NEW CARS

2027 BMW 3 Series Revealed

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BMW has revealed the eighth-generation 3 Series, bringing a new generation of petrol-powered executive saloon designed to sit alongside the fully electric BMW i3. Leading the range is the new BMW M350 xDrive, which produces 437bhp and can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.1sec.

The new BMW 3 Series is scheduled to arrive in the UK in early 2027, with production beginning in November. The saloon will launch first, followed by a BMW 3 Series Touring estate later in 2027.

Although the new 3 Series and i3 share BMW’s latest design language and much of their electronic architecture, the two cars are built on fundamentally different platforms. The electric i3 uses BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture, while the combustion-engined 3 Series continues with an evolution of the company’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform.

That distinction is significant because BMW is attempting to make its petrol, hybrid and electric models feel increasingly like members of the same family rather than separate generations of technology.

BMW M350 xDrive becomes the new 3 Series performance flagship

The headline model at launch is the BMW M350 xDrive, priced from £66,785 in the UK.

Under its bonnet is a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six petrol engine supported by a small electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. Combined output is 437bhp and 428lb ft of torque.

The petrol engine itself produces 420bhp and 388lb ft, while the integrated electric motor contributes an additional 17bhp.

That represents a substantial step forward compared with the outgoing BMW M340i xDrive. The previous model developed 369bhp and 369lb ft, meaning the new M350 gains 68bhp and 59lb ft.

BMW says the M350 xDrive can accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.1sec, while its top speed is electronically restricted to 155mph.

Interestingly, the petrol-powered M350 xDrive is actually quicker to 62mph than the more powerful four-wheel-drive BMW i3 50 xDrive. The electric model produces 463bhp and 476lb ft from its two electric motors, but requires 4.7sec to reach 62mph.

The difference comes down largely to weight, with the combustion-engined 3 Series carrying considerably less mass.

The M350 therefore occupies an interesting position in BMW’s performance line-up. It is more powerful than the previous-generation M3 and, at least in straight-line acceleration, gets close to the performance offered by the range-topping electric i3.

A new version of BMW’s xDrive four-wheel-drive system is also introduced, with a Drift Moment function scheduled to become available during 2027. The system will be capable of sending the engine’s power exclusively to the rear wheels, giving the M350 a more playful rear-drive character when conditions and circumstances allow.

The M350 will remain the most performance-focused version of the new 3 Series until the arrival of the next-generation full BMW M3.

New BMW 320 expected to be the UK volume seller

While the M350 xDrive grabs the headlines, BMW expects the rear-wheel-drive 320 to account for the majority of UK sales.

Priced from £44,975, the BMW 320 uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance.

It produces 208bhp and 243lb ft and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW quotes a 0-62mph time of 7.4sec and a top speed of 149mph.

A 318 with 154bhp and 184lb ft will also be offered in European markets, although the exact UK range will be more restricted.

Diesel versions remain part of the broader European 3 Series line-up, but they are unlikely to return to Britain after BMW withdrew diesel versions from the UK market in 2024.

A plug-in hybrid version is also planned and will arrive in 2027, adding another powertrain option to BMW’s increasingly diversified 3 Series range.

BMW 3 Series adopts Neue Klasse-inspired styling

Although the new petrol-powered BMW 3 Series does not use the Neue Klasse platform, its styling has been heavily influenced by the electric i3.

BMW has created a much closer visual relationship between its combustion-engined and electric models. The new 3 Series features a broad horizontal front-end graphic incorporating the traditional BMW kidney grille and twin headlights.

The result is a more unified appearance across BMW’s next generation of cars.

The new car also adopts flush-fitting door handles, traditional cab-back proportions, pronounced rear haunches and slim horizontal rear lights.

The dimensions have increased slightly compared with the outgoing G20-generation 3 Series.

