BMW SERIE 3Timing chain or Belt?

The BMW 3 Series is a high-end passenger car (D-segment in Europe) manufactured by the German marque BMW. Historically, it has been sold in Sedan, Family, Hatchback (Compact), Coupe and Convertible body styles. In 2013, the name BMW 3 Series was reduced to the Sedan and Estate versions only, with the rest of the sporty bodies being renamed BMW 4 Series.

The 3 Series is BMW’s most-manufactured and best-selling model: nearly 30 percent of all cars sold by the German brand belong to these series. Throughout its seven generations, the BMW 3 Series has won multiple international awards.

The first generation 3 Series was launched in 1975. It was a sedan with only two doors. This first version, the E21, was born as a replacement for the 02 Series, which were sold during the 60s and early 70s.

The second generation was introduced in 1982. It retained the same body style, but added a 4-door sedan, convertible and estate version.

The BMW 3 Series’ popularity increased considerably with the release of the third generation. The BMW E36 was sold as: Sedan, Coupe, Convertible, Station Wagon and Hatchback. The latter was marketed as “3 Series Compact“; it was smaller than the sedan and had four-cylinder engines. This model is considered the precursor of the BMW 1 Series.

The fourth generation model followed along. This vehicle repeated the same bodywork. It had numerous engines, and premiered the famous valvetronic system.

The fifth generation was launched in 2004. It was a much modern vehicle, but lost some of its charm compared to its former predecessors.

In 2011, BMW introduced the sixth generation 3 Series. Shortly thereafter, in 2014, coupe and convertible versions became part of the BMW 4 Series.

Currently, the most recent model of this model is the seventh generation, which has been sold in sedan and estate body styles since 2018. In 2022, the model underwent a facelift to update its exterior in line with the rest of the German marque’s vehicles.

Its rivals by segment and price are the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.