As the E30 3 Series established itself as a full line including compact coupes, sedans and convertibles. The 3 Series quickly became the envy of the the industry with likes of the Cadillac Cimarron and Audio 4000 Quattro were nothing more than cheap imitations. BMW was now faced with replacing a perfect specimen, anything short of that would hail big time sales danger.

The E36 brethren to the E30 was a jump forward in body styling with different proportions and styling breaking out of the details established by the 2002, this was an all new machine.

Z3 was the first modern BMW roadster, as well as the first new BMW car assembled in the United States. BMW Z3 was introduced as a 1996 model year vehicle, shortly after being featured in the James Bond movie, GoldenEye. There were a few variants of the car before its production run ended in 2002, including a coupé version for 1999. It was manufactured and assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW Z3 was replaced by the BMW Z4 introduced in late 2002 at the Paris Auto Show.

BMW Z3 was developed from the E36 platform of the BMW 3 Series. The resulting platform is sometimes referred to as the E36/7(roadster) or E36/8(coupé). The rear semi-trailing arm suspension from the E30 was used rather than the more sophisticated multilink suspension from the E36. At first, only the 1.9 L M44B19 straight-4 engine was offered, but its 138 hp (103 kW) was not up to buyers' expectations. Interior appointments too were not up to the standard of other BMW models, and the plastic rear window looked poor compared to the glass unit found on the much less expensive 1999 Mazda MX5.

The fourth generation of BMW's 3-Series compact sedan started in September 1998.

The baseline was the 318i with 4 cylinders, with a capacity closer to 1.9 litres.

Engine produce 87 kW and 180 Nm, and e46 price was $52,950 for the five-speed manual and the four-speed auto - $1700 more.

The 2.5-litre six-cylinder 125 kW/ 245 Nm 323i cost $66,900 as a five-speed manual, adding $2500 for the five-speed auto. The auto-only 142 kW/280 Nm 328i - a 2.8-litre - topped the range at $84,950.

BMW E46 was designed as a modern replacement for the aging BMW 3 series E36. DesignWorksUSA take part in creation the exterior body E46. Based on the BMW E36 body shell, the design team put an emphasis on improving aerodynamics and increasing the cars aggressive stance.

An emphasis was put on reducing unsprung weight and structural rigidity rather than increasing power output - the highest displacement model at release, the E46 328, had only 3 horsepower more than the E36 328. To counter this small power increase, the body shell of the E46 was claimed by BMW to be 70% more rigid than the E36's, and aluminum suspension components were used increasingly in order to decrease unsprung weight. In tune with BMW's core values, the E46 was released with a front engined rear-wheel drive layout with 50/50 weight distribution. This balance allows for optimal handling in regards to the drive train layout.

The E36 M3 debuted in February, 1992 and hit the dealers' showrooms in November that year; it was the first M3 powered by a six-cylinder engine, displacing 2990 cc and developing 286 PS (282 hp/210 kW). Initially available as a coupé only, BMW introduced M3 convertible/cabriolet and saloon/sedan versions in 1994, the absence of any M5 models in the BMW line-up between the end of e34 M5 production in 1995 and the launch of the e39 M5 in 1998 prompting the introduction of the four door Motorsport model. The E36 is also the first M3 to be manufactured in right-hand drive.

Also in 1994, BMW produced the limited-edition M3 GT as a racing homologation special; all GTs were British Racing Green and featured an upgraded 295 PS (291 hp/217 kW) 3.0 liter engine. 350 GTs were built.

In summer, 1995 M3 coupé and saloon were upgraded to a 321 PS (317 hp/236 kW) 3.2 liter inline-6; at the same time, the cars received clear indicator lenses, new wheels and a 6-speed gearbox. The Cabriolet did not receive these changes until spring 1996.

The last 740d was a 4.0 V8 diesel. Confusingly to
people outside BMW, the new 740d is not a V8, nor a 4.0-litre. Ah. Nope, the
new biggest diesel in the 7-Series range is a new super-efficient twin-turbo
straight-six, and it's a 3.0-litre block, but this time not derived from the
same 3.0-litre motor that you find in 30d and 35d versions elsewhere in the BMW
ranges.

Still with me? Right, explanation ahoy: this new
motor gets an all-aluminium crankcase and third-generation, common-rail fuel
injection that's good for 2,000 bar of pressure. Piezo injectors provide the
injection, and big pressure and fine control are good things. Higher pressure
means bigger bangs, control means more efficient burns, the pair bring better
power and economy.

Curious car, this one. Despite a massive
temptation to ask just how such a thing ever made it past the idea stage, car
companies, particularly German ones, don't tend to make things that they
haven't already established someone will probably buy. Which means that, when
asked by the researcher with the clipboard and fixed smile, more than one
person must have said "Yes, actually, there is an X6 M shaped hole in my life".
Who these people are and what sort of lives they lead is anyone's guess but,
having driven the X6 M, I can only suggest that they are conflicted. Very
conflicted.

The BMW 8 Series (chassis code: E31); is a V8 or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999. This car was offered for sale in the USA from 1991 to 1997.

While it did supplant the original E24 based 6 Series BMW car in 1991, a common misconception is that the 8 Series BMW was developed as a successor. However, it was actually an entirely new class aimed at a different market, with a substantially higher price point and better performance than the 6 series. The 8 Series BMW was designed as a direct competitor to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and S-Class coupes (later renamed the CL-Class). While it has less rear passenger volume than the CL which is considered a two-door sedan, the 8 Series could accommodate two passengers in the rear seats, while the SL roadster is a two-seater.

The BMW 8 Series car was BMW's flagship car while in production. Accounting for inflation, a new model cost above $110,000 and had an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Although with the limiters removed, the vehicle top speed was estimated at 186 mph (299 km/h). Worldwide production ceased on May 12, 1999, with 30,621 built.

This year's Z4 has been redesigned for 2009. The previous generation's creases have been smoothed out, and a newly redesigned rear end addresses the complaints about the previous generation's design. The biggest difference from last year is the absence of a cloth soft-top. BMW did away with the separate coupe and convertible and now only offers a power-folding hard top.

The 2009 BMW Z4 roadster is available in two trims, sDrive30i and sDrive35i. The 30i comes with a 3.0L inline-6-cylinder engine that makes 255 hp and 220 lb-feet of torque, while the 35i comes with a twin-turbocharged version of the same engine, making 300 hp and 300 lb-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and a 6-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission with steering wheel shift paddles is optional.