The new combustion-engined 3 Series measures:

  • Length: 4,765mm
  • Width: 1,850mm
  • Height: 1,455mm
  • Wheelbase: 2,880mm

It is therefore 52mm longer than its predecessor, while the wheelbase has increased by 9mm.

The electric BMW i3 is subtly different in its proportions. It is slightly shorter but 15mm wider and 25mm taller, while its wheelbase is also marginally longer.

Despite the differences beneath the skin, the visual similarities between the two models are deliberate. BMW wants customers to immediately recognise both cars as members of the same 3 Series family.

M350 xDrive gets distinctive exterior details

BMW has given the M350 xDrive several visual features designed to distinguish it from the standard 3 Series range.

The performance model gets distinctive yellow daytime running lights, a subtle boot-lid spoiler and four exhaust tailpipes.

Customers choosing less powerful versions can still give their cars a more aggressive appearance through BMW’s M Sport packages.

The M Sport package adds redesigned bumpers, side skirts and a rear diffuser, along with blue M Sport brake callipers.

The M Sport Pro package takes the visual treatment further, adding black mirror caps, a black rear spoiler and red M Sport brakes.

This means the new 3 Series can be configured with a relatively understated appearance or given a much more aggressive look without stepping up to the M350.

BMW focuses heavily on chassis improvements

The biggest changes to the new 3 Series are not necessarily visible from outside.

BMW has extensively reworked the chassis, giving the petrol-powered model its own front suspension geometry and a revised five-link rear suspension.

The rear suspension also benefits from increased wheel camber, while BMW has stiffened the chassis mounting points and revised the anti-roll-bar mounting arrangement.

The objective is to improve the car’s combination of steering response, body control, ride comfort and high-speed stability.

Adaptive suspension will be available as an option, as will adaptive M suspension. Both systems use electronically controlled dampers capable of continuously adjusting their response at each wheel.

The changes should help the new 3 Series retain the dynamic character that has traditionally been central to BMW’s compact executive saloon, while accommodating the changing requirements of modern electrified powertrains.

BMW 3 Series and i3 take different technical routes

The most interesting aspect of the new BMW 3 Series is perhaps what lies beneath its familiar body.

The petrol model continues to use BMW’s CLAR architecture, while the electric i3 is built on the company’s Neue Klasse platform.

That means BMW has not simply converted the electric platform to accept an internal-combustion engine. Instead, the two cars have been engineered independently while being brought significantly closer together in terms of styling, interior presentation and electronic architecture.

This approach allows BMW to maintain combustion-engine technology while simultaneously accelerating its electric-car programme.

It also gives the company a way to keep the 3 Series name relevant across different powertrain technologies.

New BMW 3 Series Touring coming later in 2027

The new 3 Series will initially be launched as a saloon, with UK deliveries scheduled for early 2027.

A BMW 3 Series Touring estate will follow later in the year, continuing one of the most important body styles in the model’s history.

The Touring is likely to broaden the appeal of the new generation significantly, particularly among buyers looking for the driving characteristics of a BMW 3 Series combined with additional luggage capacity and everyday practicality.

Source: BMW

CONCEPT CARS

Opel STX Concept First Photos

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Opel has released the first images of its upcoming Opel Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept, officially shortened to Opel STX Concept, offering the first glimpse of a radical new estate car that previews the German brand’s future design direction.

Revealed only a week after Opel announced the concept’s name, the first teaser images highlight the car’s precise surfacing, distinctive lighting elements and highly aerodynamic bodywork. More importantly, the Opel STX Concept provides an early look at the next evolution of the company’s Bold & Pure design philosophy and the future development of the Opel Vizor.

Opel STX Concept takes the estate car in a new direction

Opel has a long history with estate cars in Europe, dating back to the 1950s. The STX Concept is intended to reinterpret that heritage for a new generation, combining the practicality associated with an estate body style with a much more expressive and aerodynamic design.

