[ksfrogman]

I took NoelSmart's idea and adjusted the relative size proportions according to car length by multiplying the car lengthx4 and making this the photo width in pixels.

Link to NoelSmart's original thread: click here

DIMENSIONS:

[RiXst3r]

Not fair, give that e92 some Sport Package 18 inchers!!! very few people get the car without sport package....

[ksfrogman]

If any member has better photos of the left side-profile of the car, I'll size adjust them and replace the ones I have.

[RiXst3r]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

If any member has better photos of the left side-profile of the car, I'll size adjust them and replace the ones I have.

[KL2DC]

Nice...leave out the E90 for a fairer comparison. Should the 2002 be there, I know its the direct ancestor of the 3er but its not really a 3er.

Also the E46 coupe should be on OEM wheels...

[ksfrogman]

Originally Posted by RiXst3r

Okay, done. Thanks!

Originally Posted by KL2DC

Nice...leave out the E90 for a fairer comparison. Should the 2002 be there, I know its the direct ancestor of the 3er but its not really a 3er.

Also the E46 coupe should be on OEM wheels...

I relocated those additional pics here instead:

[KL2DC]

Looking good Doc...

Its amazing to see how far the 3 coupe has come...thanks for the comparo. Its definitely good to know. It boggles the mind to imagine what the 3er coupe would look like 2-3 generations down.

[rob72]

Since you put the E90 in between the Coupes, you could add the E91 also..

[Neon21db]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

I took NoelSmart's idea and have adjusted the relative size proportions according to car length by multiplying the car lengthx4 and making this the photo width in pixels.

Link to NoelSmart's original thread: click here

DIMENSIONS:

The dimensions for the E90 above is for the sedan, not the coupe which is being compared in the thread. So I don't think it should be included in the comparison chart.

[NoelSmart]

Cool addition to my thread! You are getting a bit more scientific with it, I was basically focusing on the lines and design cues of the car. It's crazy how much the 3'er has grown over the years though, great observation.

[BK]

IMO, they're all beautiful. Though I hesitate to say I am not so much a fan of the original, the 2002. Please don't hate me.

[stressdoc]

In person, the 2002 was perhaps the most beguiling. It was arguably the best car ever. Then again, such views are subjective, and I also thought that my uncle's Isetta was way cooler than my dad's MB 190sl. I would be very happy to have any of them, or a BMW 507, in my driveway now.

[Fester]

Originally Posted by RiXst3r

Not fair, give that e92 some Sport Package 18 inchers!!! very few people get the car without sport package....

It "is" with the sport package rims.

[ksfrogman]

Originally Posted by Neon21db

The dimensions for the E90 above is for the sedan, not the coupe which is being compared in the thread. So I don't think it should be included in the comparison chart.

Okay, I modified the dimensions chart. I still think it's nice to have the E90 to compare the E92 to, so I separated it from the chart, but included the E90 toward the bottom. See the 1st post of this thread.

[jrjunior31]

nice addition, frog

Check out how drastically the E92 tail lights have changed in relation to all the other 3s... they come way around the back quarter now, they gotta tone that down somehow, looks awful...

The visible hoodline on the front quarterpanel and that goofy sharkfin are questionable designs, although the fin has been around since late E46 i guess (is this the only way to offer bluetooth?)... 335 ZSP wheels are fairly run of the mill 5 spokers, decent looking but boring... I would assume those rims are gone in '08...

As far as pure looks go I'm with E36/E46 still, but lets see what happens when they start improving aesthetics on the E92... from certain angles it looks killer, profile just doesnt seem to be one of them...

[bavarian19]

I think its funny how every dimension grows over the years except for the height of the cars...

I think its good though... I felt really cramped in an E46 sedan. I dont feel that way in my E90...

[DDTAN]

The 2002 is what got me looking at BMW's in the first place. Of course, my vote would go to the E36, which is a lean, compact, efficient design, with the E90 a close second. My preference is for the short overhang.

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by jrjunior31

Check out how drastically the E92 tail lights have changed in relation to all the other 3s... they come way around the back quarter now, they gotta tone that down somehow, looks awful...

That stood out to me as well. It almost seems like BMW set the backlights around like that to create the optical illusion that the back quarter is smaller than it exactly is. The lights were placed in the same manner as the other models, that back end would look really stretched.

The other big difference is the way the profile looks from the side. In all of other models, there is a "ridge" about a 1/4 of the way down the door and then other "ridge" or rubber line about 5/8 of the way down the door and it breaks the look of the door into 3 areas. On the E92 there is only the breakpoint at the 1/4 level and the bottom 3/4 of the door looks like one big area. To me, on the sedan it looks good because the bottom area below the door is set in a way that makes the doors look smaller but I don't think that styling looks as good on the coupe.

[enwhykiid]

the e46 still looks good

[Joop!]

Originally Posted by enwhykiid

the e46 still looks good

The facelift E46-2 even better.

[jrjunior31]

Originally Posted by matsarge

That stood out to me as well. It almost seems like BMW set the backlights around like that to create the optical illusion that the back quarter is smaller than it exactly is. The lights were placed in the same manner as the other models, that back end would look really stretched.

The other big difference is the way the profile looks from the side. In all of other models, there is a "ridge" about a 1/4 of the way down the door and then other "ridge" or rubber line about 5/8 of the way down the door and it breaks the look of the door into 3 areas. On the E92 there is only the breakpoint at the 1/4 level and the bottom 3/4 of the door looks like one big area. To me, on the sedan it looks good because the bottom area below the door is set in a way that makes the doors look smaller but I don't think that styling looks as good on the coupe.

yeah, interesting ideas, that back would look super long if the taillight were smaller, never thought about that...