mikeyb
01-23-2007, 11:39 AM
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-f3q-s.jpg
Assets
Exceptional refinement roof up or down, ride quality, build integrity.
Drawbacks
Huge weight blunts performance and driving enjoyment, disappointing looks.
Verdict
A fine car and better than its immediate rivals, but still asks the owner to pay a considerable dynamic penalty for the pleasure of top-down motoring.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r3q-a.jpg
For 20 years, the BMW 3-Series Convertible has been the aspirational drop-top among young, upwardly mobile fashionistas with a desire to look cool in public but a need for decent luggage space and back seats. And in recent years BMW has not only eschewed the idea of equipping its strong selling convertible with a fashionably retractable hard top, at times its engineers have been positively scornful on the subject. These folding metal roofs are not only heavy and therefore pejorative to performance, they are also difficult to package and put a lot of weight high up in the car, compromising the position of the centre of gravity and therefore adversely affecting handling. Not very BMW at all.
But BMW would never have grown into the fabulously successful and profitable company it is today by sticking to pure engineering principles even if it meant ignoring the will of its customers. So now that this, the fourth generation of 3-Series Convertible has broken cover, perhaps we should not be too surprised to discover its once fabric roof has indeed been replaced by a steel three-piece affair which will balletically turn your convertible into a coupe or vice versa in under 23 seconds.
It goes on sale in the UK on 24 March with two models, the £37,895 335i SE and £33,030 325i SE, comprising the launch line-up. Other models, including a 320i, 330i and 330d, will follow in the summer. And while BMW won't admit it, there will be an M3 variant, complete with a V8 engine boasting at least 400bhp, some time in 2008. For now, though, it is the currently range-topping 335i SE that BMW invited us to the Arizona desert to drive.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-top.jpg
Just looking at the way the roof raises by flipping back the boot-lid, producing a stack of three roof panels, and sliding one forward, another back and leaving the third in place, is enough to give those worried about complex mechanical engineering an anxiety attack, especially when you consider this is BMW's first stab at a folding metal roof. But in fact there is almost certainly nothing to worry about. For a start BMW outsourced the engineering of the roof to an acknowledged expert, and the durability testing it would have been subject to means it would work on the moon.
The rest of the car is as impressively put together as you might expect. The cabin materials are second only to Audi in this class and the construction integrity of the whole is beyond serious criticism. Such is the structural rigidity of the car and the precision of the roof mechanism that at high speeds with the roof up you'd swear you were in a purpose-built coupe.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r3q-a.jpg
BMW reckons to sell 5000 convertible 3-Series in the UK this year despite a late introduction, and this it should do with ease. However, while BMW understandably wants us to concentrate on the current top-of-the-range model, if the old range is anything to go by it will be the cheapest version that garners most of the public's attention. Indeed last year BMW sold three times more entry-level 318 Ci convertibles than any other petrol model, so there's no doubting where customer priorities lie.
Even so, expect any new 3-Series Convertible to become a highly coveted commodity when they start appearing on our roads in the spring. It may look rather dull with the roof down and even rather awkward as a coupe, but the fact that this is the new 3-Series Convertible is likely to transcend these issues in the eyes of the customer.
Truth is, while the 335i Convertible is pleasing to drive, we were hoping and even expecting a slightly hungrier attitude to the open road. It's not that it lacks grip or behaves in a wayward fashion if you push it: as you would expect, the convertible's manners are impeccable. No, the problem is that it carries a certain sense of inertia with it, coupled with accurate but slightly numbed responses to your inputs. The explanation is that in the process of turning a 3-Series Coupe into a 3-Series Convertible, the car has put on 200kg, a vast amount of weight that not even BMW's engineers can disguise.
So while you can hurl it around, it responds to such treatment with muted enthusiasm rather than the unbridled eagerness you might expect from such an apparently sporting car from such an undoubtedly sporting marque. Yes it's probably good enough for most people interested in this kind of car, for even BMW admits its convertible customers tend not to be the serious drivers attracted to many of its other products, but we still think the car would benefit from a slightly sharpened focus on the road ahead.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-dials.jpg
Looked at on paper, the 335i Convertible appears to have enough to make proper petrolheads start dribbling. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, straight-six motor pushing out 306bhp, enough to catapult even the portly convertible to 62mph in 5.8sec and into its limiter at 155mph.
