BMW's 3-Series Developing a Tradition

BMW's philosophy is to build driving machines that respond faithfully and enjoyably to
their driver's commands while also providing the safety, practicality, style, quality,
reliability, and durability that help make long-term ownership a rewarding experience. It
was BMW's policy to develop new platforms for its series of cars every 7 to 8 years.
New platforms were not simply modifications, but completely new structures. According
to Friedrich Nitschke, manager for the BMW 3 series development project, there were
three goals for the new 3 series platform that came to market in the 1999 model year.
First, it was to generate the highest level of customer satisfaction in its class. Second, it
was to utilize the best processes available within BMW. Third, it was to generate the
most profit of any BMW series.
Developing the successor to the third-generation of 3 series was a real challenge, since it
had been an extremely successful series. BMW's chief designer Chris Bangle explains,
There are two ways of doing car design. Either it's a personality cult, where the designer runs
the show and the car is just an ego toy, or the stylist is more the curator of a heritage and
tradition. Then, the challenge lies in understanding a marquee so well you become part of it.
It's quite clear my job here is to perpetuate a set of icons.
The overall styling of the 3-series was especially important, and was a limiting factor in
its design. Models built on the new platform had to look like a BMW and be
recognizable on the highway. Focus groups were used to identify the basic design
features that made a BMW recognizable, and those traits were maintained in its design.
For example, the BMW logo and "double kidney" grill were key recognition factors. The
3 series position in BMW's product line set many of the basic characteristics for the new
platform, and would determine the basic characteristics of the models using the new
platform. For example, the dimensions, engines and transmissions became part of its
target definition.

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