The Convertible naturally stands out at very first sight as a genuine BMW M3. Over and above the aluminium engine compartment lid with its distinctive powerdome and the two openings for air intake, the car is also characterised by the functional design of the front and rear air dams, the specially designed gills in the front side panels also to be admired on the Coupé, the side-sills, as well as exterior mirrors and light-alloy rims in that unique design so typical of BMW M.
The front end is characterised by three large air intakes beneath the radiator grille supplying intake and cooling air to the engine. Sturdy, vertical bars border on the air intakes on either side and enhance the design language so characteristic of the car. Together with the double kidney grille characteristic of BMW and the low-slung headlight units with their bi-xenon main headlights featured as standard, these design highlights give the BMW M3 Convertible its highly dynamic look and appearance.
The overall structure of the car’s front end is determined first and foremost by the supply of air to the high-performance power unit, large sections at the front opening up to provide the naturally aspirated engine with a smooth flow of air. It is only obvious, therefore, that for reasons of technical and sporting considerations alone this BMW M Car again does without the foglamps otherwise featured on the BMW 3 Series.
Like on the BMW M3 Coupé, the side-sills come with particularly wide and muscular contours and, through their two interacting surfaces, provide a distinctive flow of air giving the car a lighter and more sporting appearance by making the side panels look even lower and more dynamic. In their design, the side-sills correspond with the shape of the striking body line running from front to rear at the level of the door opener.
Seen from behind, the new BMW M3 Convertible again stands out through its superior and powerful proportions. The lines along the side-sills and the rear air dam dropping gently and smoothly to the rear accentuate the philosophy of rear-wheel drive and the powerful stance of the car on the road. The contours of the harmoniously chiselled diffuser beneath the bumper, in turn, take up the specific shape and design of the air intakes at the front.
The air flow duct and the twin tailpipes for the exhaust positioned far towards the middle of the car appear to draw together the rear end at its lower centrepoint, creating awe-inspiring optical tension interacting powerfully with the horizontal lines of the bumper.
Despite all their similarity in character and style, the Coupé and Convertible are nevertheless quite different, without the slightest risk of confusion. Clearly, the unique design of the BMW M3 Convertible comes primarily from its hardtop – and from the possibility to open the roof whenever the driver and passengers desire.
With the roof down, the BMW M3 Convertible, particularly through its low-slung silhouette, offers a unique symbiosis of athletic style and sporting elegance. At the same time the hardtop gives the car its own individual lines when closed, the BMW M3 Convertible highlighting its identity among other things through the far more accentuated transition from the roofline to the rear as opposed to the more gentle and smoother line on the Coupé. A further point is that both the side window frames and the shaft covers come as standard in matt silver-glistening aluminium, with high-gloss Satin Chrome available as an option.
Special BMW M colours for even greater exclusivity.
Outside, the new BMW M3 Convertible is available with a choice of no less than four special M metallic paintwork colours highlighting in particular the contours and proportions of the body surfaces: Melbourne Red metallic, for example, combines outstanding brilliance with unique depth of colour.
Jerez Black offers highly interesting colour nuances through the addition of blue pearl pigments. Powerful Interlagos Blue, through the addition of red colour pigments, provides a highly attractive transition under certain light conditions into violet. And last but not least, Silverstone already featured on the BMW M5 and the BMW M6 is a light silver with a slight touch of blue.
The new BMW M3 Convertible is also available in Alpine White and Black as well as Sparkling Graphite metallic.
The interior
Creating the interior, the designers and other specialists at BMW M have successfully reached their objective to offer the occupants maximum driving pleasure in an ambience perfectly tailored to their requirements. This applies particularly to the driver’s seat, with all elements required for active motoring being modified accordingly and, through their enhanced functions, reflecting the exceptional power and performance of the BMW M3 Convertible.
As soon as the retractable hardtop folds up into the rear compartment, the driver and front passenger enjoy a truly incomparable open-air atmosphere further promoted by the low-slung shoulder line, the seating position moved far to the back, and the short windscreen. The result of this concept, obviously, is an optimum experience of open-air motoring.
The frame round the windscreen keeps a generous distance from the heads of the front passengers, allowing the sun and, to a pleasant degree, the wind to flow smoothly into and around the interior. A further highlight is that the occupants now enjoy an even more direct, undiluted experience of the V8 power unit with its unmistakable acoustics.
Despite the low and sporting seat position, the waistline of the car is also surprisingly low. And since this attractive body line flows almost parallel to the road all the way to the rear, the passengers on the two rear seats designed and finished as single seats also enjoy unlimited pleasure of driving in the open air. Lots of fresh wind as well as unrestricted visibility in all directions therefore characterise the unique experience of driving the new BMW M3 Convertible with the roof down.
Posted on
10.6.2011 @ 02:34