BMW 335i Coupe CAR review

A new engine for the ubiquitous 3-series?

A new body too. This is the coupe version of the 3-series saloon that hit showrooms in 2005. But BMW wanted to create a big bang for the launch of the two-door, so it decided to unveil its new twin-turbo straight six at the same time.

Wasn't BMW a pioneer of turbocharging road cars?

Buick and Chevrolet got there first in the 1960s but the 2002 Turbo was the first of its kind in Europe and BMW used knowledge gained on that project to take Nelson Piquet to the 1983 F1 championship. His Brabham used a blown 1.5-litre BMW engine that would go on to kick out a monstrous 1500bhp in its ultimate form. The company's last dalliance with petrol turbo road cars was the Europe-only 745i, which used a turbocharged six to provide the performance of a much bigger engine after BMW decided to shelve its V12 project in the 1970s. The new 335i follows a similar thought path.