BMW M3 Convertible
While BMWs M3 Convertible may mark a departure from the ultimate driving machine that the M3 coupe purports to be, its a car that nevertheless promises outrageous good fun. This model follows two generations of increasingly popular open-topped M-cars and is certainly the best yet.
The first E30 M3 Convertible puzzled many. The original E30 M3 coupe was a homologation special, a car built in limited numbers for the road solely to allow BMW to race them in Touring Car competition. This granted the M3 a certain kudos amongst motorsports cognoscenti, and the Convertible seemed to be an oddity, a counterstrike against everything that BMW M-Technic stood for. It was showy and blowsy, never turned a wheel in competition and as a result sold in minuscule numbers.
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"Make no mistake, the M3 Convertible is one of the quickest point to point cars anywhere."
Given that the latest E46 M3 model is the most powerful and aggressive to date, does this mean that the convertible once more adopts the role of gaudy bit-player to the hardcore Coupe? There are a few reasons to be optimistic. Firstly, the same 343bhp six-cylinder engine resides under the hood, meaning sixty is reached in 5.4 seconds on the way to 155mph. Anybody who feels this level of performance is in any way hairdresser could probably benefit from incarceration.
Secondly, BMW have stiffened the chassis to eliminate any of those awful shimmies and crashes that afflict many saloon-based convertibles. Anyone driving one of the mainstream 3 Series convertible models will attest to this, and the M3 Convertible takes this reinforcement a stage further. Finally, BMW seem to have got the balance between hard and soft, competition car and cruiser just about right with the E46 generation of the M3. Dealing a double knockout of more power and sledgehammer visual impact, the Convertible has generated universal approval.
The detailing is certainly well judged. Big front wheelarches that bulge outwards like gym-toned muscle, a deep front spoiler, chromed side intakes and big wheels shod with an unapologetically anorexic sliver of tyre act as unambiguous statements of intent. Make no mistake, the M3 Convertible is one of the quickest point-to-point cars anywhere. Whereas most of the rawness gets rubbed off show cars when they become productionised this hasnt happened with the M3 Convertible.
Whilst it cant really lay claim to be the Ultimate Driving Machine the Coupe purports to be, itll certainly impress with its poise, performance and turbulence. Youll also have to put up with a fair deal of draughts. Rear seat passengers will find this is the Ultimate Drying Machine at speeds above 50mph. Hit the autobahn and wind the car up to its maximum speed and the buffeting in the rear will cause passengers to be flayed alive by their own hair.
If one were to pick fault with the M3 Convertible, the primary issue would be the cars braking performance. With 343bhp on tap, the ability to scrub off speed assumes an enhanced significance, and the brakes, whilst improved over the previous model, still fall some way short of the overall excellence of, for example, a Porsche Boxster or Honda S2000. The gearchange, as seen in the M3 Coupe, is not without its detractors either. It manages to feel both vague and obstinate when attempting to hook up first and second gear, whilst the detent to prevent reverse being found is weak and ineffective.
Some of the interior trims are decidedly questionable and the thick-rimmed steering wheel sends the driver a heavily edited version of what is going on at the front wheels. Everything else about the M3 Convertible touches perfection. The engine, the interior and exterior styling, the handling and the packaging are all exemplary, but perhaps the most surprising aspect of the M3 is the noise. For drivers who are used to the silky 3 Series coupes, the M3 will administer a sonic battering; the sugary 3.
2-litre engine note turns into an insistent drilling right up to the 8,200rpm red line. The hood mechanism of the M3 Convertible takes the same 25 seconds to raise and lower as its more humble brethren, and boasts a fixed rear screen. When the hood is raised, the boot cartridge that it folds into can be collapsed to free up another 40 litres of boot space, making 300 in total. A pricey fixed hard top is also available for those icy winter months or for additional urban vandal-proofing.
That the BMW M3 makes a spectacularly capable convertible is beyond doubt. It looks fantastic, no doubt drives magnificently and offers the sort of impeccable social cachet thats worth the price of admission alone. And when that price is £45,135, it makes a Porsche 911 Carrera or Boxster S look something less than a bargain. BMW expects this model to sell more than any M3 Convertible before it.
With conspicuous consumption back in vogue, its a prediction that few would bet against.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: BMW M3 Convertible
PRICES: £45,135 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 292g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 5.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Euro average) 23.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and head airbags / ABS / DSC/active roll-over bars
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4488/1947/1369
