The BMW 3 Series is the latest model line to get a China-specific, with an extended-wheelbase '335Li' reportedly in the works.
It's a measure of how important the Chinese market is becoming to prestige and luxury car manufacturers that they have for some time been creating Sino-oriented models. And the chief weakness Chinese buyers of luxury cars seem to have is for long-wheelbase versions of existing models.
Audi knows this well; its A6L and A4L are the top two sellers in the premium segment in China.
BMW already plays this game, too, with a 535Li already in its Chinese price lists, but creating a stretched version of the 3 Series - BMW's core model, let's not forget - is a pretty big deal for the German manufacturer.
When it appears later this year, the 335Li might even be powered by a four-cylinder engine. But given that the ordinary 335i (which will also be produced in China) still gets turbocharged straight-six power, and that the Chinese aren't yet overly concerned with minimising their carbon footprint, this sounds red and herring-like to us...
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