Woodcliff Lake, NJ - September 30, 2007 -- If pure driving pleasure means wind in the face, sunshine beating down on your head and a car that is in tune with the road but you don’t want, or can’t afford an uber-exotic machine, then you may be in luck.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible is heading to America and it’s a car that promises to deliver driving excitement designed for this era just as the much loved BMW 2002 sport sedans did when they were introduced in 1968.
The key secret ingredients that promise to make this compact four-place convertible a hot item on these shores is the responsive six-cylinder engine slipped into a rear-drive chassis in the correct position to deliver balanced, sporty driving.
The 128i Convertible, joins the new 1 Series Coupe going on sale in the spring of 2008, will be powered by BMW's 3.0-liter, 230 horsepower inline six-cylinder engine generating 200 lb-ft of torque. Like its fixed-roof stablemate, the 128i Convertible will feature Valvetronic valvetrain management and a combination of aluminum/magnesium cylinder block construction.
If that’s not enough get up and go, you might want to wait for the 135i Convertible, on sale later in 2008. It will feature BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque from as low as 1,400 rpm. With its direct piezo gasoline injectors, twin low-mass turbochargers and air-to-air intercooler, optimum performance and economy is achieved with no loss in engine response. For the 135i Convertible, acceleration from 0-62 mph is accomplished in 5.6 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Both engines feature on-demand engine coolant pumps that improve fuel economy and reduce parasitic losses for increased efficiency.
One feature the iconic 2002s lacked was an automatic top. Let me be the first to say that there is absolutely no romance attached to getting out of the car and wrestling with getting the top down. The new 1 Series Convertible Beemers take a mere 22 seconds (even on the move at speeds up to 25 miles per hour—yes even on the move) to go from top up comfort to top-down driving pleasure.
If it starts to rain or your significant other decides the wind in the hair experience is not as much fun as it looks in magazines there’s no reason to get grumpy. You don’t have to pull over. Just flip a switch and the electro-hydraulically-operated softtop can be raised within the same 22 seconds. Purists may only love the top-down profile but these cars look good with our without the top.
Either way you get the famed BMW silhouette enhanced by long frameless doors. The same great styling features of the BMW kidney-shaped grill, front skirt, door sills and rear skirt that are identical to those found on the 1 Series Coupe. Everyone will know that this is a BMW.
The standard softtop is available in either black or taupe cloth, but an optional Moonlight Black version is unique to the 1 Series Convertible. Interwoven with fine shiny metallic fibers, this distinctive top produces a shimmery metallic silver appearance in sunlight. The visual effect enhances the convertible's range of nine colors which includes an exclusive hue that’s been dubbed Cashmere Silver Metallic.
A distinctive feature of the 1 Series Convertible is the flared shoulder line which runs parallel to the road. This shoulder line flows from the hood past the A pillar to the trunk lid, forming a surface which encompasses the entire interior, giving the impression of a boat deck.
The view from the rear is set off by the position of the softtop: with the top lowered, completely concealed in the tail, the look is flat and elegant; the designers wanted the appearance with the top up to be broad shouldered. The trunk lid has an integrated spoiler set into the rear end of the car that accentuates the short rear section. On the 135i, an additional lip spoiler provides greater downforce on the rear end at high speeds.
The standard (on the 135i) Adaptive Xenon Headlights (optional on the 128i), complete with integrated cornering lights, are there to make driving in the dark safer. The daytime headlight function, in typical BMW style, uses the four corona rings around each headlight to enhance the visibility of the car under normal and "murky" light conditions.
Convertible interior features technology enhanced comfort, convenience
Two unique BMW 1 Series Convertible features provide increased driver and passenger comfort, thus improving the overall experience regardless of the top's position. The optional Boston leather incorporates BMW's Sun Reflective Technology where pigments worked into the upholstery mitigate the effect of the sun's ultraviolet rays. Excessive heating of the seats and armrest is diminished, especially for darker interior colors. The overall effect can produce surface temperatures some 20 degrees Fahrenheit below a comparable "normal" leather interior.
The standard upholstery is a sporty and comfortable “Leatherette,” which is also the covering on the optional Sport Package's sports bucket seats with enhanced side support (real leather can be selected for this package).
The climate-control system in the 1 Series Convertible has an additional convertible mode (compared to the system in the BMW 1 Series Coupe) designed for open-roof conditions. The three standard modes; gentle, medium and intensive, react primarily to interior sensors, while the convertible mode reacts less to interior temperature and more to the exterior temperature and sunlight factors to establish the intensity of the ventilation.
