Although the 3 series is a fine car and continues to be the benchmark in sports sedans, it is apparent to most of us that it has grown too large. I recently parked my 335 next to a older generation 5-series and I swear my car was bigger. In reality we are all driving 5 series cars now.
It is interesting to me that BMW doesn't realize that they left a void in the wake of the 3 series getting bigger and heavier. Yes, I know there is a 1 series, but it is kind of ugly and lacks availability for the models that we want. The 1M was a good start, but with a limited production run all they created is a hysteria for a collector car. You can't find any used ones for under $60k and for that money you really should buy an M3 instead. It's not necessarily what I want (too heavy), but it is a better car for the money.
Also, the fact that a lot of purists are willing to spend $20k,$30k or in some cases even $40k for a classic E30 M3 speaks volumes.
BMW! Build a sub 3000lbs car, with ~300bhp and forget to fill all the other stupid little market segments nobody cares for.
