From the beautiful 1938 327 on up to a sleek 6-Series, these Bavarian babies have always looked great topless. And when you see how the 2010 335i looks as a convertible, its skin pulled tight with sharp-edged design lines, its quad headlights glaring at the world under slightly hooded brows, there’s sexiness and muscle in this low silver beauty. And even more beautiful is the fact that you get a steel hardtop that folds like origami when you want the sun to shine in.
*Bimmer beauty – This 3-Series design dates back to 2007, and starts with trademark twin-kidney grilles at the apex of twin hood edges that draw down the long hood, while two more crisp lines frame a wide central mesh lower air intake. Two more intakes flank it, projector beam fog lights at the outer edges, the short front overhang is inches away flared plastic front fenders framing five-spoke alloy wheels wearing very low-profile Bridgestone 19-inch rubber on bladed 5-spoke alloys. The flat-edged fender flares get an integrated side reflector, while a character line rises along the fender tops, under the windows and aft to the tip of the tail. A crisp line flows off the front fender flare and into the taillight, while another curves up the lower door sill under the gently rounded flanks. The convertible roofline is close to the standard coupe’s, not flowing as smoothly into the short trunk. It still looks great, the car sitting low and wide looking, especially when the top folds under the rear deck. Twin pipes curve out of the shaped rear bumper, the car looking quite at home one day parked with friend’s cars like a Maserati GT, Alfa GT and some 911s. And I love the DRLs, the great corona light rings of all four Xenon headlights that add to the glaring look of the car’s nose.
*BMW boudoir - Inside, BMW keeps it driver-oriented, black padded leather grain vinyl on top and bottom, with a strip of dark burr walnut in between and on the center console and Coral Red leather seats and door inserts. A thick-rimmed, leather-padded steering wheel has stereo, trip computer and hands-free telephone system buttons on the upper spokes, with alloy accents, all manually tilt and telescoping. There’s a steel-rimmed set of orange-lit gauges - 160-mph speedometer with inset gas gauge and 8,000-rpm tach with inset temperature gauge, two digital gauges for trip computer and other displays in between.
The horizontal wood strip hosts center air vents and a start/stop engine button, while a simple-to-use 13-speaker AM-FM-CD/MP3 stereo with superb sound and an auxiliary iPod jack and USB port in the center console complete the entertainment system, although it could have more power when the top is down. There’s a simple dual-zone climate control system under that, while two cupholders slide out of the dash's right side over the decent glove box – usable for cans, while bottles tip a bit. The center console is basic – a rubber-padded storage nook forward of the gearshift, a single shallow cup holder aft, and a padded arm rest with the afore-mentioned storage underneath and even an air vent to keep contents cool. The door map pockets flip out for more room. And there’s warm amber ambient light coming from the upper door panels, neat at night.
The standard 10-way power sport buckets get optional heating and were aggressively bolstered and very supportive, with manual thigh support, power head restraints and power upper side bolsters for cornering grip. They also had integral shoulder belts, so access to the small rear seats was easier, aided by a power slide button high mounted near the front seat head restraints. The center console extends to the rear, with rear air vents and cup holders. But be warned – unless the front seat passenger gives up some room, leg room is almost non-existent back there for more than a kid. And twice with the top down, the flip-down rear seat back, which accesses a storage nook, flipped down from the breeze until clipped back in place. Top up, the 9-cu. ft. trunk is decent in size. But fold the three-piece hardtop down, and there’s room for one suitcase. Good news – we tested the heat reflective leather on the seats by leaving the top down on a Florida spring day, and the seats didn’t scorch our buns when we settled into them.
*Bavarian bravado – The keyless ignition remote key fob means you fire our 5,300-mile-old test car’s 3-liter, 300-hp 24-valve in-line six with a button push and a snarl. BMW's first turbocharged gas engine in decades, and a twin turbo at that, it’s a notch up from the 230-hp 328i’s motor. Combined with a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission, our 4,001-lb (compared to the 3,572-lb. 335i Coupe due to top motors and support members) screamed to 60-mph in a quick 5.3 second in second gear(vs. 5.2 seconds for the 6-speed auto-box Coupe we tested in "Sport" mode). The engine stays on boost as two turbochargers built up pressure faster than a single, larger turbo. With all that, the 335i averaged 21 mpg on premium.
With a double-pivot McPherson strut-type aluminum suspension in front and a 5-link independent rear suspension, plus firmer springs and shocks, the result is a firm but supple ride that was the perfect combination of prima ballerina and sports car. As with most recent BMW 3-Series, there’s taut control of every move and nothing gets ruffled if you hit a bump in mid-turn. The ride was supple, comfortable on almost any road, subtly handling imperfections. It fluidly moves from corner to corner. Toss it into a turn, and it grips with little body roll and near-neutral feel. Dynamic Stability Control helped when we pushed hard, the latest version even tapping brakes in the wet to dry them, pre-loading the pads if the driver quickly lifts of the gas to aid in braking. There’s a three-second hold if you roll off the clutch on a hill, so you don’t roll back while launching. And you can tap in a dynamic setting to allow for some rear wheel slip in curves when you want to play. The power steering had great road feel, the brakes great pedal control and no fade after repeated hard use. As for the top, its three steel pieces drop in less than 25 seconds via the center console switch or by the key fob, making for a slick look that offered livable wind buffeting at speed. It’s nicely finished inside. Top down, there was almost no mirror or scuttle shake, even over bumps.
*BMW bucks – The 328i Convertible and 335i Convertible start at $45,875 and $51,200, respectively. Our options were limited to - $550 silver metallic paint, $500 Comfort Access which lifts the folded trunk out for easier loading; $500 heated front seats; and $400 USB/iPod adapter, for a final price of $54,025. Competition – only the Infiniti G37, VW Eos or Volvo C70 hardtop convertibles really come to mind, the Volvo’s 225-hp engine good for 60-mph in 8 seconds for $39,950 base, but not as sporty a drive. The Eos about $33,000 base with less power and handling prowess, the G37 hardtop drop-top arguably a bit sexier looking, with 325-hp and almost as good a ride and handling, for a base $43,900.
*Bottom line – this is a look that doesn’t get old, that still drives like an athletic machine with beautiful road manners and a silky engine. And with a thief-hating folding steel top for a great look up or down, what’s not to like?
2010 BMW 335i Convertible
Specifications
Vehicle type - two-door, four- passenger turbocharged sports coupe
Base price - $51,200 (as tested: $54,025)
Engine type - aluminum DOHC, 24-valve in-line six with twin turbochargers
Displacement - 3 liters
Horsepower (net) - 300 @ 5,800 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) - 300 @ 1,400-5,000 rpm
Transmission - 6-speed manual
Wheelbase - 108.6 inches
Overall length 180.6 inches
Overall width - 70.2 inches
Height - 54.5 inches
Front headroom - 38 inches
Front legroom - 41.8 inches
Rear headroom - 36.5 inches
Rear legroom – 31.9 inches
Cargo capacity - 9 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,001 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 16.1 gallons
Mileage rating - 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway
Last word - A sleek, quick and sure-footed (and practical) convertible that acts like a coupe.
