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It's one of the world's biggest selling cars and allows BMW the creative freedom to build things like the M3, M5 and 1-Series M Coupe. We're not mentioning those other M cars. Those ones.

It is, of course, the BMW 3 Series. Tomorrow, BMW will announce an entirely new 3 Series and the importance of this cannot be underestimated. If BMW gets this wrong, its bye bye M cars. Get it right, and, well, lets just hope their enthusiasm and coffers don't encourage more of those.

Anyway, this is a perfect opportunity to look back on the Three's track guises. This is because a) they look smashing, and b) they're actually pretty handy.

Click forth, Hound of the Interweb, and check back tomorrow afternoon, Friday 14 October, when the full details and pictures of the new 3 Series will be revealed. For now, a little history.