BMW · 1997–2006

BMW 3 Series (E46)

The BMW 3 Series (E46) is the fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars manufactured by German automaker BMW. Produced from 1997 to 2006, it was the successor to the E36 3 Series, which ceased production in 2000. It was introduced in November 1997, and available in sedan, coupé, convertible, station wagon and hatchback body styles. The latter has been marketed as the 3 Series Compact. The M3 performance model was introduced in June 2000 with a 2-door coupé body style, followed by the convertible counterpart in April 2001. The M3 is powered by the BMW S54 straight-six engine with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed SMG-II automated manual transmission. The E46 line-up was phased out starting from late 2004, following the introduction of the E90 3 Series sedans. However, the E46 coupé and convertible body styles remained in production until August 2006.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: BMW 3 Series · Successor: BMW 3 Series (E90)

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Overview

=== Development === In 1993, the development programme for the E46 began under the lead of chief engineer Wolfgang Ziebart and head of R&D Wolfgang Reitzle. In late 1993, design work began under the lead of chief designer Chris Bangle and continued into 1995. In May 1995, the general exterior design of the E46 by Erik Goplen of DesignworksUSA was approved and as a result DesignworksUSA was contracted by BMW to work alongside BMW Group's in-house design team to create the exterior bodywork for the 3 Series range in February 1996. The design team put an emphasis on improving aerodynamics and increasing the car's aggressive stance. Design patents were filed in Germany on 16 July 1997 and in the US on 16 January 1998. Chris Bangle and Wolfgang Reitzle were responsible through 1995 for the production sedan's exterior, as evident in the 1997 design patent. Production development of the sedan took 24 months following design freeze and was 31 months from executive board styling approval in 1995 to its start of series production in December 1997. Erik Goplen designed the production coupé, convertible and station wagon during between 1996 and 1997. The E46 sedan was unveiled via press release on 11 November 1997 and was launched on the market at the end of April 1998 with customer deliveries. Chassis. The body shell of the E46 was claimed by BMW to be 70% more rigid than its E36 predecessor. Aluminium was used for an increased quantity of suspension components, in order to decrease unsprung mass. However, with a curb weight of 1,450 kg (3,197 lb), the E46 328ci is 55 kg (121 lb) heavier than the E36 equivalent. In tune with BMW's core values regarding handling dynamics, the E46 was initially available with a rear-wheel drive layout and a 50/50 weight distribution. All-wheel driv

Body styles

=== Sedan === 4-door sedan/saloon (E46 Sedan), produced from December 1997 to May 2005 (CKD production continued until December 2005). 1,918,984 examples built (includes 54,528 CKD). Production years: 1997–2005 Facelift: September 2001 (2002 model year) Variants: 316i, 318d, 318i, 320d, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330d, 330i and 330xi Touring. Touring – 5-door wagon/estate (E46 Touring), produced from January 1999 to May 2005. 428,061 examples built. Production Years: 1999–2005 Facelift: September 2001 (2002 model year) Variants: 316i, 318d, 318i, 320d, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330d, 330i, 330xd and 330xi Coupé. 2-door coupé (E46 Coupé), produced from December 1998 to May 2006. 443,264 examples built. Production years: 1998–2006 Facelift: March 2003 (2004 model year) Variants: 316Ci, 318Ci, 320Cd, 320Ci, 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Cd, 330Ci, M3 and M3 CSL Convertible. Cabriolet – 2-door convertible (E46 Convertible), produced from December 1999 to November 2006. BMW made 277,146 total. Production years: 1999–2006 Facelift: March 2003 (2004 model year) Variants: 318Ci, 320Cd, 320Ci, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Cd, 330Ci and M3 Compact. Compact – 3-door hatchback (E46 Compact), produced from April 2000 to December 2004. 199,430 examples built. The shorter three-door hatchback version of the E46 was marketed as the BMW 3 Series Compact. The exterior styling has several differences to the rest of the E46 3 Series range, notably the distinctive headlights and tail-lights. Mechanically, the Compact shares many elements with the rest of the E46 range, however the steering rack has a faster ratio. Production years: 2000–2004 Facelift: September 2001 (2002 model year) Variants: 316ti, 318td, 318ti, 320td and 325ti

Engines

Factory specifications are listed below. Coupé and convertible models were badged as "Ci (petrol) or Cd (diesel)", and all-wheel drive models were badged as "Xi (petrol) or Xd (diesel)". Petrol. === Diesel ===

Drivetrain

=== Manual transmissions === 5-speed ZF S5-39 (325xi, 330xi) 5-speed Getrag 250G (316i, 318i, 320i, 323i, 325i) 5 speed ZF S5-31 (320d, 328Ci, 330i, 330Ci, 325xi) 6-speed ZF S6-37 (325ti, 330i, 330Ci, 330xi, 320d, 320Cd) 6-speed ZF S6-53 (330d, 330xd, 330 Cd) 6-speed Getrag 420G (M3) Automatic transmissions. 4-speed GM 4L30-E (A4S270R) 5-speed GM 5L40-E (A5S360R) 5-speed GM 5L40-E (A5S390R) 5-speed ZF 5HP19 (A5S325Z) (330i has a more reinforced 5HP19 compared to 320/325i) 5-speed GM 5L50-E (A5S390R) 6-speed SMG-II 6-speed Non-M SMG-I

