BMW 320Si Limited Edition

BMW Have Celebrated Their FIA World Touring Car Championship Win By Launching A Limited Edition Roadgoing Version Of The Car They Hope Will Retain The Title. Steve Ghosley Takes A Look At BMWs 320Si.

Having won the FIA World Touring Car Championship as Team BMW UK did last year, its appropriate and fitting that the company should celebrate the achievement by launching a limited edition celebration model.

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In this case, its a roadgoing version of the car they hope will retain the title in 2006, christened the 320Si. New Champion Andy Priaulx is the first British FIA World Champion since Damon Hill in 1996 and clinched the title in his BMW 320Si at the demanding street-based Guia circuit in Macau, China during the final round of the 2005 Championship. That was in a old-shape 3 Series saloon: Priaulx will of course be defending his title in a new-shape version, which isnt as far removed as you might think from the roadgoing limited edition 320Si version we look at here. If exclusivity is a major attribute of the car you drive, then this particular BMW 3 Series should certainly appeal. Designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, only 500 320Sis will be allocated to the UK out of a worldwide production run of 2,600. The car features a hand-built four-cylinder engine made at BMWs engine plant at Hams Hall, near Coventry.

It is a high revving 2.0-litre unit that delivers 173bhp at 7,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 4,250rpm. This results in performance figures of 8.1 seconds from 0 to 62mph and a top speed of 140mph.

Fuel consumption is good, with this race bred machine delivering a highly acceptable 31.7 mpg on a combined cycle. The engine also conforms to EU4 emission regulations. The price - around £25,000 - is £3,500 more than the starting price of the standard 320i saloon but you are getting an exclusive race-bred car for the additional cash.

The four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol unit has been significantly modified, with larger induction and exhaust valves to increase airflow. The cylinder bore has also been increased by 1mm to 85mm, while the stroke has been reduced by 2mm to 88mm. The compression ratio of the engine has also been increased from 10.

5:1 to 11.0:1 helping to boost the power by 23bhp over the standard 320i. Additionally, special aluminium-alloy cylinder liners have replaced the standard grey-cast-iron liners in the cylinder block. The BMW engineers have also decided to replace the Valvetronic technology that involves a complex electrically-powered valve lifting system in favour of the conventional throttle butterflies due to the higher engine speeds demanded by racing engines.

"If exclusivity is a major attribute of the car you drive, then this BMW 320Si should appeal"

Attention to detail is everything you would expect from BMWs Motorsport programme, with the cylinder head being cast at their Landshut foundry where their Formula one engine blocks are also made. For example, to save weight and reduce the cars centre of gravity, the cylinder head cover has been made of carbon fibre. The standard specification of the 320Si is based on the 3 Series M Sport model and includes front and rear aerodynamic body styling, sports seats, sports suspension and interior aluminium trim. The BMW 320Si also features Touring Car-style alloy wheels with BMW Motorsport motifs.

The front wheels are 8J x 18 fitted with 225/40 R18 tyres, with the rear having 8.5J x 18 wheels and 255/35 R18 tyres. Inside, BMW have used their experience from five generations of 3-Series to create an interior with true style. The standard car features a single binnacle housing the classic twin circular dials for speed and rpm.

If you opt for either of the satellite navigation systems, you will also inherit BMWs iDrive system with the controller set in the centre console and the display screen mounted in the middle of the dashboard. The designers have angled the dashboard by four degrees towards the driver, giving a cosseted feeling and ensuring that all the controls are readily to hand. The iDrive is still not a system that is totally convincing in this environment and for many, the jury is still out. Safety has become a big selling point in less prestigious models than this 320Si but BMW are well up to speed here and have included six airbags as well as the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system as standard.

The DSC system, using yaw and steering information, links the traction control and stability systems into one homogenous unit. They work in harmony with each other to keep this 3-Series totally under control, even under the harshest of conditions. The BMW 320Si is a pretty unique vehicle and will appeal to those with a sporting inclination. The attention to detail applied to this car and the pedigree of BMWs Motorsport division should ensure that it meets all expectations.

Including the retention of a pretty prestigious title

Facts At A Glance
CAR: BMW 320Si saloon
PRICE: £25,000 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 16 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 178g/km [est]
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 140mph / 0-62mph 8.1sec
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 31.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, twin front side airbags, twin ITS side window airbags / ABS brakes
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4520/1817/1424mm