Folding Metal Roof For New 3-Series Cabriolet
3 Series Photos
3-Series Marks BMWs First-Ever Folding Metal Roof
Things just keep getting better with the E90-generation 3-Series. It was launched to near unanimous praise for its poise and balance. Shortly thereafter came the Touring wagon version, and then after a rather lengthy delay came the Coupe. The two-door brought with it a twin-turbocharged 306 horsepower engine, now part of the sedan lineup too, and the availability of all-wheel drive. Finally, the last of the old-shape E46 3-Series, the convertible will be replaced, and from the looks of things, it will have been worth the wait.
The big delay comes from BMWs insistence on following the current trend that many luxury automakers are embracing with their new convertible models, offering its very popular 3 with a retractable hardtop. This is the first time that BMW has attempted to pull off one of these complex metal devices, but the benefits of safety, all-weather capability, security and refinement were too great to miss out on, even if BMWs quick dropping and well-insulated cloth roofs are amongst the best in the business.
The 3-Series Cabriolet roof is a three-piece unit made from strong steel. Powered by a series of motors, its capable of raising or lowering in 22 seconds, which is about average for a car of this type. With the roof up, theres 12.4 cu-ft worth of volume in the trunk (smaller than the old 3-Series Cabriolet, the new Volvo C70 and the Volkswagen Eos), which shrinks to a small, but acceptable 7.4 cu-ft when the roof is stowed. But the 3-Series does have the distinct advantage of having flat-folding seatbacks with ski pass-thru, which is odd considering that some models of the 3-Series sedan dont even have folding rear seatbacks.
There are more important things to a convertible than a trunk, however, one of which BMW believes is visibility. The metal roof allowed BMW to slim down the C-Pillars and increase the size of the rear and side-quarter windows, minimizing the cozy feeling but improving outward visibility by 38-percent over the old model. And if that werent enough, BMW has also come up with a solution to the skin-searing tendencies of sun-soaked leather with their SunReflective Technology. A special kind of dye reflects the infra-red rays of the sun, preventing the leather from heating up and therefore keeping the seats and armrest up to 20 degrees cooler compared to standard leather.
To make sure that the 3-Series Convertible is one of the most enjoyable vehicles in its class to drive, BMWs engineering team worked extensively to strengthen the floor and sills of the chassis, enabling it to claim title as BMWs most torsionally rigid cabriolet, even against the six-figure 6-Series. Uprated suspension components take into account the higher center of gravity and weight. At launch, the 3-Series Cabrio will be offered as a 335i and 328i featuring BMWs new generation of direct-injection engines. A choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic is also available. The car will make its debut at this years North American International Auto Show at Detroit.
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