THE SETUP

Where: Monterey, California - January 30-31, 2012

What: F30 US Press Launch. First Test Drives of 2012 335i and F30 6 speed

How: 2 days with F30 3 Series, including a half day on the Laguna Seca track.

Background: I’ve owned an E90 325i (auto) and current car is E90 M3 (6-speed MT).

THE DRIVE

335i (With 6 Speed Manual):

The all new 2012 335i sedan is powered by the N55 single turbo twin-scroll turbo inline-6 cylinder engine (with direct injection and valvetronic), in the same form as the outgoing 2011 335i E90 sedan and current 335i E92 coupe. The U.S. 335i is quoted as producing 300hp / 300 lb-ft torque and achieves 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds for both auto and manual. Maximum horsepowers is achieved at 5800 RPM and max … CONTINUED

So, how do you properly test the performance of the new 2012 3 series F30 sedan? You take it out on a race track like Laguna Seca, as we did earlier this week.

But, if you really want to see the true limits of the F30’s performance, you hand it over to the professionals. BMW ALMS driver Bill Auberlen and ALMS+DTM driver Joey Hand were in attendance at Laguna Seca raceway to give us (and our members/readers) a wild ride around the track in both the F30 328i and 335i. Both the 328i and 335i were Sport Line models and had manual transmissions. The F30’s limits were phenomenal in their hands and we truly enjoyed their F30 review!

Both Joey and Bill were truly enthused about the … CONTINUED

The results are in from Car and Driver’s sixth annual Lightning Lap Tests @ Virginia International Raceway (VIR).

BMWs tested in this year’s Lightning Lap include the 1M coupe, 335is, X5 M, and Z4 sDrive35is. How did each model fare? See inside.

Here is a BMW 328i (F30) video review by Autoblog.nl. It may not be in english, but there is English captions/translations throughout the video. Includes some nice driving action and even a decent smokey burnout from the 4-cylinder (N20) equipped 328i.

Overall, they are impressed with the vehicle (no surprise) and echo the praises of most other reviews.

EVO UK magazine’s January issue features their full review of the F30 2012 328i and 320d. Improved refinement and first-rate handling grace the review’s headline.

EVO rates the 328i a 4.5 stars and gives the 320d 4 stars (out of 5). The 328i is called an impressive machine which manages to pull off the difficult trick of improving refinement and ride quality without diluting the dynamic entertainment.

Here it is, the first of many F30 3-series vs. competitor shootouts we’re sure to see in the coming months. As the reigning king of sports sedans, the 3-series has a reputation to uphold and automotive publications will be most interested in seeing if the new 3 series sedan can fend off its competitors.

If this first comparison review is any indication, the answer will be an emphatic YES. The F30 trounces the Mercedes Benz C Class in this first shootout comparison. Autocar was not shy in its effusive praise of the F30, saying that it is the remarkable, standout car in its field, and by several lengths over the C-class.

Read on inside….

Autospies shares their very comprehensive and excellent video review of the F30 328i, powered by the N20 4 cylinder 2.0L turbo engine. In their experience, they feel that the 3 series once again delivers a knockout punch to its competitors from Audi, MB, and Lexus.

Especially impressive in the video is a look at how quickly the new 8 speed automatic transmission shifts.

EVO Magazine posts their preliminary first drive review of the F30 and has nothing but praise for the newest 3 series sedan, giving it a nearly perfect score.

12.5 million – that’s all you need to know about the importance of the 3 series to BMW. Since the introduction of the first generation 3 series in 1982, BMW has sold 12.5 million units. That means every third BMW sold in 2010 was a 3 series. Unsurprisingly then, whenever a new 3 series launches, BMW knows they have to get it right. And we’re not talking about E89 Z4 right but about right in the sense of perfect.

BMW invited us over to Barcelona, Spain, to check out the F30 3 series for ourselves. “Pick up your test car at the airport and experience the new 3 series on public streets and the famous F1 track Circuito de Catalunya”, they said. Of course we accepted. So … CONTINUED