Mirage77

The all-new BMW 3 Series Convertible

BMW DOESN’T ACTUALLY call the new 3 Series drop-top a coupe cabriolet like most other manufacturers do, simply because it doesn’t consider the Convertible to be two cars in one.

A coupe is generally sporty, a convertible is less so, and no amount of marketing spin can change the underlying physics. So quite refreshingly, BMW has chosen to refer to the Convertible as strictly that.

The lines of the Convertible more or less follow the Coupe’s, but the former seems to have the better-looking rear end of the two. The Coupe’s comparatively softer and more flowing rear roofline has the effect of lengthening the boot section a bit too much for comfort. The chopped and more abrupt rear windscreen section of the Convertible works a bit better, visually.

The roof mechanism is a three-piece affair, but it folds away in a different manner to other three-piece hoods on cars like the Volvo C70. The front and rear windscreen sections actually slide over the middle section, before the whole lot disappears into the boot.

Boot space is fairly generous with the roof up but this drops dramatically when you opt for al fresco motoring. The protective cover that you have to put in place in the boot before you can fold the roof only leaves enough room for one or two very flat bags.

The car on test here is the flagship 335i Convertible, and it’s the quickest variant you can buy, at least until BMW rolls out the next M3 drop-top.

It’s also the most plush. Our test car came with plenty of bells and whistles, including very comfortable sports seats with adjustable side bolsters. The 335i also came with a new addition to BMW’s iDrive system, which consists of a set of touch-sensitive programmable buttons.

You can choose to have a hard key for a frequently-visited sat-nav destination, your home phone number, or a favourite radio station. Running your fingers over the buttons makes a sub-menu pop up on the iDrive display, showing you what you’ve programmed the buttons for.

This seems to detract a bit from the original premise behind iDrive, which was to reduce the number of buttons on a car’s dashboard, but it makes the whole lot much easier to use.

As hinted at above, you don’t buy the Convertible because you want an undiluted driving experience, but that doesn’t mean the 335i is short on performance.

The new twin turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine delivers a monstrous slug of torque, 400Nm to be precise, with most of it available from just above idle.

You can actually drive the 335i as you would a modern diesel-powered passenger car, using very little revs. Gently tickling the throttle is enough to produce an eye-opening surge in acceleration.

The 335i’s engine has a 7,000rpm cut-off, but you do get the impression that it’s not quite as willing to explore the upper end of the rev range as BMW’s superb range of normally-aspirated straight-sixes.

It sounds different, too. You get a bassy, throaty rumble as opposed to the traditional BMW straight-six howl.

If you nail it, the 335i Convertible will hit 100km/h in just 6.0 seconds. The six-speed gearbox has also been uprated for quicker shifts. It also blips the throttle for you on downchanges.

The Convertible’s forte lies in brisk, but relaxed cruising, and in this respect it does take some beating. It is less sharp than the Coupe, but in strict terms, you won’t find a better-handling convertible.

A similar car to consider
Mercedes-Benz CLK 350 Cabriolet (A) $264,888 with COE
The handsome CLK 350’s 3.5-litre V6 develops 272bhp, so it’s no slouch, but it’s still outgunned by the 335i’s monster turbo engine.


NEED TO KNOW
ENGINE TYPE: 2,979cc 24V in-line 6
MAXIMUM POWER: 306bhp @ 5,800rpm
MAXIMUM TORQUE: 400Nm at 1,300rpm
GEARBOX: 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED: 6.0 seconds
0-100KMH: 250km/h
PRICE: $265,800 with COE
WARRANTY: 3 years / 100,000km
CONTACT: Performance Motors
TELEPHONE: 6319-0100

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Giannis

Thanks for the revies James!

cawimmer430

The local BMW dealership had a 325i Coupe and it's simply a stunning car. I'm usually a Benz guy but the CLK looks outright boring and girly next to this thing. Mercedes needs to redesign the CLK soon.

The BMW I am really digging is the 335d Coupe. Nothing else combines diesel power and diesel fuel economy in a good-looking well-handling and sporty coupe. I think I'd take this car over the 335i Coupe even though the 335i is probably the more purist of the two (traditional gasoline engine in a sports coupe etc.).

The Emperor

...or a sedan or in SAV...

BMW_Dude

Word(s)!!

audi_rudy

great little car. I saw my first convertible yesterday and it looked great

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