We're Less Than A Week Away From BMW Unveiling The New 3 Series

Even with some sitting it out, there'll still be dozens of automakers attending the Paris Auto Show next week. Among them will be BMW, which has a raft of new machinery to unveil for the first time. Yet, none will be as vital as the new 3 Series, which will be making its public debut at the European expo.

The debut of the seventh-generation compact sports sedan is scheduled for Tuesday, October 2 at 9 a.m. Central European Time – 4 a.m. on the East Coast of the United States, or 1 a.m. Pacific.

Since this is such a big reveal, there'll be a full display on the car's design and tech, along with remarks by an array of top executives and engineers. Little wonder, considering how vital the 3 Series is to BMW.

Even in the crossover-hungry United States, the compact sedan accounted for over one in every six Bimmers sold last month. "The BMW 3 Series Sedan is the Munich-based premium carmaker's most successful model range worldwide," notes the manufacturer, "and embodies the core of the BMW brand."

Of course the 3 won't be the only new metal the German carmaker will have on display in Paris this year. Also set for their motor-show debuts will be the new Z4 roadster, 8 Series coupe, X5 crossover, and M5 Competition sedan. But it'll be the 3 Series that will command the lion's share of attention. And rightfully so, not only for its own sake, but for all the variants that will stem from its arrival – including additional bodystyles, a new M3 performance model, and a new 4 Series as well.