BMW Launches 3-Series 50th Anniversary Edition

BMW’s 3 Series is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the first market to receive a special version of the sports sedan is China. Called the 50 Years Edition, the limited model comes with two wheelbase options and a choice of petrol engine or electric drive.

The car features 19-inch wheels (developed specifically for the special 3 Series) and a subtle “50 Jahre” logo on the B-pillars, while inside the front headrests are embossed with the “3” logo. There’s also Alcantara, Sensatec (synthetic leather), and a red 12 o’clock mark on the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel.

The package includes matte Frozen Pure Gray and Thunder Night colors, which were not available in China. Chinese buyers can get this model as a 330i in standard and long-wheelbase configurations plus the electric version i3 eDrive40L.

The 330i 50 Years Edition is limited to 1,000 units, while its extended counterpart, the 330Li 50 Years Edition, is limited to 1,400 cars. The electric version is limited to just 100 units.

Both petrol versions have a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 245 hp and 400 Nm and accelerate to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. Both are rear-wheel drive and have an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The all-electric i3 eDrive40L has a single electric motor with 340 hp and 430 Nm and can reach 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. With a single charge of the 79.1 kWh battery, it can travel up to 592 km (according to CLTC standards).

With the launch of the special edition in China, BMW is celebrating another milestone. In addition to marking half a century since the launch of the E21 version in 1975, the Bavarians say that more than 20 million cars from the 3 Series line have been delivered to date.

The impressive figure includes all variants of the 3 Series, such as the estate, Gran Turismo, and the coupe and convertible models before they moved to the 4 Series. China also offers a long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series sedan, which is the basis for the all-electric i3, available exclusively in China.

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