But on the road, while the engine is responsive, entirely lacking in turbo lag, and the owner of a very impressive exhaust note, ultimately the car feels less quick than these figures suggest. Yes it's rapid, but anything capable of pulling a sub-6.0sec sprint to 62mph should feel dramatic, and it doesn't. Perhaps BMW is to be complimented for producing a car that's so effortless even its driver is unaware of its performance, but we'd rather have the sense of occasion. Still there's no quibbling about the breadth of the engine's powerband, which offers meaningful shove from 2,000rpm all the way to its 7,000rpm redline.
Indeed so flexible is this engine, you find yourself using the standard six-speed manual gearbox more out of the pleasure of sampling its short, slick shift than any specific need. Braking performance is predictably exemplary.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-top.jpg
No one should decide against this car on safety grounds. Not only is the 3-Series inherently and massively strong, the standard spec of the convertible features four airbags, stability control, runflat tyres, automatic windscreen wipers and lights, brake pre-tensioning, brake drying and pop-up roll-over protection. No one can accuse BMW of failing to look after its customers. As for security, that metal roof is likely to form a more formidable barrier than any knife-wielding, convertible-slashing moron can cope with.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-s-a.jpg
BMW claims the 335i Convertible should return 28.5mpg on the combined cycle, but during a day spent driving unusually gently out of fear of Arizona's Taser-toting law enforcement community, ours managed only 21.7 miles per UK gallon.
Also you should think hard before you spec your car - navigation and leather are not standard, but they'll more than recoup their cost come resale time.
This is where the 335i Convertible shines. Excellent seats, fabulous ride quality, an almost complete absence of scuttle shake and first-class wind management mean this is a superlative long-distance, top-down tourer. Long gearing coupled with the engine's torque makes the car feel truly effortless, while an excellent driving position and well positioned controls help keep driver fatigue at bay for hours.
All the safety items listed above are standard, as are electric seats, 17" alloys and a multi-function leather wheel. Navigation and sun-reflective leather are options, as are active cruise control, automatic gears and BMW's pointless active steering.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-f-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-fside-s.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-s-far-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-s-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-f3q-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-f-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-windboard.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-wheel.jpg
[4Car]
Assets
Exceptional refinement roof up or down, ride quality, build integrity.
Drawbacks
Huge weight blunts performance and driving enjoyment, disappointing looks.
Verdict
A fine car and better than its immediate rivals, but still asks the owner to pay a considerable dynamic penalty for the pleasure of top-down motoring.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r3q-a.jpg
For 20 years, the BMW 3-Series Convertible has been the aspirational drop-top among young, upwardly mobile fashionistas with a desire to look cool in public but a need for decent luggage space and back seats. And in recent years BMW has not only eschewed the idea of equipping its strong selling convertible with a fashionably retractable hard top, at times its engineers have been positively scornful on the subject. These folding metal roofs are not only heavy and therefore pejorative to performance, they are also difficult to package and put a lot of weight high up in the car, compromising the position of the centre of gravity and therefore adversely affecting handling. Not very BMW at all.
But BMW would never have grown into the fabulously successful and profitable company it is today by sticking to pure engineering principles even if it meant ignoring the will of its customers. So now that this, the fourth generation of 3-Series Convertible has broken cover, perhaps we should not be too surprised to discover its once fabric roof has indeed been replaced by a steel three-piece affair which will balletically turn your convertible into a coupe or vice versa in under 23 seconds.
It goes on sale in the UK on 24 March with two models, the £37,895 335i SE and £33,030 325i SE, comprising the launch line-up. Other models, including a 320i, 330i and 330d, will follow in the summer. And while BMW won't admit it, there will be an M3 variant, complete with a V8 engine boasting at least 400bhp, some time in 2008. For now, though, it is the currently range-topping 335i SE that BMW invited us to the Arizona desert to drive.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-top.jpg
Just looking at the way the roof raises by flipping back the boot-lid, producing a stack of three roof panels, and sliding one forward, another back and leaving the third in place, is enough to give those worried about complex mechanical engineering an anxiety attack, especially when you consider this is BMW's first stab at a folding metal roof. But in fact there is almost certainly nothing to worry about. For a start BMW outsourced the engineering of the roof to an acknowledged expert, and the durability testing it would have been subject to means it would work on the moon.
