Fascinating innovations are also to be found within the engine compartment, the new BMW 3 Series Convertible now featuring newly developed six-and four-cylinder power units with direct fuel injection. The top-of-the-range model is the BMW 335i Convertible boasting 225 kW/306 hp (US version: 300 hp) from its straight-six power unit with Twin Turbo technology.
The new roof structure guarantees incomparable smoothness and noise-free motoring even at very high speeds – and at the same time the bodyshell with its extremely high standard of torsional stiffness provides the ideal foundation for supreme agility and driving dynamics. Indeed, the new BMW 3 Series Convertible offers the highest standard of torsional stiffness ever achieved in an open-air BMW.
The car’s sporting characteristics are further enhanced by the harmonious distribution of weight and the high-tech chassis and suspension enabling the new BMW 3 Series Convertible to handle even dynamic challenges in superior style.
Whether open or closed – always unique and unmistakable.
Perfectly balanced proportions and characteristic looks – these features are borne out clearly in the new BMW 3 Series Convertible whether the roof is open or closed. For like its predecessor, the new model has a truly unmistakable silhouette clearly displaying its character and features also in conjunction with the retractable hardtop.
And thanks to the compact, space-saving accommodation of the three roof elements in the luggage compartment, the new BMW Convertible retains the low shoulder line flowing into the equally low and dynamic rear end so typical of a BMW 3 Series Convertible.
This impression of stretched and sleek dynamism is further enhanced by the short body overhang at the front, the long engine compartment lid, and the long wheelbase, while the lines of the car are perfectly combined with powerful shapes and contours to give this open four-seater a particularly elegant and, at the same time, sporting touch.
With the roof closed, the car’s greenhouse moved far to the rear becomes yet another symbol of dynamic performance. The engine compartment lid merges in a smooth curve directly into the A-pillar raked far to the back, while the roofline dropping slightly towards the rear remains slender and slim also around the C-pillar, reaching the end of the car in a clearly visible angle to maintain the formal uniqueness and special look of the BMW 3 Series also with the roof closed.
Inside the new Convertible, particularly the functional benefits of the hardtop are clearly visible at very first sight. Only a steel panel structure of this kind is indeed able to outperform the proven qualities of a soft BMW roof in terms of winter motoring and noise control.
Thanks to the large windows and the fully covered roof lining, the closed roof offers the car’s occupants optimum all-round visibility as well as a light and, at the same time, truly exclusive ambiance. Compared with the former model, for example, the rear side windows are 30 per cent larger and visibility straight to the rear is up by an even more significant 38 per cent.
Through its low and light design, the roof helps to retain the car’s particular shoulder line also when closed, giving the new BMW 3 Series Convertible a very classy and sophisticated look also from the side and maintaining the impression of sporting elegance at all times.
The particular style and value of the new roof concept is further accentuated by additional design features, the bottom edge of the roof being distinctly highlighted by all-round aluminium trim extending the ornamental trim on the rooflid to both sides via the shaft covers on the side panels and the doors leading all the way to the A-pillar. Again, this particular feature impressively accentuates the horizontal orientation of the car’s shoulder line.
Greater freedom: the unique experience of driving a genuine convertible.
The new BMW 3 Series Convertible combines this unmistakable look and appearance with an equally unique driving experience. Once the retractable hardtop has been lowered into the rear compartment, the driver and passengers will enjoy a simply incomparable thrill of open-air motoring further enhanced by the low shoulder line, the seating position moved far to the rear, and the short windscreen.
The result is maximum openness in every respect, the windscreen frame keeping a generous distance from the heads of the driver and front passenger and thus allowing both sun and wind to enter the interior without undue obstruction. Lots of fresh wind and an unrestricted view both out of and into the car are therefore natural assets when driving in the open air in the new BMW 3 Series Convertible.
Complete metamorphosis at the touch of a button: the retractable hardtop.
The introduction of a retractable hardtop gives the new BMW 3 Series Convertible a standard of elegance and comfort absolutely unique in its segment. Made of three lightweight steel elements, the roof provides a highly sophisticated ambiance inside the car combining comfort and lightness in a most appealing manner.
The opening and closing mechanism featured on the new roof ensures maximum comfort and uncompromising function all in one. The three elements forming the hardtop are lifted up electrohydraulically in a smooth, flowing and fully automatic process, swivelling to the rear and coming to rest in compact arrangement above one another in the rear roof compartment.
Taking up the roof elements, the rear lid in the Convertible also covering the roof compartment opens up smoothly to the rear. And once the roof has been completely opened or closed and the hardtop arrested in place, the rear lid on the luggage compartment again opens and closes the usual way. It even features a soft-close function allowing the lid to close smoothly and gently in a fully automatic process.
To make optimum use of the luggage capacity available in every situation, the roof and luggage compartment are separated from one another by a variable cover. This variable cover on the luggage compartment can be swivelled up when the roof is closed in order to provide more luggage space.
As soon as the roof compartment has been lowered again, in turn, the driver can open up the car conveniently simply by pulling back a button in the centre console and thus following the actual movement of the roof itself.
A further possibility is to open – and, as an option – close the roof by remote control from the car’s central locking. To prevent inadvertent activation of the roof opening and closing function in such a case, the signal to close the roof is transmitted to the car at most from a distance of four metres or just over 13 feet. And like the switch within the car’s interior, the remote control button must be held down in this case throughout the entire process of opening or, respectively, closing the roof. So to interrupt the process of moving the roof elements, all the driver has to do at any time is let go of the roof control button.