3-Series Marks BMWs First-Ever Folding Metal Roof
Things just keep getting better with the E90-generation 3-Series. It was launched to near unanimous praise for its poise and balance. Shortly thereafter came the Touring wagon version, and then after a rather lengthy delay came the Coupe. The two-door brought with it a twin-turbocharged 306 horsepower engine, now part of the sedan lineup too, and the availability of all-wheel drive. Finally, the last of the old-shape E46 3-Series, | | No more cloth top for 3-Series. (Photo: BMW) |
the convertible will be replaced, and from the looks of things, it will have been worth the wait.
The big delay comes from BMWs insistence on following the current trend that many luxury automakers are embracing with their new convertible models, offering its very | | Roof can be operated remotely. (Photo: BMW) |
popular 3 with a retractable hardtop. This is the first time that BMW has attempted to pull off one of these complex metal devices, but the benefits of safety, all-weather capability, security and refinement were too great to miss out on, even if BMWs quick dropping and well-insulated cloth roofs are amongst the best in the business.
The 3-Series Cabriolet roof is a three-piece unit made | | Trunk might be small, but rear seats can fold. (Photo: BMW) |
from strong steel. Powered by a series of motors, its capable of raising or lowering in 22 seconds, which is about average for a car of this type. With the roof up, theres 12.4 cu-ft worth of volume in the trunk (smaller than the old 3-Series Cabriolet, the new Volvo C70 and the Volkswagen Eos), which shrinks to a small, but acceptable 7.4 cu-ft when the roof is stowed. But the 3-Series does have the distinct advantage of having flat-folding seatbacks with ski pass-thru, which is odd considering that some models of | | Visibility and comfort are key improvements to the new car. (Photo: BMW) |
the 3-Series sedan dont even have folding rear seatbacks.
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