By: Denis Droppa
Austin, Texas - When the car’s launched in South Africa in March, local buyers of the new BMW 2 Series Convertible will be able to experience a month or three of top-down driving weather before the chilly weather sets in.
That wasn’t the case at its international launch in Texas a couple of weeks back, where the northern hemisphere winter froze any ambitions to drive roofless for any length of time. I wasn’t brave enough to share the cockpit with those chilly grey skies, but I did test the function that allows the electrically-operated roof to be peeled on or off in just 20 seconds while the car’s being driven at up to 50km/h - a handy feature that you don’t have to come to a stop.
Optionally, the soft-top can also be opened and closed remotely with the key fob when you’re standing next to the car.
The 2 Series Convertible succeeds the soft-top 1 Series that was the best seller in its class, and the car’s grown a little in length and width to provide more passenger room, along with 30 litres more space in the boot (now 280 litres with the roof folded and 335 litres with the roof up).
The body stretching hasn’t exactly transformed this into a minibus, and the rear seat’s still best suited to children even though you can squeeze an adult in there at a push.
You don’t expect stretch-out space in a 2 Series, anyway. What you do want from any car wearing that blue-and-white badge is a certain level of driving entertainment, and here the small soft-top Beemer delivers. Its 50/50 weight distribution and 20 percent improved torsional stiffness, together with that typically meaty BMW steering, make for a car that feels rewarding to drive when your adrenaline meter is cranked up high.
Driving on those Texas roads I could feel barely any scuttle shake from this Beemer’s body, no creaks and groans to betray the absence of a solid roof - it’s a very solid feeling package. The ride comfort was also comparatively plush.
THREE DERIVATIVES
BMW has improved the cloth roof’s sound deadening to reduce wind noise by half with the roof closed. The improvement is noticeable and even when driving at speed I didn’t have to raise my voice to hold a conversation.
Another improvement is that glare on the instrument panel has apparently been reduced, although Austin’s grey and brooding skies didn’t provide an opportunity to test this out.
The 2 Series Convertible will make it to South Africa in three derivatives: 220i, 228i and M235i, all using existing engines from the BMW stable. The two lower models are both powered by a two-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol, tuned to provide 135kW and 270Nm in the 220i, and 180kW/350Nm in the 228i.
The three-litre turbo flagship M235i thrusts a lively 240kW/450Nm to the rear wheels for a claimed performance figure of 0-100km/h in five seconds flat with the help of launch control. The 228i is no slouch either with its six-second 0-100 ability, while the 220i covers the same sprint in 7.5 seconds. The two more powerful models have 250km/h top speed limits while the 220i will reach 236km/h.
Each will come in six-speed manual guise or eight-speed Steptronic auto. The equipment lines offered are Sport and Luxury, which will cost the same, and the more expensive MSport package.
High safety levels across the board include multiple airbags, stability control, and anti-locking brakes, along with rear rollover bars that pop up should you manage to invert the car. The standard fitted Driving Experience Control allows drivers to select between comfort, sport and economy modes.
PRICES
220i - R486 500
220i AT - R504 500
228i - R525 000
228i AT - R543 000
M235i - R643 500
M235i AT - R663 600
Star Motoring