The The 50 Jahre has a special set of forged 20-inch wheels and each of the six colours it comes in was inspired by a previous generation of the 3 Series. This is Avus Blue Metallic from the E36 generation that was sold from 1992-1998.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
BMW has been making the 3 Series for 50 years now, and the one I just drove – the 2026 M340i 50 Jahre (Year) edition – might be the best version yet.
While this is the last regular 3 Series before the i3 platform replaces it in 2027, we shouldn’t think of the 50 Jahre as a swan song. Instead, it gathers five decades of the best options into one package to remind drivers what has made the 3 Series one of the best driving sedans and the car that defines the brand.
The interior of the 2026 M340i 50 Jahre (Year) edition with merino leather.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The The 50 Jahre has a performance exhaust.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The 3 Series has sold more than 18 million copies, more than any other BMW model. For decades, before the introduction of the X1 and the 2 Series, it served as the entry point into the luxury brand, taking the best characteristics of the larger, more expensive 5 Series and condensed them into a smaller package with sharper handling and a sportier personality.
The current generation, which debuted in 2018, is nearing the end of its lifecycle. It will soon be replaced by the radically different Neue Klasse i3, the first 3 Series designed primarily as an electric vehicle.
Neue Klasse – German for New Class – represents BMW’s bid to reinvent its entire lineup, the second such time the brand has employed this strategy. The first occurred in 1961 when BMW unveiled the compact 1500 sedan at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It entered production a year later and saved the company from financial ruin.
The basic design of the 1500 sedan can be seen in nearly every BMW sedan made since, including the prominent kidney grilles and the Hofmeister kink.
1975 BMW 316 (E21)Courtesy of manufacturer
The interior of the 1975 BMW 316 (E21).Fabian Kirchbauer/Courtesy of manufacturer
The first-generation 3 Series (E21) launched in 1975 as a successor to the 1602 and 2002 Series – which were essentially shorter, two-door versions of that 1960s Neue Klasse sedan. Its best engine was an inline-six and the car featured a new cabin layout with the dashboard prominently angled toward the driver – a design signature BMW still uses today. More than a million copies of the E21 were sold, establishing the 3 Series as a resounding success.
Similarities from the first 3 Series can be found in the new M340i, including the Hofmeister kink on the rear quarter windows, a forward leaning stance, short overhangs and the angled dashboard, though it’s not quite as obvious.
The 2026 M340i is the 3 Series flagship and power still comes from an inline-six that’s now turbocharged and augmented by a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Power is a far cry from the 141 horsepower produced by the 323i in 1977, coming in at 386 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel it to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.3 seconds.
The 50 Jahre edition is essentially a 3 Series loaded with all the best options in the catalogue, including a special set of forged 20-inch wheels, a Merino leather interior, a performance exhaust, and 50 Jahre badging on the door sills, trunk lid and cupholder cover. There are six available colours, each inspired by a previous generation of the 3 Series. The one I drove was finished in Avus Blue Metallic, an iconic shade from the E36 generation that was sold from 1992-1998.
The true genius of the 3 Series is that it’s always been a proper driver’s car, offering an engaging chassis, sharp steering and eager engines. It is the type of car that goads you to take back roads home instead of the highway - a sports car disguised as a practical sedan with space for five people and a couple of suitcases.
The BMW E30 M3, which was the first-generation M3 produced from 1986 to 1991.Gudrun Muschalla/Courtesy of manufacturer
A 2018 BMW M3 CS.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
For customers who wanted more performance, the M3 – a track-focused version of the 3 Series – was unveiled in 1985 boasting fat fenders, a raucous 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and a five-speed manual transmission. Built to satisfy homologation rules so BMW could race in DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft), it set the tone for the M brand, quickly establishing it as the division’s most popular model.
Fifty years of evolution has introduced significant size and weight gain, with the current 3 Series being nearly as big and heavy as a 5 series from just a couple of generations ago. It’s more comfortable, luxurious and more efficient than the 2001 (E46) and the 2008 (E90) 3 Series that I owned. However, it is also more isolating and less engaging to drive.
2004 BMW E46 M3 CSLCourtesy of manufacturer
2026 BMW M2Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
In a way, the smaller 2 Series and M2 feel like a replacement for what the 3 Series used to be – especially the new M2 CS, which reminds me of the 2004 M3 CSL with its oversized duckbill trunk lid and angry character. Yet, regardless of the bloat, the current 3 Series remains the absolute benchmark for a sports sedan. It’s practical, able to sip fuel on the highway at a rate of 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres, and travel more than 800 kilometres on a single tank of gas.
This is all set to change with the arrival of the i3 next year, marking the first time the 3 Series family will include a model designed as an electric car that’s able to accommodate the current inline-six powertrain, which BMW has said it will continue to offer.
The next full-fat M3 will also be fully electric, with BMW promising a radically new experience that redefines what we consider performance.
Neue Klasse version 2.0 arrives not because of financial distress, but to usher in a new era of electrification and software-defined vehicles – charging forward despite headwinds in the North American market.
While the new i3 retains some of the exterior design cues introduced 50 years ago, underneath the skin it bears little resemblance to the current generation of 3 Series.