BMW has been keeping busy throughout the year with special editions celebrating 50 years of the 3 Series. However, Americans had to wait until now for a limited-run sports sedan marking half a century since the E21 debuted. While the U.S. remains one of the few markets with a rear-wheel-drive M340i, the “50 Jahre Edition” is exclusively xDrive.
The heritage-inspired 3er arrives in five colors tied to earlier generations. Ruby Red pays tribute to the original E21, while Boston Green nods to the E30. Avus Blue honors the E36, Carbon Black references the E46, and Sparkling Graphite recalls the E90. Curiously, there’s no sixth color to represent the F30.
Regardless of paint choice, all cars include the Shadowline Package and a carbon fiber trunk spoiler from the M Performance Parts catalog. The 2026 BMW M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition also adds 19-inch 792M wheels with a dual-spoke, two-tone design and all-season tires. An M Performance exhaust with blacked-out tips rounds off the exterior tweaks. Oh, and there’s also an anniversary badge at the back.
Inside, this M340i offers something no other U.S.-market 3 Series has had before: the Extended Merino Leather upholstery upgrade. Seat color depends on the exterior finish: Ivory for Ruby Red cars and Black for Carbon Black cars. Tartufo leather appears in cars painted Boston Green, Avus Blue, or Sparkling Graphite.
BMW USA sweetens the deal with a standard Premium Package, which bundles a Harman Kardon sound system with a head-up display. The Parking Assistance Package is also included from the get-go, adding Parking Assistant Plus, Surround View with 3D View, and Active Park Distance Control.
To make sure no one mistakes it for a regular M340i xDrive, there’s a “30 Series 50 Jahre Edition” metal plaque on the cupholder cover. Additionally, the same message adorns the front door sills.
In essence, this special edition is a fully loaded M340i xDrive with retro colors, nicer leather, and exclusive badging. As you’d expect, it’s not cheap. BMW USA asks $76,735 including destination and handling fees, putting it within $2,840 of a base M3.
BMW is selling the M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition in a fixed configuration, aside from the five available colors. There are no additional options since everything comes standard. Production is already underway, with first deliveries scheduled for Q1 2026.
It could be the last hurrah for the current-generation 3 Series. The G20 will reportedly end production in October 2026. The G50 could hit the assembly line a month later. The M340i is expected to make way for a more potent M350, offering significantly more than the current model’s 386 hp.
