1 6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 22, 2006 Continued from page 13 Both feature a 3.0-litre inline six -- yes, the `25' part in the 325i name no longer refers to engine size -- but the 330i has a three-stage induction system that helps it breathe better, to the tune of 255 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque, versus 215 hp and 185 in the 325i. Both engines benefit in the power and fuel economy departments from Valvetronic (7-derived), BMW's vari able valve timing system, and both require premium fuel. Before you think the 3 Series is just,a shrink-wrapped version of the larger BMW sedans, complete with technological hand-me-downs, there is plenty of new ground broken with this car. Dubbed E90 internally, the chassis and architecture is all new to create a stiffer, more solid feeling car, with a major side benefit of improved handling via a new 5-link rear sus pension system, a revised front sus pension as well as a new generation of BMW's Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). The new DSC offers a handy hillholding feature that prevents roll back during takeoffs on uphill inclines, for both manual and auto matic cars, and worked beautifully B M W g iv e s d riv e rs a w o rld o f James Bond back new te c h n o lo g y o p tio n s with Aston Martin for Casino Royale during a day of driving in and around Pittsburgh. Helping decrease emergency stop ping distances is the braking standby feature, which recognizes a quick lift off the gas to mean a stab at the brakes is likely coming, and again gets the pads clgse to the disc to decrease the am ount of time between brake pedal slamming and actual brake pad biting. Speaking of safety, standard on all 3 Series now are run-flat tires, rid ding the car of the extra weight of a spare tire, and allowing the driver extra peace of mind. There's also a new curtain airbag design for front and rear passengers. In the U.S., a Sirius satellite radio system comes standard on all 3s, and a Sirius representative-at the event confirmed that Sirius and its 162 dig ital stations are slated to reach the Canadian market this fall, pending CRTC approval. The big question for the new 3 Series is how does it drive? In a word, brilliantly. Steering The regular steering system whis pers information constantly from the road to the driver, although it might Aston Martin has announced James Bond, the legendary British secret agent, will drive one of its models in the next 007 film, Casino Royale to be produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for Eon Productions. Daniel Craig, who will play James Bond in the film, which is due to be released in November 2006 by R ising to the challenge MGM/Sony, visited the Aston Martin headquarters in It now makes significantly more Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Friday to view the featured car. power than its main German rivals While there he met Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, from Mercedes-Benz and Audi, Dr Ulrich Bez>. and members of the workforce and also took although the Infiniti G35 is still out the opportunity to take a short test drive. put king in this group. In the true tradition of Bond, full details of the car to be With all the focus on making this used in 'CASINO ROYALE' are being kept top secret but the new 3 Series a true driver's machine, company did confirm that it would be a new model called it's not surprising BMW has come up the Aston Martin DBS. with a beautifully balanced package. Dr Ulrich Bez said "It is great news that Bond will drive Of course, iDrive seems to distract, an Aston Martin again and we have built him something from these sublime responses, espe special to enable him to do his job in style." cially in the manual version, and is The association with the marque began in 1964 with the not as film Goldfinger when the DB5 was fitted with 'optional ' user-friendly as the standard extras' such as ejector seats and rockets. The last Bond setup. But three grand will buy a pile film, 'Die Another Day', featured Aston Martin's flagship of maps to go twisty road hunting. model, the Vanquish. feel heavy at parking speeds if you're used to pinky-twirl lightness. They've m aintained the incredibly solid, Germanic feel to the ride, while the rear-wheeldrive system works closely with the DSC to allow progressively increased wheel slip when you're having fun, and can be turned off totally if you're stuck in snow or on a track. 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