M3

The E46 M3 was introduced in October 2000, available with the 3.2-litre S54 M-tuned engine. It was offered in coupé and convertible body styles. The M3's S54 engine has a redline of 8,000 rpm. As with most M engines, the S54 has 6 individual throttle bodies, in this case electronically operated (drive-by-wire throttle). The transmission options for the M3 were a 6-speed manual or the 6-speed "SMG-II" automated manual transmission. There was also a lighter and faster M3 CSL model; CSL stands for Coupé Sport Leichtbau ("Coupé Sport Lightweight). Weight was reduced by removing equipment and replacing the roof, door panel, and centre console with carbon fibre pieces. M3 GTR road car. In order for the M3 GTR race car to compete in the American Le Mans Series, BMW produced 10 examples of the "M3 GTR Straßen Version" (street version) in 2001. As per the race M3 GTR, the roadgoing Version was powered by the BMW P60B40 4.0 L V8 engine which was slightly detuned and generated a maximum power output of 283 kW (380 hp) at 7,000 rpm. Power was delivered to the rear wheels via a race type 6-speed dual clutch sequential transmission with M locking differential. The engine featured dry sump lubrication as its racing counterpart and bigger radiators. The stiffer chassis and suspension system were a carryover from the race version. The car was lowered further than a standard M3 and featured additional strut braces between the firewall and strut towers as well as between the right shock towers. The redesigned front and rear fascias and the rear wing optimised aerodynamics. The roof, the hood, the rear wing and front and rear fascias were made from carbon-fibre in order to reduce weight. Notable changes made to the interior included leather Recaro bucket seats, removal of rear seats and sp

Special models

=== Performance package (ZHP) === The Performance Package was an option sold in North America, which is commonly referred to by its order code in the United States, ZHP (the order code in Canada was ZAM). It was available for 330i sedans from model years 2003 to 2005, and available for 330ci coupés and convertibles from 2004 to 2006. It included various aesthetic changes over the regular 3 series, as well as functional and mechanical enhancements. The ZHP was equipped with sportier camshafts and revised engine tuning to increase power output from 225 to 235 hp (168 to 175 kW) as well as a shorter final drive gear ratio, and a corresponding increase in redline from 6,500 rpm to 6,800 rpm. Suspension was modified over the standard suspension with firmer springs and dampers, larger anti-roll bars, stronger front control arm ball joints, a lower ride height, heavy duty steering rack, and slightly more negative camber. Car and Driver magazine track-tested the car, which recorded a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time of 5.6 seconds and a 1/4 mile time of 14.3 seconds. M3cd 2-door coupé (E46 Coupé), produced from December 2004 to May 2006. 102 examples built. This Performance Package was only sold in Germany and there were only 102 unites sold. Car had a same body as E46 M3, and It was equipped with tuned BMW M57N 3.0d diesel engine with redline to 5000RPM, but stationary RPM was limited to 3200 RPM. Production Years: 2004–2006 102 units only 325i SULEV. In some parts of the United States, BMW sold a version of the 325i which met the super ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) emissions standards. California, New York, and Massachusetts received the SULEV E46's in 2003, and Vermont in 2004. They utilised a variant of the M54 engine named the BMW M56. The M56 meets SULEV stand

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

Manufacturer

BMW

name

BMW 3 Series (E46)

Production

December 1997 – November 2006

Model years

1998–2006

Assembly

Germany: Leipzig; Munich; Regensburg, South Africa: Rosslyn (BMW SA), China: Shenyang (BBA), Mexico: Toluca (BMW Mexico), Russia: Kaliningrad (Avtotor), Indonesia: Jakarta (Gaya Motor), Malaysia: Shah Alam (AMIM), Egypt: 6th of October City (BAG)

Designer

Chris Bangle, Wolfgang Reitzle (sedan), Erik Goplen (coupe, convertible, station wagon)

Class

Compact executive car (D)

Body style

2-door coupé, 2-door convertible, 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, Front-engine, all-wheel-drive ("xi/xd" sedan/wagon models only)

Related

BMW M3 (E46), BMW 3 Series Compact (E46/5), BMW Z4 (E85), BMW X3 (E83), Alpina B3 E46

Engine

Petrol:, 1.6–2.0 L M43/N42/N46 I4, 2.0–3.2 L M52TÜ/M54/M56/S54 I6, Diesel:, 2.0 L M47 I4, 2.9–3.0 L M57 I6

Transmission

5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed automatic, 6 speed SMG-II

Wheelbase

2725 mm

Length

4470 mm (sedan), 4480 mm (wagon), 4490 mm (coupe/convertible)

Width

1740 mm (sedan/wagon), 1760-1780 mm (coupe/convertible)

Height

1410 - (sedan/wagon), 1360-1370 mm (coupe/convertible)

Kerb weight

1285 - (sedan), 1365 - (wagon), 1285 - (coupe), 1465 - (convertible)

Predecessor

BMW 3 Series (E36)

Successor

BMW 3 Series (E90)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q756792CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E46)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377537706 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BMW320i_E46_Lim.jpgCC BY-SA 2.5 · Photo: André Karwath aka Aka · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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