New BMWs have the air of a champion

ALASTAIR SLOANE discovers breathtaking technology when BMW unveils its new models in Spain.

The four-cylinder engine in the new BMW Compact uses Valvetronic, a system which breathes as efficiently as Australian superstar swimmer Ian Thorpe.

Engineers for the luxury carmaker compare the function of the ground-breaking mechanical unit with the way humans breathe deeply for effort, shallower for less effort.

Valvetronic replaces the traditional butterfly throttle with a lever positioned between the camshaft and variable inlet valves. This lever serves to direct the fuel-air mix into the chamber for more efficient combustion.

The result, says BMW, is a 10 per cent saving in fuel and a leap in technology comparable to the changeover from carburettors to fuel injection.

"Human beings breathe in deeply when we need air," says the company. "But whenever we need less air we do not throttle the supply by closing our mouths.

"A throttle butterfly is comparable to a human being keeping his or her mouth or nose partially closed when breathing in. Valvetronic provides the optimum amount of air in the fuel mix all the time."

Two out of the three all-new Compacts were unveiled on the roads around the southern Spanish resort of Malaga on Wednesday. The first of the New Zealand-bound models, the 316ti, will go on sale in June. The 318ti, which will also use Valvetronic, and 325ti will follow.

Valvetronic is used in the 316ti for the moment only, but it will find its way into the next generation of four, six and eight-cylinder BMW engines.

BMW New Zealand will aim the new Compact at buyers of all ages as it seeks to sell more than 1000 cars for the first time this year. So far it is on track.

But first it has to sort out the badging of the two four-cylinder models because it is misleading. The 316ti is powered by a 1.8-litre engine and the 318ti by a 2-litre.

The 316 and 318 models have appeared in the 3-Series model lineup before, but BMW wants to avoid confusion over individual engines with the new Compact.

"We are looking at perhaps removing the badging," says marketing manager Mark McCutcheon. "It's an option open to us but we haven't decided yet."

One option BMW hopes will be available is an aggressive price. It would dearly like to introduce the 316ti at $39,995, a retail sticker of extraordinary appeal considering the Compact is so much better dynamically than the car it replaces.

But currency fluctuations between the New Zealand dollar and the deutschmark might mean the car comes in marginally more expensive.

Regardless of price, the 316ti is a driver's delight, offering class-leading dynamics and an interior design that is light years ahead of the old car.

Much of its driver appeal is down to the multi-link rear suspension borrowed from the 3-Series sedan, superb damping and communicative rack-and-pinion steering. The ride is nimble and comfortable, and the stiffer chassis and slightly longer wheelbase give the car an accuracy the old one lacked.

The ride in the bigger and more powerful six-cylinder 325ti was firmer, but the engine's torque effortlessly pulled the car along and the raspy exhaust note bounced off canyon walls.