The E46 body shell was designed so
that the vibrations of torsional twisting
and bending are separated into discrete
components and in the inaudible range.
The current Sedan design ensures that
the body twists at 29 hertz and bends at
26 hertz.
Exterior and aerodynamics
With its traditional styling features, such
as the kidney grille, circular headlights
behind a glass cover (for reasons of
streamlining), and the "kick" in the
rearmost roof pillar (C-pillar), the E46
can be immediately recognized as a
BMW.
Wind resistance. Windows bonded flush
to the body and the guided flow of
cooling air into the engine compartment
provide a good coefficient of drag (C
d
).
E46 cars have been designed for
balanced aerodynamics but not
necessarily an extremely low C
d
.
A low coefficient of lift (C
l
) promotes
stability at high speeds. The current
design has a front C
l
of 0.08 and a
rear C
l
of 0.10.
Windshield wipers are designed for
effectiveness at speeds up to and
beyond 200 kph (124 mph).
Body, window and exterior mirror
shapes have been refined for lower
wind noise and reduced soiling of
mirrors and windows. The Coupe's
side mirrors are specially shaped
and include five ribs (
arrows
) on
the top edge for further wind noise
reduction.
All this has resulted in a C
d
of
Body - General
http://ebahn.bentleypublishers.com/BMW/3/E46/Repair%20Manuals/4...
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2/25/2009 10:37 PM
Summary of Contents for 1999-2005 M3
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