The rest of the car is as impressively put together as you might expect. The cabin materials are second only to Audi in this class and the construction integrity of the whole is beyond serious criticism. Such is the structural rigidity of the car and the precision of the roof mechanism that at high speeds with the roof up you'd swear you were in a purpose-built coupe.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r3q-a.jpg
BMW reckons to sell 5000 convertible 3-Series in the UK this year despite a late introduction, and this it should do with ease. However, while BMW understandably wants us to concentrate on the current top-of-the-range model, if the old range is anything to go by it will be the cheapest version that garners most of the public's attention. Indeed last year BMW sold three times more entry-level 318 Ci convertibles than any other petrol model, so there's no doubting where customer priorities lie.
Even so, expect any new 3-Series Convertible to become a highly coveted commodity when they start appearing on our roads in the spring. It may look rather dull with the roof down and even rather awkward as a coupe, but the fact that this is the new 3-Series Convertible is likely to transcend these issues in the eyes of the customer.
Truth is, while the 335i Convertible is pleasing to drive, we were hoping and even expecting a slightly hungrier attitude to the open road. It's not that it lacks grip or behaves in a wayward fashion if you push it: as you would expect, the convertible's manners are impeccable. No, the problem is that it carries a certain sense of inertia with it, coupled with accurate but slightly numbed responses to your inputs. The explanation is that in the process of turning a 3-Series Coupe into a 3-Series Convertible, the car has put on 200kg, a vast amount of weight that not even BMW's engineers can disguise.
So while you can hurl it around, it responds to such treatment with muted enthusiasm rather than the unbridled eagerness you might expect from such an apparently sporting car from such an undoubtedly sporting marque. Yes it's probably good enough for most people interested in this kind of car, for even BMW admits its convertible customers tend not to be the serious drivers attracted to many of its other products, but we still think the car would benefit from a slightly sharpened focus on the road ahead.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-dials.jpg
Looked at on paper, the 335i Convertible appears to have enough to make proper petrolheads start dribbling. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, straight-six motor pushing out 306bhp, enough to catapult even the portly convertible to 62mph in 5.8sec and into its limiter at 155mph.
But on the road, while the engine is responsive, entirely lacking in turbo lag, and the owner of a very impressive exhaust note, ultimately the car feels less quick than these figures suggest. Yes it's rapid, but anything capable of pulling a sub-6.0sec sprint to 62mph should feel dramatic, and it doesn't. Perhaps BMW is to be complimented for producing a car that's so effortless even its driver is unaware of its performance, but we'd rather have the sense of occasion. Still there's no quibbling about the breadth of the engine's powerband, which offers meaningful shove from 2,000rpm all the way to its 7,000rpm redline.
Indeed so flexible is this engine, you find yourself using the standard six-speed manual gearbox more out of the pleasure of sampling its short, slick shift than any specific need. Braking performance is predictably exemplary.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-top.jpg
No one should decide against this car on safety grounds. Not only is the 3-Series inherently and massively strong, the standard spec of the convertible features four airbags, stability control, runflat tyres, automatic windscreen wipers and lights, brake pre-tensioning, brake drying and pop-up roll-over protection. No one can accuse BMW of failing to look after its customers. As for security, that metal roof is likely to form a more formidable barrier than any knife-wielding, convertible-slashing moron can cope with.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-s-a.jpg
BMW claims the 335i Convertible should return 28.5mpg on the combined cycle, but during a day spent driving unusually gently out of fear of Arizona's Taser-toting law enforcement community, ours managed only 21.7 miles per UK gallon.
Also you should think hard before you spec your car - navigation and leather are not standard, but they'll more than recoup their cost come resale time.
This is where the 335i Convertible shines. Excellent seats, fabulous ride quality, an almost complete absence of scuttle shake and first-class wind management mean this is a superlative long-distance, top-down tourer. Long gearing coupled with the engine's torque makes the car feel truly effortless, while an excellent driving position and well positioned controls help keep driver fatigue at bay for hours.
All the safety items listed above are standard, as are electric seats, 17" alloys and a multi-function leather wheel. Navigation and sun-reflective leather are options, as are active cruise control, automatic gears and BMW's pointless active steering.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-f-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/06-3cab-fside-s.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-s-far-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-s-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-r-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-f3q-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-f-a.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-windboard.jpg
http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/B/bmw/3-series-convert-coupe/03-large/07-3cab-i-wheel.jpg
[4Car]