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BMW 4 Series Convertible Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 4
First production year: 2014
Engines: Mild hybrid diesel, Gasoline, , Mild hybrid, Diesel
Body style: Convertible (spider/spyder, cabrio/cabriolet, drop/open/soft top)
BMW 4-Series Convertible photo gallery

Along with the coupe, BMW refreshed the first generation of the 4 Series convertible at the beginning of 2024, improving not just the exterior of the vehicle but also its underpinnings.

In 2013, the German automaker split the well-known 3 Series into two lines of products: the 4 Series that made the coupe, the four-door coupe, and the convertible, and the 3 Series that built the sedan, the five-door hatchback, and the station wagon. Seven years later, in 2020, the 4 Series came on the market with its second generation, which BMW refreshed at the beginning of 2024. It used the same CLAR platform as its sibling and other products from the automaker’s stable, but it came with a refreshed design, a better infotainment system, and an upgraded, electrified drivetrain.

At the front, BMW was criticized for its new tall grille, and customers complained about it, hoping that the automaker would change it along with the facelift, but it didn’t. Still, it was slightly altered and was available with horizontal slats instead of the regular chain-style mesh grille. Its black surroundings sweetened the styling. In addition, thanks to the new standard LED headlights, with an option for Laser headlamps, it was better. Lower, on the apron, the automaker installed a set of vents next to the grille, while on the sides, it placed scoops that channeled air to the front brakes and around the bodywork.

The 4 Series convertible’s profile remained largely unchanged, although it came standard with 19-inch alloy wheels. Furthermore, customers could add various exterior styling packages such as the M Sport, M Sport Pro and M Carbon. Its raked windshield was supported by thicker A-pillars than in the regular 4 Series since they also served as rollover protection systems. The driver could cover or uncover the vehicle while driving at speeds of up to 50 kph (31 mph) in just about 18 seconds. Finally, at the back, the automaker installed standard LED taillights with an option for a set of ones fitted with a “Laserlight” system, which was part of the Adaptive LED headlights package.

Inside, the 2024 4 Series coupe came with new materials and an infotainment system that ran on BMW’s iDrive OS 8.5. Atop the dashboard, the automaker installed a curved piece of glass that covered the instrument panel and a touchscreen. Fronting the driver was a sport steering wheel with standard paddle shifters across the range, with an option for a flat-bottom one, like in the non-facelifted version. While those seated up front had enough legroom, that was limited for the rear-seated ones, but still, it was enough for short jaunts.

Under the hood, the 4 Series inherited the B-family engines from its predecessor. It was available with a choice of two or three-liter powerplants, with four and six-cylinders, respectively. In addition to gasoline units, BMW also provided the car with two turbo-diesel variants. Still, the most significant upgrade was the integration of a 48-volt system that came with an integrated starter generator, which gave the car an instant boost of 11 PS (10 hp) when accelerating.

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BMW 4-Series Convertible (G23) photo gallery

Changing from soft-top to hard-top just a few years ago seemed to be a good idea, but in 2020 BMW did the exact opposite by switching from hard-top to soft-top for the 4-Series convertible.

BMW had a long history with open-top vehicles, even before WWII. The German car-maker always mastered the mix between the driving pleasure in a sports car and the open-top experience with minimal or no compromise in performances.

The first element that stood apart on the car's image was the grille. It was massive and extended down into the apron, eliminating the other grille from the bumper. The side-pods hosted the fog lights and fake air-intakes for the brake discs. The LED headlights were fitted as standard while the laser lights were on the options list. The 4-Series convertible featured a clean look, with curved surfaces, unaltered by sculptured doors from the sides. The designers installed a pair of fake vents behind the rear wheels and a couple of exhaust tips in the back.

The interior was suitable for four adults due to the big, 2.85m (112.2") wheelbase. Since the soft-top took less room than the hard-top, the rear bench could have been moved almost over the rear axle. Due to the new system, the trunk offered 80 liters (2.82 cu-ft) more room than its predecessor. But that was not all. The soft-top could have been opened or closed at speeds of up to 50 kph (31 mph) in 18 seconds.

The 4-Series convertible was fitted with a choice of four engines ranged from 184 hp up to 374 hp with either rear- or all-wheel-drive. All versions were fitted with 8-speed automatic transmission. To comply better into the Euro 6d requirements, a mild-hybrid diesel version was added to the range.

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BMW 4 Series Cabrio (F33) photo gallery

The German producer released the 4 series in 2013. The 4 series were the rebadged versions of the 3 series, the different nameplate being used to differ the sedan from the coupe and the convertible models. Despite the different nameplates, the 3 series and the 4 series shared the same platform, the same drivetrain and even the same interior features. The facelift version was released in 2017 and started selling with 2018.

The exterior changes are extremely minor, however, the new lightning system is worth mentioning. The 4 series used LED light for the headlights, taillights and even fog lamps.The BMW 4 series was available in 4 trim levels such as Advantage, Sport Line, Luxury Line and M Sport and also got 2 exclusive colors, Snapper Rocks Blue and Sunset Orange.The interior did not suffer significant changes and was available with 3 new leather upholsteries: Midnight Blue Dakota, Cognac Dakota and White Dakota. The interior trims were also refreshed and became available in Carbon Aluminum, Light Fineline and Pearl Chrome.

The 4 series had a wide variety of powertrains available, with both gasoline and diesel engines. The gasoline engines were a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder available for the 420i (181 hp) and the 430i (249 hp). The 440i featured a 3.0-liter engine with 322 hp. There were 3 diesel options available, the 420d,430d and a 435d, that were not available for the U.S.

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BMW 4 Series Cabrio (F33) photo gallery

The German automaker introduced the 4 Series as the coupe version for the 3 Series, either with two or four-door hatchback styling, and, in 2014, the Convertible followed the same path.

While its decision to retire the entire two-door range from the 3 Series made some of its fans upset, BMW proved that it was the right thing to do. After all, there were far too many differences between these vehicles to make them look in the same range. Thus, besides sharing the same platforms, they had nothing in common. But, just like the last 3 Series Convertible, the open-top 4 Series featured a retractable hard top instead of a canvas.

It shared its front fascia with its two-door coupe sibling, sporting a wide kidney-grille, narrow swept-back headlights, and a broad lower scoop on the apron. From its profile, the raked and thick A-pillars served as roll-over protection for the car's occupants. Thus, there was no need for a B-pillar. When the power-operated hard top was in place, the car looked like a genuine coupe but without the same sloped-down rear windscreen featured on its sibling.

Inside, the bucket seats were fitted as standard, with high bolstering. The dashboard, the center stack tilted toward the driver, and the center console were focused on the driver. A floating screen for the i-Drive system was mounted on top of the dash. Since the rear bench had to be pushed forward to make room for the retractable top, there was limited legroom for the back-seat passengers.

The 4-Series was offered in four different trim levels, and each of them could be customized for individual equipment variants. For the drivetrain, the 4-Series coupe was offered with a wide choice of gasoline and diesel engines, with rear or all-wheel-drive.

full description and technical specifications