19 hp difference in performance between the entry-level and top model
When BMW introduced the new three-series (E21) in 1975, three models with three different engines were presented, which could hardly be distinguished from each other in terms of performance. The 316 had 90 hp, the 318 98 hp and the 320 109 hp. In other words, there was a 19 hp difference between the most basic and the most expensive model.
But there was also the 320i and the 323i, wasn't there? That's right, but only a little later and even then the end of the line was at 143 hp, so the most powerful model was around 58 percent more powerful than the base model.
And today? In the three (G20), the power range currently extends from 156 to 374 hp (excluding the M3). In the Audi A4 (B9), it starts at 150 hp and ends at 450 hp (RS4). Today, a factor of 2.5 to 3 is the order of the day, which presumably has an impact on the basic design.
It should also be added that even the smallest three or A4 accelerates just as well as a 323i in 1978, and the top speed is the end of the line for the old BMW. However, this is unlikely to bother any owner of a classic 323i, because the joy of driving has not necessarily increased with the constant further development, at least not if you still like shifting gears yourself ...
