BMW, like several other manufacturers, has gone the route of a metal, power retractable hood that makes four-seat convertible ownership possible year round in our Canadian climate.
Because BMWs are renowned for their chassis rigidity and supple suspension systems, producing the 2007 BMW 328i and 335i Cabriolets was not just a matter of cutting off the metal roof and scooping out more stowage area in the trunk.
A spate of BMW engineers sit on an panel that works on the BMW ORACLE racing yacht team with the object of implementing knowledge gained from cars to yachts and vice versa.
On a yacht, the more weight you have below the waterline means the lighter it can be above. Thusly the 20-tonne keel of ultra high-strength steel and two-tonne carbon fibre hull of the BMW ORACLE are combined to cope with structural pressures of up to 50 tonnes. The object is the get the maximum stability for the least amount of material weight.
The same holds true in an open top car. It order to sustain the same rigidity as a coupe, reinforcing members have to be stiff but still light as possible, along with other parts you might think of like side sills.
Learning from the BMW ORACLE, the A pillar that holds the windshield on the 3 Series Cab is also made from ultra high-strength steel that, in a rollover, can withstand a load of more than three tonnes. This is in addition to two roll bars behind the rear that deploy in microseconds.
The top has elements that extend and/or retract in 22 seconds. When up, the 328i or 335i looks like a coupe. In fact, it is the first BMW convertible ever where the signature reverse 'hockey stick' rear side window styling cue could be used.
There are two engines available on the Cabriolet and both are inline six-cylinders. If anything can be called the soul of BMW, it is the inline six. Sure there are now V8s and even 10-cylinder engines, but it is the legendary smoothness of the six that made BMW's reputation.
The "base" engine is 3-0-litre twin cam producing 230 hp and 200 lb/ft of torque and is found in the 328i model.
I guess I'm still confused about BMW nomenclature because the first number always (and still does) stands for the model with the next two numbers standing for displacement. For example a 530i is a 5 Series with 3.0-litre engine with the "i" for injection. So as I used to understand it, this 3-Series should have a 2.8 litre not a 3.0-litre or be called the 330i. The 335i Cabriolet tested here should therefore have a 3.5-litre engine when it fact it is also a 3.0-litre, but with a difference.
Using two parallel turbochargers, power jumps up to 300 hp and 300 lb/ft of torque that starts feeding in as low as 1,400 rpm.
This engine caught a lot of people by surprise when it was announced, even some at BMW Canada, because few were expecting a turbo, let alone two, from Bimmer.
Interestingly the two 3.0-litres have different bores and strokes.
The 328i fuel consumption is rated at 11.9/7.7L/100 km city/highway for the manual and 11.5/7.3L/100 km city/highway for the automatic. The 335i as tested gets 12.5/7.6L/100 km city/highway for the manual and 12.2/7.6L/100 km city/highway for the automatic.
When you leave a traffic light in the 335i there is a point at which the turbo kicks in, but it's not sudden and off/on like turbos of old. This one is more like a tap you control with your foot.
The 335i Cab is strictly a rear-driver with a choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The automatic can be equipped with sequential shift paddles but my test 335i came with the manual. Action of the shifter is short and positive and it finds each gear without hanging up during downshifts. It doesn't have the lightness of a Japanese box but it's also a long way from the hefty Getrag-made manuals in the BMWs I owned in the 1980s.
BMW labels itself as being the builder of the "ultimate driving machine". Try as competitors might, and they've come close, a 3-Series defines what are called European sports sedans.
Conventional wisdom says wishbone suspensions are the best, yet BMW has stuck with the MacPherson strut at the front going back to the 1970s with the first 3 Series. Constantly refining and honing the MacStrut has allowed BMW to create one of the most satisfying to steer cars on the road. With a 50:50 weight distribution even in the 335i, the Cab is neutral in terms of yaw and that results in a stable ride and delivers uncluttered feedback to the steering wheel.
Optionally available, and fitted to my 335i tester, is Active Steering that changes the wheel's turning ratio and turn-in angle and adapts the input level to suit the Cab's speed. In low speeds the wheels can turn from lock to lock in two spins of the steering wheel. At the other end of the performance scenario, the faster the car is moving, the more effort is needed.
This car was also fitted with the sports suspension and runflat performance tires.
What I love about driving a BMW is the placement of the controls. If you've ever driven a BMW before, you'll feel right at home with the two big gauges (speedo left, tach right) right where you want them, just below the line of sight. Drop your hand from the wheel and it cups the shifter. The seats are wide and supple with just enough firmness to make a long drive literally not a pain in the butt.
The technology that is built into this car is astounding. There is simply no room to go into it, but I remember once being told there is more computing power in a BMW then it took to send a man to the moon.
Price for the 335i Cabriolet starts at $66,300 and options like the $1,500 Active Steering and the $795 wind deflector bumped that up to $72,195.50 as tested. The BMW 328i starts at $55,300.
That's a lot of money for sure, but what you get is an all-weather convertible that delivers more than a satisfying ride, but an experience every time you drive it.
BMW 335i CABRIOLET 2007 AT A GLANCE
BODY STYLE: Four-seat convertible.
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive.
ENGINE: 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder (300 hp 300 lb/ft)
FUEL ECONOMY: Six-speed manual as tested, 12.5L/100 km city, 7.6L/100 km city; six-speed automatic, 12.2L/100 km city, 7.6L/100 km highway.
PRICE: $66,300, as tested, $72,195.
WEBSITE: bmw.ca