 3 Series Is an Ode to the Marque’s Soul

The BMW 3 Series celebrates its 50th year this year, as iconic a car as BMW produces, and the marque just unveiled a new special edition to mark the occasion.

The BMW M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition comes with Extended Merio Leather on the inside, a first for the 3 Series, BMW says, and buyers can choose among three different tones, whichever complements the exterior paint color best. The BMW M Performance exhaust system lends the 50 Jahre Edition an air of danger, and a rear spoiler made of carbon fiber gives the car a racy feel, if not the downforce of an actual race car. There is special badging, too.

The powertrain is untouched, with the 50 Jahre Edition pushed on by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in a mild hybrid system. The engine is mated to an 8-speed transmission and powers all four wheels. The powertrain makes 386 horsepower at max, and the car goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

The car is a celebration of 50 years of the 3 Series, but also the first five generations of 3 Series, specifically, since the 50 Jahre Edition comes in five different exterior colors and interior leather hue combinations. There is a Ruby Red Metallic paint and Ivory upholstery for the first-generation 3 Series, a Boston Green Metallic and Tartufo upholstery for the second-generation 3 Series, an Avus Blue Metallic and Tartufo upholstery for the third-generation 3 Series, a Carbon Black Metallic and black upholstery for the fourth-generation 3 Series, and Sparking Graphite Metallic and Tartufo upholstery for the fifth-generation 3 Series. Each combination gets its own brake caliper color, too, whether blue or red.

The BMW M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition starts at $75,200, not including shipping charges of $1,175. Production of the car is already underway, and while BMW said the 50 Jahre Edition will be limited in numbers, the marque didn’t say how many, exactly, will be made, likely because it will depend on demand. Car and Driver says it thinks it will “number in the hundreds.” Your local BMW dealer will be very happy to talk you through the purchase.

Click here for more photos of the BMW M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition.

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