Powertrain families
M30 inline-six
New Six (E3) — Sedan
1968–1977
Editorially reviewedReviewed 2026-08-10; market and model-year scope is stated in the record sources.
- Internal code
- E3
- Production
- 1968–1977
- Body style
- 4-door sedan
- Platform
- historic BMW platform · model-specific layout
Body variants
New Six → E3 → Sedan
New Six E3: history, design and engineering
How this generation came about, what made it different and how the selected sedan fits into the family.
The E3 New Six returned BMW to the large luxury-sedan class in 1968. It introduced the M30 overhead-cam straight-six in 2.5- and 2.8-litre form, with a driver-focused cabin, fully independent suspension and the twin-headlamp front treatment that became a long-running BMW visual theme.
The sedan range expanded through carburetted and fuel-injected 3.0-litre models and later 3.3-litre flagships. The L and Li suffixes identify a wheelbase extended by roughly 100 mm, not an equipment package; these long-wheelbase cars therefore require a separate body branch.
Although contemporary sources sometimes call the whole family New Six, E3 denotes the four-door sedans. The related E9 coupes used shortened and reworked underpinnings, shared M30 powertrains and components, but had separate Karmann-built pillarless bodies and production records.
1968–1977generation lifecycle
1body branches
1engine/drive families
7range designations
E3factory code
historic BMW platform · model-specific layoutarchitecture
Sedan: dimensions and packaging
Dimensions can change with body, market and model year, so this page keeps them tied to the exact factory branch.
Length4,700–4,900 mm
Width1,750 mm
Height1,450 mm
Wheelbase2,692–2,862 mm
Luggage≈ 600 L
Fuel tank70 L
Seats5
Doors4-door sedan
| Body | Code | Production | Doors / seats | Length | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | E3 | 1968–1977 | 4-door sedan / 5 | 4,700–4,900 mm | ≈ 600 L |
Engines and powertrains
The generation could span very different engines and drivetrains. The table keeps output, gearbox, market and production period together.
Factory modification matrix
Documented sedan applications; output and availability remain market- and model-year-specific.
| Model | Years | Engine | Output | Transmission | Drive | Market | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2500 | 1968–1977 | M30B25 inline-six | 150 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| 2800 | 1968–1971 | M30B28 inline-six | 170 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| 2.8 L | 1975–1977 | M30B28 inline-six | 170 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Europe | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| 3.0 S / 3.0 L | 1971–1977 | M30B30 inline-six · carburettors | 180 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| 3.0 Si / 3.0 Li | 1971–1977 | M30B30 inline-six · fuel injection | 200 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| 3.3 L / 3.3 Li | 1974–1977 | M30B33 inline-six | 190–200 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Europe | BMW New Six Sedan (E3) |
| Bavaria / 2800Bav / 3.0SBav | 1971–1976 | M30 2.8/3.0 L inline-six | 170–180 hp · model-year dependent | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | North America | BMW 3.0 S (E3) |
Factory designations
2500 · 2800 · 2.8 L · 3.0 S · 3.0 Si · 3.3 L · 3.3 Li
Petrol engines
Inline and V engines are grouped by engine family, displacement, induction system and emissions specification.
Diesel derivatives
Where diesels were offered, output, injection generation and emissions hardware are recorded market by market.
How power reaches the road
Gearboxes, driven wheels and final-drive hardware changed with engine, market and production date.
Transmissions
Gearbox type and unit code follow engine, market and production date. Gear count alone does not identify the transmission.
Driven wheels
Catalog architecture: historic BMW platform · model-specific layout. All-wheel-drive availability and hardware remain derivative-specific.
Final drive
Ratio, differential type and electronic control belong to the exact derivative and can differ on performance models.
What changed underneath
Suspension, brakes, safety systems and electronics evolved across the range, even when cars shared the same basic architecture.
Body-branch dimensions
- E3: 4,700–4,900 mm × 1,750 mm × 1,450 mm
Body & suspension
- Mounting points and geometry follow the body branch
- Springs and dampers follow axle load and chassis package
- Wheels and permitted loads follow the factory label
Brakes & steering
- Brake size follows engine and equipment
- Assistance type and steering ratio can change
- ABS/DSC generation follows model year
Passive safety
- Airbag count varies by market and year
- SRS parts are VIN-specific
- Structural repairs require factory procedures
Electronics
- Vehicle-bus generations changed during production
- Control-unit software levels must remain compatible
- Retrofits are recorded separately from factory equipment
How the generation evolved
The important launches, additions and updates did not always happen at the same time for every body or market.
