Then & Now: BMW 3 Series Headlights from 1984-Present

Headlights have changed a lot in general over the generations.  But when it comes to a single car over the course of just over a quarter century, the changes are still quite dramatic, and advances in BMW 3 Series headlight technology shows this well.  Though it may not have been the torchbearer for headlight upgrades (its brother, the 7 Series, was the first car to introduce HID headlights during the early 1990s), it certainly has made quite the changes to its headlight assembly over the year.  Below, we’ll break down the headlight changes based on the different generations of BMW 3 Series models from 1984 to present, so you can get a closer look at what’s changed (and what’s stayed the same) in nearly 3 decades. 2nd Generation BMW 3 Series (through 1992)

Unlike all models that followed it in the 3 Series lineup, the 2nd generation model (also known as the E30) had distinctive, separated high beam and low beam headlight arrays.  Widely set apart across the vehicle’s front grille, these headlight units were completely round, something much more commonplace back during the 1980s.  These halogen-based headlights were certainly classy in their day, but would soon find themselves outdated as newer dual high beam-low beam units became immensely popular as the 1990s began.

3rd Generation BMW 3 Series (through 2000)

The 3 Series went through an impressive facelift in the early 1990s, as the new ‘dolphin’ design provided much sleeker counters to the body of the vehicle.  The E36 had headlights that took up a much larger portion of the vehicle’s front grill during this time span, and the rounded appearance of the E30 lights was completely abandoned in favor of a long, rectangular-esque design.  The high beam and low beam features were combined into a single headlight display, making for a much more uniform look, and the headlight features wrapped around slight over to the sides of the car, which was a huge change from the distinctive separation formed by the front grille on the 3 Series E30.

4th Generation BMW 3 Series (through 2005)

The changes to the 3 Series headlight display were far less dramatic than those seen between the 2nd and 3rd generations, but certainly there were some noteworthy features.  E36s were known for their poorly marked amber turn signals, which were replaced with definitive turn signal lights in the headlights, tail lights, and side markers.  In 2001, the 330 received upgraded silver trim that surrounded the headlight exteriors, which created a classy, sophisticated look.  And for special model owners and those investing in the cold weather package, headlight washers became available during this generation.
5th Generation BMW 3 Series (through present)

During this generation, Xenon HID headlights became standard features on E92 models, and that provided an ultramodern upgrade to the headlights’ power and luminosity.  The headlight units, still featuring both high beam and low beam settings, retreated a little toward the edges of the car, leaving more space between the wide kidney grilles and the lights themselves.  The updated headlights also received a brighter set of tail lights to boot, as LED tail lights became more common among modern luxury vehicles as 2010 approached.  The HID standards are probably something that will continue to generate the most heat for BMW model headlights in the coming years, but alas, only BMW can know what’s coming up next for its own cars.

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