FOUR years into the life of its standard-setting 3 Series Coupe and with its first folding-hardtop convertible now almost three years old, BMW has applied a subtle but effective midlife makeover to its mid-size two-door models amid renewed opposition from Audi’s growing A5 range and the new E-class Coupe and Cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz.
More performance and efficiency for the base 320d, a manual version of which also brings a lower entry price, and more flexibility for the new-look 335i M Sport models – which as a result are more expensive – are welcome changes, but the biggest advance is improved ride quality for the top-selling 320d, 325i and 330d models.
Throw in more aggressive bumpers, more upmarket LED headlight elements (optional on all but the 335i), a host of new paint, leather, trim and wheel options, and idle-stop technology for the 320d manual and all M3s, and the 2010 3 Series Coupe and Convertible should be well armed to fend off its formidable new adversaries.

3 Series E92 Coupe and E93 Convertible
Released: Oct 2006 and April 2007
Ended: July 2010
Family Tree: 3 SeriesLIKE the mid-2005 fifth-generation (E90) 3 Series sedan upon which it is based, BMW's E92 3 Series Coupe was slightly larger, considerably stiffer and more powerful than the model it replaced here in October 2006, despite being no heavier or thirstier. Spearheading the launch range alongside the midrange 325i, BMW's first twin-turbo petrol engine pushed the 335i price up by $15,000 over the former 330Ci, while the entry-level 323i joined them in December 2006 nudging $70,000. BMW's first folding steel roof convertible, the E93, joined the coupe in April 2007 in just 325i and 335i guises, while the first V8-powered M3 Coupe lobbed here in October 2007, followed by the slick twin-clutch M-DCT version in July 2008. The latest M3 became available as a convertible (and sedan) in late 2008, before four-pot 320d and inline-six 330d diesel models joined both two-door BMW sportscar line-ups from December 2009.
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