BMW 318Ci Convertible
The BMW E46 is a compact executive car that was produced from 1998 to 2007, initially releasing in the sedan body style. This body style was accompanied by a coupé in 1999, and later in 2000 a convertible and hatchback were released - the latter being exclusive to Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In 2004, the BMW E90 replaced the E46 sedans, however the coupé and convertible body styles remained in production until 2007. The introduction of the 3 Series also marked the return of an all-wheel drive variant with the 3 Series, with the "xDrive" being available for the six-cylinder 325xi and 330xi sedan/wagon models.
The E46 was seen as the performance benchmark of its class and was highly successful in many markets, with its record selling year occurring in 2002 with 561,249 vehicles sold worldwide. Its main competitors during this time were the Alfa Romeo 156, Audi A4, Lexus IS/Toyota Altezza, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Saab 9-3 and the Volvo S60. The upgraded version of the E46, the M3, was powered by BMW's S54 straight-six engine, releasing in 2001 with both a coupé and convertible body style.
The exterior design of the E46 was an evolution of the BMW E36 chassis, with DesignworksUSA being contracted alongside the BMW Group's in-house design team to create the body work. The interior design of the car saw the entire in-car entertainment system being based on a very flexible automotive computer system, allowing for easy upgrade to BMW's Bluetoth System, DVD-based Navigation system, and CD changers that play MP3s.
BMW put great emphasis on weight reduction and structural rigidity when creating the E46, and as a result aluminum suspension components were introduced to help reduce the car's unsprung weight. The E46 had a curb weight of 1450 kg, 55 kilograms (121 lb) heavier than the E36 equivalent, however with BMW's 50/50 weight distribution the E46 allowed for optimal handling.
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