“We were pioneers of the estate in Europe as early as the 1950s. With the STX Concept, we want to show our vision for the future of this body style and introduce the next step of our ‘Bold & Pure’ design philosophy,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

The company has not yet revealed full technical specifications, dimensions or details about the powertrain, but the initial images suggest that aerodynamic performance and visual efficiency will play a major role in the concept’s design.

New Opel Vizor gets a sharper look

Perhaps the most significant design detail revealed so far is the next evolution of the Opel Vizor front fascia.

The familiar design element appears substantially more dramatic on the STX Concept, with a new lighting signature built around precisely positioned vertical, slanted lamellas. The arrangement gives the front end a more technical appearance while maintaining the visual identity established by the current generation of Opel models.

At the centre of the front end remains the illuminated Opel Blitz emblem, integrated into the brand’s signature Opel Compass design.

The combination of the illuminated logo, slim lighting elements and expanded Vizor treatment suggests that Opel is looking to make its future models instantly recognisable without relying on traditional grille designs.

Aerodynamics become a central part of the design

The Opel STX Concept is also being developed around aerodynamic efficiency. Opel says the concept will explore new solutions designed not only to reduce energy consumption but also to improve directional stability and driving pleasure at high speeds.

That is particularly relevant for an estate car designed with the German Autobahn in mind. Rather than treating aerodynamics purely as a way to lower drag, Opel says the STX Concept will use aerodynamic features to influence the vehicle’s high-speed behaviour as well.

One of the most visible examples is the concept’s striking three-section alloy wheel design. The wheels have been shaped with aerodynamic efficiency in mind, helping to reduce turbulence around the vehicle while giving the concept a distinctive appearance.

This approach reflects a broader industry trend in which designers are increasingly integrating aerodynamic optimisation directly into the visual identity of electric and electrified vehicles.

A preview of Opel’s next design chapter

Although Opel has released only a limited amount of information, the STX Concept already appears to represent more than a styling exercise. The combination of a practical estate-car silhouette, aggressive aerodynamics and a redesigned Vizor could provide important clues about the direction Opel intends to take with future production vehicles.

The concept also reinforces the importance of the estate body style at a time when many manufacturers have shifted their focus toward SUVs and crossovers. Opel’s decision to use an estate as a platform for demonstrating its future design philosophy suggests the company still sees significant potential in the format.

For now, Opel is keeping the most important details under wraps. The company has promised to reveal more information about the STX Concept soon, meaning additional details about its technology, interior, dimensions and potential powertrain should follow.

The Opel STX Concept therefore serves as an early statement of intent: a futuristic estate combining Opel’s traditional practicality with a sharper interpretation of the brand’s Bold & Pure design language, a more advanced Vizor front end and a strong focus on aerodynamic performance.

Opel STX Concept: What we know so far

  • Full name: Opel Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept
  • Short name: Opel STX Concept
  • Body style: Sports Tourer / estate concept
  • Design philosophy: Next-generation Opel Bold & Pure
  • Front design: Evolved Opel Vizor
  • Lighting: Vertical slanting lamella signature
  • Brand identity: Illuminated Opel Blitz within the Opel Compass
  • Aerodynamics: Designed to improve efficiency and high-speed stability
  • Wheels: Aerodynamically optimised three-section alloy wheels
  • Production status: Concept vehicle
  • Full technical specifications: Yet to be announced

Source: Stellantis

Auctions

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille Sets Auction Record at $5.44 Million

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A rare 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille has become the most expensive Veyron ever sold at public auction, changing hands for 4,505,000 Swiss francs—approximately $5.44 million.

The record-breaking sale took place at the RM Sotheby’s auction in Zurich on September 26, where bidding lasted less than three minutes before the hammer finally fell. The result dramatically exceeded the car’s pre-auction estimate of $2.62 million to $3.05 million.

The final price was approximately 61 percent above the upper estimate and around $2.35 million higher than the previous auction record for a Bugatti Veyron.