2500 and 2800
BMW re-entered the large-sedan class with the new M30 straight-six and E3 body.
Three-litre range
3.0 S and fuel-injected 3.0 Si derivatives broadened the upper end of the range.
Long-wheelbase 3.3 L
The enlarged flagship made the extended-wheelbase body a distinct E3 branch.
7 Series succession
E3 production ended as the E23 introduced the 7 Series name.
The versions that stood apart
Performance models, option packages and regional editions may look related, but their engineering and production identity can be very different.
Sedan
E3New Six E3 is a distinct E3 body branch. The conventional four-door passenger-car body, balancing rear-seat access, luggage space and the generation’s core chassis layout. Engines/drive: M30 inline-six.
Inside the car
Cabin technology and standard equipment changed by country and year; a build sheet remains the best guide to one individual car.
Cabin & comfort
- Trim and seats follow option codes
- Climate systems vary by market
- Audio and navigation changed by model year
Lighting & assistance
- Lamp technology and modules follow production date
- Driver assistance cannot be inferred from buttons alone
- Regional rules affect lighting and warnings
What to check today
A practical starting point for inspecting and maintaining a car from this generation — not a diagnosis of an individual example.
Identify first
- Match VIN on body and documents
- Obtain the factory option list
- Confirm market and production date
Inspect the structure
- Check repairs and corrosion
- Assess suspension, brakes and tyres
- Compare fitted parts with factory specification
Mechanical history
- Read faults with compatible diagnostics
- Verify engine and transmission maintenance
- Separate invoices from unsupported verbal history
| Item | Interval / trigger | Catalog note |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | CBS/factory schedule; time and mileage for historic cars | Oil approval follows the exact engine and market. |
| Brake fluid | Time-based factory schedule | ABS/DSC-compatible bleeding procedure is required after hydraulic work. |
| Coolant | Factory schedule and condition | Fluid specification and bleeding method are generation-specific. |
| Transmission & final drives | Unit type and operating conditions | Use the exact approved fluid; no one interval fits every derivative. |
How to identify the exact car
The badge and registration year tell only part of the story; production date, body code, engine and factory options complete it.
- Factory body codes
- E3 — Sedan
- Range designations
- 2500, 2800, 2.8 L, 3.0 S, 3.0 Si, 3.3 L, 3.3 Li
- Powertrain families
- M30 inline-six
- VIN
- Identifies model, plant and production branch and keys the parts catalog and factory equipment record.
- Production date
- More useful than first-registration year when choosing parts and locating technical revisions.
- Type code
- Refines engine, body, market and transmission combination.
- Option codes
- Confirm factory equipment; later retrofits are recorded separately.
- Unit number
- Supports engine or gearbox originality checks and component applicability.
Where the information comes from
The story is mapped through English Wikipedia and its bibliography, then important dates and technical claims are checked against BMW material.
- 01BMW New SixWikipedia contributors
Secondary development, nomenclature, engines and E3/E9 relationship.
- 02BMW Large Sedan (E3)BMW Group Archive
Factory-archive model-series scope, displacement range and relationship to E23.
Notes and limitations
- Research revision dated 2026-08-10: English Wikipedia was used as a subject and bibliography map; key claims were checked against the listed primary BMW Group material.
- The current body tree has only a standard sedan. Research confirms that L/Li models need a distinct long-wheelbase E3 route with their own image and dimensions.
- The Bavaria/2800Bav/3.0SBav naming is recorded as a North American modification row; its emissions and output figures must not be used as global E3 specifications.
- Tree years describe the worldwide generation lifecycle; individual market dates may be narrower.
- Exact dimensions, power, weight and emissions belong at body, engine, market and model-year level.
- Known-issue guidance is editorial context and never replaces inspection of the individual vehicle.
2 primary references · market differences documentedPhotography: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Rights checked 2026-08-06; wikimedia commons 1,800 px derivative downloaded; local 640 px and 1,280 px avif versions created without cropping.Updated 6 August 2026