BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93)

2004–2013

Cluster: Analog with LCD display: cars with this instrument cluster
Centre display: 8.8 in screen
System: BMW iDrive

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7 generations · 1975–present

4 facts · 3 sources

Photo credits (10)

BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 1Cockpit · “BMW E90. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 2Cockpit · “BMW E93 interior” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: TTTNIS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 3Cockpit · “320d dashboard (107571525)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Andy / Andrew Fogg from near Cambridge, UK · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 4Cockpit · “BMW E92 M3 Coupé Interior” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Hatsukari715 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 5Instrument cluster · “E90 Dashboard 2025-12-28 1” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Yelderberry · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 6Instrument cluster · “E90 Dashboard 2026-07-10 1” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Yelderberry · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 7Instrument cluster · “320d drivers eye view (107571526)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Andy / Andrew Fogg from near Cambridge, UK · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 8Centre display · “2008 BMW M3 Convertible - Flickr - The Car Spy (18)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 9Controls · “2008 BMW M3 Convertible - Flickr - The Car Spy (16)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), photo 10Controls · “2009 BMW M3 Cabriolet - Flickr - The Car Spy (3)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons

BMW 3 Series lineage

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Compare with the E46

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BMW 3 Series (E46)
1997–2006 9 photos© BMW AG
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BMW 3 Series (F30)
2011–2019 8 photos© BMW AG

Photo credits (7)

BMW 3 Series (E21)Cockpit · “BMW E21. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (E30)Cockpit · “BMW E30. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (E36)Cockpit · “BMW E36. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (E46)Cockpit · “BMW E46 Coupé. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93)Cockpit · “BMW E90. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (F30)Cockpit · “New BMW 3 Series: Cockpit standard version (10/2011)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 3 Series (G20)Cockpit · “The all-new BMW 3 Series Sedan - BMW M340i xDrive (11/2018).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom

Summary

The generation that brought iDrive, with its Central Information Display and rotary controller, to the 3 Series.

Specifications

Years: 2004–20132000s: cars launched in the 2000s
Chassis code: E90/E91/E92/E93
Instrument cluster: Analog with LCD display: cars with this instrument cluster
Centre display: 8.8 in screen
Infotainment: iDrive with Navigation Professional (CCC)8.8 in2005–2008
iDrive with Navigation Professional (CIC)2008–2013 (facelift)
Input: Physical buttons, Rotary controller
Climate: Physical controls
Physical buttons and knobs: About 31, dash and consoleCounted from this photo Button Census
Predecessor: BMW 3 Series (E46), 1997–2006
Successor: BMW 3 Series (F30), 2011–2019
Era: Rotary controllers2001–2017

Cockpit

Instrument cluster

Chrome rings trim the two large dials; warning lamps sit at the top centre, and a two-part LCD between the main dials shows the time, outside temperature, check control, on-board computer and gear display.

Centre display

iDrive with Navigation Professional (CCC)

Runs the same software as the 5 and 6 Series.

Controls

On cars with the Central Information Display, the iDrive controller sits behind the gear lever.

Facts

BMW designed the E90 interior to look more discreet, with fewer switches, and stacked displays and controls by importance, the most important at the top.[2]
The cluster has two large dials for road and engine speed and two smaller ones for fuel level and current consumption.[2]
In the US, only cars with navigation (option 609) had the Central Information Display, a TFT of 400 x 240 pixels driven by the Car Communication Computer.[2]
The September 2008 saloon and Touring facelift moved to the CIC head unit, with a revised iDrive and a sharper display.[1][3]

Sources

[1]Wikipedia. BMW 3 Series (E90) (opens in a new tab). en.wikipedia.org
[2]BMW of North America (via Internet Archive). E90 Driver Information Systems (BMW technical training) (opens in a new tab). archive.org
[3]BMW of North America (via Internet Archive). F01 Displays, Indicators and Controls (BMW technical training) (opens in a new tab). archive.org

Record

Record: bmw/3-series/e90
Wikidata: Q1146966 (opens in a new tab)
Status: Documented: what the record statuses mean
Not yet recorded: Head-up display
Open questions: 5Answer one

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BMW 3 Series generations