A $5.44 Million Bugatti Veyron

The car in question is not an ordinary Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. It is one of just three examples of the Jean-Pierre Wimille Edition, making it one of the rarest derivatives of Bugatti’s legendary hypercar.

RM Sotheby’s had expected the 2014 Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille to attract significant interest, but the final result went well beyond those expectations. At 4,505,000 Swiss francs, the car established a new benchmark for the entire Veyron family at public auction.

The previous record was held by the one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu, which sold in 2024. The Wimille Edition has now surpassed that car’s result by approximately $2.35 million.

For a production-based hypercar that is now more than a decade old, a price above $5 million is remarkable. It also demonstrates how rarity, provenance, specification and condition can dramatically influence the value of modern collector cars.

One of Just Three Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille Editions

The most important factor behind the car’s extraordinary auction result is its rarity.

Bugatti produced only three examples of the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille. That puts the special edition in an entirely different category from the standard Grand Sport Vitesse, even though both cars share the same fundamental mechanical architecture.

The edition pays tribute to Jean-Pierre Wimille, the celebrated French racing driver and Bugatti factory driver. In 1937, Wimille became the first driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Bugatti.

The three Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille cars feature bespoke design elements inspired by Wimille and his racing career, giving the limited-run hypercars a level of historical significance that goes beyond their performance figures.

For collectors, that combination of extremely limited production and direct motorsport heritage is particularly valuable.

Just 3,766 Kilometers From New

The record-breaking Veyron had another important advantage: exceptionally low mileage.

Since leaving the Bugatti factory in 2014, the car had covered only 3,766 kilometers. For a ten-year-old-plus hypercar of this caliber, such mileage is exceptionally low.

Veyrons have increasingly become collector cars rather than machines used regularly on public roads. Many examples spend much of their lives in private collections, and the lowest-mileage cars can command significant premiums when they eventually appear on the market.

In this case, the combination of just 3,766 kilometers and a three-car production run made the Wimille Edition particularly compelling to prospective buyers.

1,183 HP From a Quad-Turbo W16

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse remains one of the most technically significant hypercars of the modern era.

At the heart of the car is Bugatti’s legendary 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine, producing 1,183 horsepower. Power is delivered through an all-wheel-drive system, allowing the Veyron to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds.

Its top speed is approximately 409 km/h, placing the Grand Sport Vitesse among the fastest production cars of its era.

Those numbers helped establish the Veyron as a technological milestone, but today’s collectors are increasingly interested in the car for another reason: its place in automotive history.

The Veyron effectively established Bugatti as one of the defining names of the modern hypercar era, combining enormous power with levels of engineering complexity and luxury previously unseen in a road-going production car.

Why the Wimille Edition Is Different

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse was already an exclusive machine, but the Jean-Pierre Wimille Edition adds another layer of collectability.

With only three examples built, it is considerably rarer than the regular Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. More importantly, its connection to one of Bugatti’s most significant racing drivers gives the car a direct link to the marque’s pre-war motorsport history.

That historical connection is important in the collector-car market. A hypercar can be valuable because of its performance, but cars associated with significant people, races or moments in a manufacturer’s history can acquire a different kind of appeal.

The Wimille Edition combines all of those factors: extreme performance, extremely limited production, low mileage and significant Bugatti racing heritage.

The Veyron Is Becoming a Major Collector Car

The $5.44 million result is another indication that exceptional Veyrons are moving into a different phase of their lives.

When the Veyron arrived in the early 2000s, its headline figures dominated the automotive world. A 1,000-plus-horsepower W16, four turbochargers and a top speed beyond 400 km/h made it one of the most technically ambitious production cars ever built.

Today, however, the most desirable Veyrons are increasingly being judged not only by their performance but also by their rarity, specification, mileage and provenance.

The record for the Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille illustrates this shift particularly well. This was not simply a sale of an older hypercar. It was the sale of one of only three examples of a historically significant Bugatti special edition.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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