SIX PACK
The second-generation 3-Series and Mercedes’ first compact saloon are often considered in the same breath as icons of the 1980s Yuppie boom, but in reality they’re very different animals coming from two very different places.
As you can read in this week’s feature on downsizing, the BMW built on the legacy first established by the ’02 range back in the 1960s and was therefore the third generation of BMW’s compact performance car. The Mercedes W201 however, was Daimler-Benz’s very first attempt at a smaller car, encouraged by the promise of a market BMW had so far had to itself.
As a result, the BMW majored on the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ slogan of the day and in its larger-engined forms was intended to offer a sporting choice as a kind of four-door GTI, while the Mercedes was very
