BMW does a retractable hardtop without forgetting its sporting roots

One always wonders if the next new BMW is going to feel as good as the last one did when driven on an open road. Better yet, make it a road with a twist and a bend or two, all the better the feel the g forces that such a well-balanced, powerful and comfortable machine is capable of as it blasts through the countryside.

Long known as the maker of tightly focused and solidly built high-performance coupes and sedans, these days BMW makes a full range of vehicles that are more often known for their over-the-top technological content and a luxury-brand image that’s recognized from Seattle to Cape Town.

Yet performance, luxury and a bevy of electronic doodads don’t always blend together in the most harmonious package. Some BMWs have had their high-performance heritage smothered under the deadening weight of numbing smoothness or so many high-tech electronic “innovations” that they emerge blessed with all the grace of a toddler stuck at a late cocktail party.

Which brings us to BMW’s newest product, just in time for summer: the slick 3 Series convertible, which now comes complete with an oh-so-trendy folding hardtop that disappears into the trunk at the touch of button. To see if BMW still makes its cars feel as good as they used to, we drove both versions of the new convertible in Florida, from Miami’s South Beach down to the Keys.

Smooth power

We drove a 328i, which has a 230-horsepower inline-six under its hood, and a 335i, which is blessed with a twin-turbocharged version that’s good for 300 hp. Both engines are showcase products for a company that proudly has “Motor” as its middle name. Rarely produced today, the straight-six configuration has an inherent balance that’s only found on even rarer flat-six and V-12 engines — and certainly not on everyday four-bangers, dime-a-dozen V-6s and hulking V-8s.

The smaller engine, which we drove with the six-speed manual transmission, was smooth as a turbine, responsive and quick to wind up, with more than enough power to please a driver accustomed to old-time BMW performance. The more powerful six was equally smooth and, contrary to the performance of other turbo engines, highly responsive — for the two small turbos react faster than one big one, a central reason for using a dual setup.

The 300-hp car was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission (a $1,275 option) that can be shifted manually with the console-mounted shifter or by two stylish paddles behind the steering wheel (another $100 on the 335i). This transmission shifted faster than any manual-shifting automatic we’ve ever driven, so fast that it could even please a passionate stick-shift user.

A day behind the wheel demonstrated that these two convertibles provide the dynamic excitement that has been typical of BMWs in the past. Good handling, smooth engines. So far so good.

Impressive innovation

The operation of the folding hardtop provides onlookers with a mesmerizing mechanical ballet. Touch a button, and, with the clipped motions of a Star Wars robot, the roof lifts off the passenger compartment, pauses, folds up upon itself and regally disappears rearward under cover of a giant trunklid. Choose the $500 Comfort Access option, and you can start this show from the key fob.

When the top is closed, driver and passenger have no sense of riding in a convertible: There is no shaking, wind noise or the hot or cold drafts typical of canvas-topped cars. When the top is down, the BMW provides the same carefree ambiance of all convertibles, enhanced by an elaborate wind blocker that keeps noise levels reasonable even above 70 miles per hour.

The seats don’t get too hot sitting in the sun, thanks to a leather coating that reflects UV rays (the leather package costs $1,550 on the base 328i but is standard on the 335i). As a luxury accouterment, this retractable hardtop equals those found on a growing list of other cars — including Pontiac, Volvo, Lexus and Volkswagen — without detracting from the BMW performance experience. The prices on the two levels we drove, between $50,000 and $60,000 for typically equipped examples, also equal those of other luxury brands.

As for high-tech electronics, the new 3 Series convertible is notable for what it doesn’t have: BMW’s iDrive computer interface. That crude mouse-controlled system is an optional accessory bundled with a navigation system. So buy some road maps, or a portable GPS system, to avoid this technology, which we still see as misguided, even so many years on. Electronic stability and brake-assist controls are present, but they play a background role, rarely interfering with the finely calibrated feel of the car.

True, driving through the Florida Keys on a warm day, with blue water all around, would be just right in any convertible. But we found that, even with the distractions of the ravishing weather, while it was still winter in Santa Fe, the 3 Series convertible’s brand of time-tested BMW ultimate driving pleasure still strongly asserted itself. They still make them like they used to.

Now, with the big question answered, we’re looking forward to enjoying one of these spectacular new 3 Series convertibles during the spectacular Santa Fe summer, as soon as it can shake off all this snow.

William Agnew is a Santa Fe architect when he’s not on … ahem … assignment. E-mail him at drive@sfnewmexican.com.

2007 BMW 3 Series Convertible

• Base price: $43,975-$49,875
• Type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, four-passenger hardtop convertible
• Drivetrain: 230-hp 3.0-liter inline-six or 300-hp twin-turbocharged inline-six; six-speed manual or automatic
• EPA mileage: 19/28 to 20/30, premium unleaded
• Length: 180.6 inches
• Wheelbase: 108.7 inches
• Weight: 3,792-3,946 pounds
• Built in: Germany