2007 BMW 3-Series Cabriolet Review

Specifications

Doing it right takes time. Good wine needs time to age, and fine artcan be months if not years in the making. In the case of the 3-Series Convertible, time elapsed is quickly approaching two entire years. That’s a long time, even by automotive standards, but for good reason. BMW has been building and expanding the latest generation of 3-Series, the E90, during this span, and with the exception of the soon to arrive M-performance versions, the open-topped 3 is one of the most desirable cars in the range. The 3-Series Convertible was a vehicle born to lead; no matter how good luxury convertibles like the Mercedes-Benz CLK, Audi A4 Cabriolet, Saab 9-3 Cabriolet, and so on are, the BMW always seems to come out on top. It’s been agreed upon by many, both professional auto journalists and owners alike, that in its other forms the latest generation 3-Series is a brilliantly engineered machine. So, to stretch this achievement even further, BMW has fitted the new convertible with a brilliantly engineered folding hardtop roof, a first.

So, a bit more about the convertible roof. For starters,it’s a three-piece device that is made out of steel, just like the body and just like the Volvo C70’s retractable hardtop. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any trick glass panels or a built-in sunroof, but rather it’s just a retractable roof. Overall, it takes 22 seconds for the roof to be raised or lowered, which isn’t at all bad considering the weight and heft of the materials the motors must move, but unlike some of BMW’s fabric contraptions the roof can’t be activated while on the move. The new roof can also operated inside the vehicle, of course, or while outside via its key fob, so you can admire the slick folding action. It should also prove handy when impressing the ladies (or gents) when approaching the car in a parking lot. Being that metal is more rigid than cloth, BMW was able to make the rear windows larger and reduce the size of the back pillars, giving the car better rearward visibility. They estimate that it improves rearward visibility by some 38-percent, a rather significant figure.

On the subject of practicality, there’s a lot of hubbub about folding hardtop convertiblesand trunk space. The fact of the matter is that solid panels do not fold neatly into small spaces like cloth roofs do; they take up volume and, as incredible as BMW’s engineers are, they aren’t magicians. With the roof up, there’s a perfectly acceptable 12.4 cubic feet worth of volume in the trunk. That’s a bit smaller than the old 3-Series Cabrio, the new Volvo C70 and the Volkswagen Eos, and what’s more it gets smaller when you stow the roof. Dropping the top shrinks the space to 7.4 cubic feet, but that’s more than you get in either the VW or the Volvo with their tops down, and a great deal better than the zero cubic feet of space the Pontiac G6 allows (well actually there’s space under there, just no way to get to it). Let me run that by you again: the 3 has a smaller trunk than its rivals when the roof is up, yet when the roof is stowed there’s it has more space. Perhaps BMW can work magic. Being that the 3-Series Convertible will be bought by active people, BMW was considerate enough to give it flat-folding seatbacks and a ski pass-thru allowing skis, boards and various other long objects to be carried on board. That’s nice of them, considering some models of the 3-Series sedan don’t even have folding rear seatbacks.

The 3-Series in Sedan (or Coupe, or Touring) form is an excellentdriving vehicle with balanced weight distribution, neutral handling and a weighty, glued to the road feeling that can easily be appreciated. Because chopping the roof off kills a car’s structural rigidity, adds weight and often increases the center of gravity, BMW’s boffins made sure to stiffen the chassis and structure, plus tune the suspension to make the Convertible as good to drive as possible. In the process, they must’ve one-upped themselves as the 3-Series Convertible is more rigid than the six-figure grand touring 650i Convertible - no doubt due to its shorter wheelbase. It is likely that the 3-Series Convertible will be slightly softer around the edges than the coupe or sedan, but still rigid and precise enough to be an entertaining machine to drive.

You can have a 3-Series Convertible in one of two different ways. There’s a base model, which is called 328i, incorporating a 3.0 liter inline-six that makes 230 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. Not too long ago (two generations back, the Euro E36) this was top of the line powertrain stuff. In terms out output, it might have been the same, but this is a completely unrelated engine with Valvetronic and VANOS variable valve timing. As a base model it’s more than enough, and those who purchase it will undoubtedly savour the straight six’s yowl without any overhead interruptions.

For the few who really want to mess with their hair, there’s the 335i. It’s another one of BMW’smighty 3.0-liter inline sixes, but this one is assisted by direct injection and a pair of low-pressure turbos, each one feeding three cylinders. The result is no lag, plenty of low-down oomph and generally ferocious acceleration thanks to 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. This is a magnificent engine with all the power and torque you could ever want. In the Coupe, the performance delivered by this engine could cause an M3 Coupe to break a sweat; you can expect the new 335i Convertible to do the exact same thing to the M3 Cab. Both the 328i and the 335i are available with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. Unlike the Coupe, BMW won’t be offering xDrive for the drop top, so Audi’s A4 Cabriolet can rest easy at night… for now.

Not much has changed between the 3-Series Coupe and the 3-Series Convertible. The interior is identical in its stark minimalism, with the exception of the buttons to operate the convertible top roof, and a few different functions for the climate control system that optimize airflow when the top’s been dropped. If anything, the biggest revolution comes from BMW’s new SunReflective leather seats. Their R&D labs have devised a special kind of dye that doesn’t absorb the invisible infra-red rays from that big ball of glowing gas in the sky. BMW says that with this option, the leather (especially dark leather) stays 20C cooler compared to standard hides, meaning that you no longer have to lay down towels over the seats after parking with the roof down for hours in the sun. Now all they’ve got to do is make those seats ventilated to prevent sticking due to body heat.

BMW’s new convertible will be displayed for the world to see for the first time at this year’s NAIAS in Detroit. Even with its impenetrable metal roof, it’ll at least be a couple of months before this latest 3 will be available for purchase.