Some of the world’s classiest cars are for being seen in, some are for driving and some are for both.
A Rolls-Royce, for example, is all about style and grace — and conspicuous consumption. When a Rolls-Royce arrives, you can be certain that its owner has, too, and he or she is likely to exit from a rear door. Despite its many gold-plated credentials, this is more a car to be driven in than it is a car to drive.
Ferraris and Lamborghinis come to a tiny slice of the wealthy public from the opposite end of the road. They can be truly appreciated only by expert drivers on a racetrack so only a few owners willing to part with hundreds of thousands of dollars will ever get to know what they are really all about. But, then, those folks likely are more concerned about what the car says about them than what it can do.
Some manufacturers of world-class automobiles are not so narrowly focused, however, and they also build automobiles that can be appreciated by the car conscious as well as the image conscious.
For sure, these cars are not inexpensive, but some of them are actually attainable by folks who do not manage hedge funds, star in movies or excel in athletics.
One such manufacturer is BMW, in fact the parent of the Rolls-Royce, and one such car is its new 3 Series convertible. It combines excellence and elegance in a package that can satisfy the ego and bring true joy to the enthusiast driver.
For its fourth-generation model, BMW has abandoned the traditional soft top in favor of a specially designed folding metal roof that preserves most of the beauty that was built into its recently released 3 Series coupe.
In order to make the package work, it was necessary to slightly modify the roof line and, of course, slice the metal top into three pieces. The result is a car that does not quite match the aesthetics of the coupe. Still, the convertible version is plenty good looking, and it does actually have one advantage; better rear vision.
The gears, motors and other equipment required to make the top fold into the trunk in 22 seconds weigh more than 300 pounds and the necessary structural reinforcements add about another 100 pounds.
But the weight difference between coupe and convertible will mean nothing to the owner who revels most in revealing its top-down sensuality and it will mean very little to those entranced by the Bimmer’s engaging athleticism.
Top up or down, this car cuts even the most challenging roads down to size, unruffled by rough treatment, rough winds or rough road surface. It is essentially as rigid as the coupe from which it was carved, and except for a slight lag in acceleration, provides the same driving thrills.
With the fully-lined top locked tightly in place, it is essentially the coupe’s equal - no air leaks, no excessive road noise, no rattles, no squeaks. The cabin is quiet and serene.
Of course, the retractable roof is really just — ahem — the tip of the iceberg.
The top-of-the-line 335i convertible I drove is powered by a sensational, incredibly smooth new engine. The 3-liter, in-line, six-cylinder aluminum powerplant features twin turbochargers, four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing. It cranks out 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque with negligible turbo lag. You can power it from a stop to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds or, driving more sensibly, average an EPA-rated 19 to 29 miles per gallon of premium fuel. In my case, the numbers ranged from 17 to 27.
The sophisticated independent suspension can be a tiger in the turns and a kitten on the open road.
The rack-and-pinion steering communicates road conditions to the driver, then responds almost instinctively to its master’s commands.
The strong anti-lock brakes come with a full complement of safety features and a start-off assistant that keeps the car from rolling backward when starting out on hills.
In addition, the four ventilated discs automatically dry themselves off by intermittently rubbing against the rotors when the car is forging its way through a heavy rainstorm.
The transmission choices are smooth-shifting six-speed manual, which came with the test car, or an extra-cost six-speed automatic that can be operated manually from the shift lever or with optional shift paddles.
The full complement of safety features includes front and side airbags for front-seat passengers, stability control, traction control, brake fade compensation, front and rear crush zones, side impact beams and an automatic pop-up bar to protect occupants in a rollover.
The leather seats, armrests and shift knob are coated with a special pigment that reduces temperatures when they are exposed to the hot sun. The manufacturer claims a reduction of as much as 27 degrees in cars with light-colored interiors and 36 degrees in vehicles with dark colors.
The lengthy list of standard features on the 335i convertible (base price $49,875) includes dual-zone climate control, 10-way power front seats, premium sound system, trip computer, cruise control, Xenon headlights and rain-sensing windshield wipers.
The option list is long, too. Among available upgrades are a navigation system ($2,100), adaptive cruise control ($2,400), sport package ($1,300), premium package ($1,550), cold weather package ($750) and automatic transmission ($1,275).
The test car contained the sport package, premium package, cold weather package, special Montego Blue metallic paint ($475) and an optional key fob ($500) that can open the roof by remote control. The total price was $55,225.
At least, the lack of a navigation system also meant that the car was not saddled with BMW’s infamous, one-knob-controls- just-about-everything I Drive.
But wait: There is a way to take a bit of pain out of that price without sacrificing much pleasure. The German manufacturer offers the same car with essentially the same engine, minus the turbochargers, at a base price of $43,975. The 328i convertible produces 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque.
Most people will find it’s plenty powerful. Go easy on the option list, and you can save yourself $6,000 to $8,000.
With all of that said, the 3 Series convertible may be nifty car for all seasons, but it is not a car for all reasons.
Billed as a four-seater, it simply does not have enough room to fit more than two adults comfortably.
In addition, trunk space is a mere 7.4 cubic feet with the top down, and it seems a lot smaller than its official 12.3 cubic feet with the top up.
A couple on a vacation trip will have to stow some of their stuff in the back seat, which at least has a seat back that can be folded flat.
Of course, it’s easy to forget the things that it cannot do when you’re having fun behind the wheel or enjoying its top-down beauty . The BMW 3 Series convertible is an intoxicating package, even if it’s not one most people can justify — or afford.
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