The Venerable BMW 3 Series Gets a Power Boost in Paris
While the 3 Series officially refreshed earlier in 2016, BMW saved one surprise for the hatchback 3 Series GT for the Paris auto show in September.
The 2017 five-door GT sedan has left the 328i and 335i monikers in the rearview in favor of the 330i and 340i. BMW has also boosted the power output of the engines by installing new and more powerful powerplants under the hood.
The 330i retains the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but has upped the horsepower and torque from 240-hp and 255 lb-ft of torque to 248-hp and 258 lb-ft. It's not particularly a striking upgrade, but is still prominent enough to warrant attention. However, it's in the 340i that things get interesting. BMW increased the 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder's output from 300-hp and 300 lb-ft of torque to 320-hp and 330 lb-ft.
Here in the US we won't get as many options when it comes to powertrain configurations, which, aside from the hatchback-esque physique of the 3GT, is pretty much the only drawback to the vehicle itself. In the States we'll see just one - an all-wheel-drive setup on an 8-speed manual transmission.
