Now that the BMW 3-Series coupe is the 4-Series, the even-numbered car will be the one that gets a droptop version. (Unless BMW is also moving into the four-door sedan convertible niche, which is not entirely implausible.) After some leaked shots earlier this week, the 4-Series convertible made its official Internet debut tonight.
While I'm not crazy about how large it is compared to Bimmer coupes of the past, I'm actually a fan of the way the 4-Series looks. It's a sleek, attractive coupe, and I have to say that it's even hotter without a roof. The new 'vert (hardtop only, of course) doesn't seem as bloated as the outgoing 3-Series convertible did, and that's a good thing.
Like the 3-Series sedan and fixed-roof 4-Series, it will come in two flavors for us Americans: the 428i, with a 2.0-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower, and the 435i, with a 3.0-liter turbo inline six with 300 horsepower. And for the first time ever, you can get xDrive all-wheel drive as an option on the 428i convertible. Yeah, suck on that, A5 Cabriolet!
But be prepared to pay a pretty penny for this open-top 4-Series. Prices start at $48,750 for the rear-wheel drive 428i and $54,900 for the 435i. Expect it to go on sale in the first quarter of 2014.
More photos and info in the press release.