DE LUXE EDITION

With the 3.3 L BMW competes with the class of exigent luxurious saloons. Its most important features are: a longer wheelbase and a particular wide equipment.

“For state visitors, topmanagers and lovers of extreme comfort” BMW has brought out this long saloon and provided it with a matching price tag: DM 38.980,-. The 3.0 Si, the most expensive but one BMW saloon, is allways still 11.700 mark cheaper. What is what you get for this difference? 330 cc more displacement, 10 bhp less power, 18 Nm more torque, a 10 cm longer wheelbase, automatic transmission, rear compartment heating, leather upholstery, coloured glass, electrically operated windows, steel sunshine roof, stereo radio, automatic seat belts front and rear, headlight wipers and more of these. They make that, according to BMW, the 3.3 L can be categorised in “the exclusive row of international topclass saloons”.

One has to look at that more down-to-earth. Ten extra centimeters, production technically not very easy to accomplish, make the car longer indeed, but surely not more beautifull: the proportions of the big saloon with its short nose have become incoherent. Despite wood and the smell of leather there is a lack of real flair of the big world, so downright good and honest is the appearance of the 3.3 L: a good friend, that exceptionally dressed up in a dress-suit. The old 3,2 litre V8 – there are still enough splendid ones left – would be more suitable for a state visit than this sympathic but on the exterior somewhat unpretentious car. And there’s also a lack of two cylinders, whereas meanwhile the angry competition from Untertürkheim allready has these more than symbolic hollows. The 450 SEL lies in wait in the background, a constant temptation not only to state visitors, but also to topmanagers and lovers of extreme comfort. They have to pay an extra threethousand mark, but what’s the importance of that in this class?

No, this duel is not very hopeful for BMW. The 3.3 L can not compete with the engine comfort of the 450 SEL nor with its chassis and body perfection, nor with the Detroit Cadillac, which not only has eight big cylinders, but also offers an astonishing body refinement. The standards for the 3.3 L must be found in a different area, namely that of the sport saloons, where it is descended from and where it belongs to – despite all comfort uprating things.

At auto motor und sport a BMW 3.0 Si just completed the 50.000 km endurance test. It succeeded summa cum laude: an outstanding example of a driver’s car, fast as a racing car, handy and compact as a small car, and beside all that: it’s comfortable and spacious and – last but not least – it is as modest as it is reliable. Because of its allround qualities one never asks: Why are there sportcars? The 3.0 Si drives away from the most of these sportcars without difficulty, also in bends, and in the case of comfort it has nothing special to offer, though still as much as one needs.

Who knows and appreciates this car, will find many familiar things in the 3.3 L: handling and temper are – despite of bigger length and the extra weight – slightly worse, cornering is equally easy and one can accelerate to the red line of the rev counter, which was very easy in the test car because it had a manual transmission. Against the original plans this manual box is offered beside the automatic transmission – a sign that many interested people don’t look at the 3.3 L as a representive or chauffeurs car, but as a real driver’s car. The engine doesn’t run as silky and silently, but it has more torque at low revs than the three litre, there is a lot of power in reserve and the performances are up to what is expected in this price and power class nowadays.

There evidently is extra comfort compared with the Si, but it’s only a small step, not a big leap: the longer wheelbase takes care of a better absorption of bigger bumps and the rear passengers rejoice in more space. The extra centimetres are partly used for their knees and partly for putting the backrest more forward and in a bigger angle, so there’s a better sitting and more headspace – but only for four persons, because the central backseat only offers limited space on account of the lengthened central console with integrated adjustable armrest. The somewhat slippery leather is no improvement compared with the good cloth upholstery, but it shows equally as the many extras that there’s no money saved here. A nice gag is the electrically operated left mirror, but central locks would have been more usefull, for who wants to push and pull buttons all the time in a 40.000 mark car? The radio with three speakers (Becker Mexiko) gets good marks for sound and reception, which is not a fact in all expensive cars.

Despite of all splendour – this is very obvious the good old BMW that is presenting itself in gala dress. It’s not really the cheapest way of understatement, but one can show up in this car everywhere and take with him everybody – state visitors as well.

From: auto motor und sport 16, 1974.
Thanks to Francesco Tiepolo from Italy.
Translation: Bram Visser, 2002.