Photo: Original image by autoevolution
BMW decided over 10 years ago that the 3 Series range can be divided into two different models. They wanted the previous 3er to be the first one to be different but cancelled at the last moment.
That’s why, unlike its predecessors, there are 3 different codenames for the last 3er: E90 for the Sedan, E92 for the Coupe and E93 for the Convertible. The Germans were actually paving the road for the 4 Series range.
In this range we have 3 models at the moment, the Coupe that we tested last year, the Convertible that we’re talking about here and the Gran Coupe that we’ll test later on.
The Convertible comes as a drastic improvement over its predecessor, according to the Munich-based company. It’s lower, wider and has the lowest center of gravity in the line-up. Furthermore, the weight is perfectly distributed over the front and rear axles and 20 kg (44 lbs) less than a similarly equipped E93 model. Do all of those help?
Quite a lot. The car feels planted on the road both with the roof up and down and it’s extremely grippy. Trying to make the rear end skid is really a job for the experienced and even they might have problems doing it, as the chassis is more than well balanced.
With the top down, the car looks like it’s from another planet. Beautiful is the word we’re looking for here. It’s not the same with the roof up though, but that’s why we love Convertibles, right? For their looks and feeling, no their practicality.
Speaking of which, the boot is taken up by the big metal top when you’re driving in ‘free-roam’ mode and just a small bag and a couple of bottles of water might fit in there, even though BMW created an intelligent device that raises the roof assembly to allow you to stow your stuff.
Drive it around town with the roof down and you’re bound to get a lot of looks from bystanders. This car definitely has the wow factor in it and it will seduce you from the moment you first look up and notice there’s no roof between you and the clear blue sky.
However, that enjoyment fades away over 80 km/h (50 mph) when the wind kind-of gets in your way. That’s one problem we found with it, as the wind deflector system isn’t the forte of the entire ensemble.
The engine is absolutely brilliant though and, even with a 2-liter, 4-cylinder unit like on the 428i, you won’t even feel the need for more. This is, above all, a cruiser and at that it’s actually perfect. Check out how we reached that conclusion in our 2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible review.
In this range we have 3 models at the moment, the Coupe that we tested last year, the Convertible that we’re talking about here and the Gran Coupe that we’ll test later on.
The Convertible comes as a drastic improvement over its predecessor, according to the Munich-based company. It’s lower, wider and has the lowest center of gravity in the line-up. Furthermore, the weight is perfectly distributed over the front and rear axles and 20 kg (44 lbs) less than a similarly equipped E93 model. Do all of those help?
Quite a lot. The car feels planted on the road both with the roof up and down and it’s extremely grippy. Trying to make the rear end skid is really a job for the experienced and even they might have problems doing it, as the chassis is more than well balanced.
With the top down, the car looks like it’s from another planet. Beautiful is the word we’re looking for here. It’s not the same with the roof up though, but that’s why we love Convertibles, right? For their looks and feeling, no their practicality.
Speaking of which, the boot is taken up by the big metal top when you’re driving in ‘free-roam’ mode and just a small bag and a couple of bottles of water might fit in there, even though BMW created an intelligent device that raises the roof assembly to allow you to stow your stuff.
Drive it around town with the roof down and you’re bound to get a lot of looks from bystanders. This car definitely has the wow factor in it and it will seduce you from the moment you first look up and notice there’s no roof between you and the clear blue sky.
However, that enjoyment fades away over 80 km/h (50 mph) when the wind kind-of gets in your way. That’s one problem we found with it, as the wind deflector system isn’t the forte of the entire ensemble.
The engine is absolutely brilliant though and, even with a 2-liter, 4-cylinder unit like on the 428i, you won’t even feel the need for more. This is, above all, a cruiser and at that it’s actually perfect. Check out how we reached that conclusion in our 2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible review.
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