Turbulence in the roof-down cabin can be reduced by an available wind deflector which can be affixed to the sides of the vehicle with a few adjustments. The wind deflector allows for conversation at normal sound levels and the ability to enjoy the sound system. There are a number of different options here that can make your drive a rocking or symphonic experience. From SIRIUS satellite radio, HD radio, an optional Premium Sound system and Bluetooth or a simple and straightforward connection to your favorite MP3 player, with a standard auxiliary input jack. For techno adventuresome there is an optional USB port that will give you direct control of an Apple iPod or iPhone media player.
The control console for the entertainment and climate-control functions is integrated into the dash with the optional navigation system. The BMW iDrive controller is integrated in the center console, following BMW's characteristic sense of what “full driver control at all times” means.
This convertible actually has a trunk that’s supplemented by folding seat backs and a storage bag. The joy, allure and romance of a convertible is the notion that you can take off for a fun weekend getaway. This means you need to take your stuff. Any convertible that doesn’t let you do that is just a grocery-hauler without a top. BMW promises that an active couple will be able to fulfill their weekend road trip urges and stash enough gear in trunk of the 1 Series Convertible regardless of the season. For instance, Ttwo golf bags will fit in the trunk of the new 1 Series Convertible - even with the top down. Lowering the soft top produces a storage space that is 8.48 cubic-feet, which does not include the optional large storage bag that extends into the passenger compartment and can accommodate two snow boards or a golf bag without soiling the upholstery. A zippered opening allows access into the storage bag from within the passenger compartment. OK, not enough room for a couple of steamer trunks but this is for madcap, spirited adventure not a safari.
In traditional BMW style, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible transmits the power of the engine to the rear wheels. This design concept and configuration - engine at the front, drive wheels at the rear - guarantees optimum traction, near-perfect weight distribution front-to-rear, excellent directional stability, and predictable handling.
The front suspension is also built to a standard quite unique to its competitive group. The new 1 Series Convertible shares the 1 Series Coupe's sophisticated suspension system with an aluminum double-pivot front suspension and a five-link fully independent rear suspension in lightweight steel to offer an optimum combination of stiffness and low weight. The very stable track control arms and thrust rods make an important contribution to the car's driving dynamics and provide exacting wheel control.
The standard BMW Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) includes a Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) function that provides electronic intervention to prevent loss of vehicle control, but at a higher threshold before activation. This allows the driver to experience more spirited driving on dry roads and offers more flexibility when driving in more challenging conditions such as in the snow. If the driver desires, both DSC and DTC can be disabled. Active Steering, a variable ratio steering system exclusive to BMW, is available as an option.
The rear differential on the 1 Series comes from a new generation of final drives optimized for running smoothness. Featuring double-helical ball bearings for the first time, the differential runs at an even lower operating temperature reached more quickly than before thanks to the reduction of fluid required in the differential. Like the 1 Series Coupe, the Convertible features an electronic limited slip function built into the vehicle's Dynamic Stability Control system.
Safety is always a concern. The four standard airbags in the new BMW 1 Series Convertible are designed for the optimum protection of the car's occupants. The advanced frontal airbags are activated in stages in relation to impact severity while the side airbags integrated into the sides of the front seat backrests reduce the risk of injury at chest, hip and head levels in side impact situations. The new BMW 1 Series Convertible also comes with crash-optimized seats with specially padded headrests and backrests designed to reduce the risk of injury in an impact from the rear.
All seats within the 1 Series Convertible are fitted with three-point inertia-reel seat belts and headrests, with the front seat belts str fastened on the frames of the driver's and front passenger's seats, keeping the belt in an optimum position around the occupant's hips regardless of seat height or fore-aft placement.
Also, the driver's pedals move back automatically with a predetermined amount of deformation in the event of a frontal collision so that the risk of driver foot injury is reduced. And last but not least, the rear seats come standard with LATCH attachments for child seats.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible is equipped with a roll-over sensor, which continually monitors the vertical and horizontal movements of the vehicle. As soon as the sensors register the danger of the vehicle rolling over, two roll bars are extended in fractions of a second from their storage areas behind the rear headrests. Simultaneously, the front-seat-belt tensioners and the head airbags are activated. Further roll-over protection is offered by the optimized stability of the A pillar and windshield frame.
The Series 1 will be covered by BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty. All 2008 BMW passenger vehicles are covered by BMW's excellent Limited Warranty, which includes:
• New-vehicle warranty - four-year/50,000-mile coverage of the vehicle.
• Rust-perforation warranty - 12-year/unlimited-mileage coverage.
If you’re in the market for something fun, not too big with a real performance heritage then this may be the car you’ve been waiting for.
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