There are probably even reclusive Tibetan tribesmen who need no introduction to the BMW 3-series. To Britain's car cognoscenti, this compact German saloon is nothing short of a legend. So any kind of prologue to this test seems so superfluous it's almost ridiculous. Over more than 35 years, 12 million 3-series have been sold worldwide. For BMW, the car has become business bedrock, brand talisman and spiritual standard bearer. For the competition, it is the benchmark compact exec, whose accomplishments they all hope to emulate. For everyone else, it remains the defining inspirational four-door - one of the clearest symbols of improving socio-economic status anywhere, drivable or otherwise.
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