By now, we’ve all seen the BMW 4 Series Coupe, which made headlines for its massive grille. However, there will also be a convertible version which actually might be more interesting than the standard coupe. There are more than just styling changes from the previous 4 Series Convertible to this new car and they should make it significantly better to drive. Some new spy photos have just surfaced of the new topless 4 Series and, in them, it’s wearing almost no camouflage. (We don’t own the photos, see them here)
In these photos, we see a couple of regular 4 Series Convertible variants doing some light road testing while wearing very little camo. Only their rear ends are covered in the famous swirly black and white wrapping, due to the fact that we’ve already seen the face of the 4er.
What’s interesting about these photos is that, in all of them, the roof is up, so we get to see what the 4 Series Convertible looks like when it’s not looking it’s best. That’s important for a few reasons but they all have to do with the type of roof the 4 Series now uses.
This new generation of 4er uses a fabric roof, rather than the folding metal hardtop of the previous-gen car. Because the new roof is a soft-top, it actually looks a bit more elegant than the old hard-top, which looked like a coupe that was left out in the sun too long. More importantly, the fabric roof is significantly lighter, which not only lowers the curb weight but also the center of gravity, making it handle better.
Another aspect of the 4 Series Convertible we’re curious about is rigidity. The previous car had the torsional rigidity of a wet napkin with the top down, allowing potholes to vibrate the cabin like cheap motel bed. Considering that the 8 Series Convertible and new Z4 Roadster are as solid as bank vaults with their tops down, we’re optimistic that BMW got this one right as well.
Overall, we’re pleased with how the new 4 Series Convertible looks (grille aside). It looks elegant and premium, like a budget drop-top GT car, which is how it should look and — hopefully — how it feels.
[Source: Car Scoops]
