By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / photos BMW US Press Information
For 2018 BMW announced updates to the 4 Series convertible, the 4 Series embodies the very essence of dynamics and aesthetic appeal in the premium segment. The model update distinguishes the 4 Series cars even more clearly from their sister model series and ensures that this extra portion’ makes its presence felt both inside and out.
The BMW 4 Series Convertible.
The BMW 4 Series success story dates to September 2013 and the launch of the original BMW 4 Series Coupe. Shortly after the launch the convertible entered the U.S. market.
Styling cues derived from the spectacular BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe from 2012 are clearly visible in the design of the BMW 4 Series Convertible, with the new model including elements such as hexagonally shaped full-LED headlights, a large air intake with eye-catching bars and full-LED rear lights. The restyled nose expresses the model range’s dynamic overall personality to great effect. Crisp contours alternate with expansive surfaces to create a broad, sharply-contoured front end of three-dimensional muscularity that hugs the road in sporting fashion. The defining feature at the front is an unbroken central air intake that increases in size towards the outer edges, lending the entire nose section a more imposing presence and a greater sense of width. Standard Sport line features high gloss black finish surroundings enhancing the vehicles powerful and sporty character.
Twin headlights help ensure the front end of the BMW 4 Series models sticks to the traditional BMW design. The 2018 BMW 4 Series Convertible is equipped with new bi-LED headlights as standard. The headlights are composed of a familiar silhouette: flat-bottomed headlight tubes encircled by daytime running light rings and a dynamic cropped look produced by the characteristic eyebrow design. The tubes’ dark-colored holders give the interior of the headlight assemblies a clear, cool look. Standard LED front fog lamps remain standard. The 4 Series Convertible is now optionally available with a standout feature such as adaptive full-LED headlights, whose highly expressive light arrangement intensifies the front end’s dynamic and technically advanced appearance. The familiar layout with twin circular headlights has been incorporated into a hexagonal setting that creates an even greater sense of precision and sophistication than standard trim. The headlights have been deliberately designed to make the space-saving technology in the headlight tubes clearly visible.
New styling of the rear.
The bold horizontal lines and elongated design of the rear light clusters make the muscular wheel arches stand out. The widest point of the BMW 4 Series body is on a level with the rear wheels. The new rear apron accentuates the general impression of power. The modified positioning of the reflectors higher up at the vehicle’s tail makes it appear lower to the eye. A crisp contour line mirrors the outline of the outer air intakes at the front of the car neatly integrating its rear into the overall design language.
The redesigned rear lights give a fresh and technically sophisticated appearance. The characteristic L-shaped styling theme for the lights has been retained but in a reinterpreted form. The full- LED lights are no longer divided into individual light strips, with a sweeping curve in the outer section of the light assemblies giving them a perfectly homogenous look. The LED bars that taper towards the center of the vehicle take their cue from the styling of the optional full-LED headlights. The indicators now take up a larger area of the lights, with the inner section of each rear light also being used for the indicator function for the first time.
Interior.
The interior of the BMW 4 Series family delights with its own unique blend of sportiness and elegance. There is the distinctly sporty flair of the driving environment and then there are the high-class materials and long, graceful lines greeting the occupants in both the front and rear.
The BMW 4 Series Convertible, features an array of upgraded details that add to the cabin’s exclusive, high-quality feel. The air outlets, the control panels in the doors, the switch for the hardtop roof and the integral belt guides for its front seats now include electroplated finishes. The center console makes an even more elegant impression thanks to its high-gloss black cover panel, while double stitching on the instrument panel accentuates the interior’s driver-focused geometry. The sports steering wheel fitted as standard in the BMW 4 Series features a new rim wrapped in high-quality leather whose modified lining offers the driver a better grip. BMW has added Midnight Blue Dakota leather, Cognac Dakota leather and Ivory White Dakota leather to the offerings, which means a total of three new, very elegant upholstery colors complete with coordinated contrast stitching and piping can now be ordered. New choices for the interior trim strips include Carbon Aluminum. The BMW 4 Series Convertible is also available with a Luxury Package and M Sport Package. Customers also have a far greater number of possibilities open to them when configuring their car to their personal tastes, as more options can now be combined freely with one another than before.
New menu layout for the central information display.
The optional Navigation system includes a new user interface with six large tile-style icons distributed over two screen pages. Drivers can arrange the tiles by personal preference. These control pads provide direct access to the relevant functions as well as a live display of the linked content. The pad for the entertainment program, for example, shows the song that’s currently playing complete with album artwork, while the route the vehicle is currently taking appears on the navigation pad. Within the navigation menu, next steps are displayed. Overall, the system provides a great overview within navigation, music and the telephone settings.
Now available with the Executive Package, BMW offers the Multifunctional Instrument Display as an option, which gives the driver the choice of different display options depending on the driving experience mode selected. COMFORT mode brings a more classic display layout inspired by the traditional analogue instrument cluster. The standard displays show speed, engine revs, a fuel gauge, engine oil temperature, the current fuel consumption and the gear selected. If the super-efficient ECO PRO mode has been selected, the BMW Efficient-Dynamics technologies become the center of attention. The driver is notified of additional range and brake energy regeneration performance which aids the driver’s economical driving style. When SPORT mode is engaged using the Driving Dynamics Control switch, the Multifunctional Instrument Display focuses on performance-related readouts, such as vehicle speed, engine revs or the engine’s current output.
Performance.
By revising the 4 Series’ suspension, the BMW engineers have greatly enhanced the cars’ dynamic handling capabilities without compromise. The new BMW 4 Series Coupe and new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe both now come with stiffer suspension featuring more advanced damping technology and an upgraded steering set-up. With reduced roll, greater stability and the typical BMW steering characteristics, the BMW 4 Series shows tangible improvement in both lateral and longitudinal handling properties. This applies to the standard suspension, the M Sport suspension and the Adaptive M suspension. The new BMW 4 Series Convertible now also offers superior straight-line stability and steering characteristics.
All the gasoline engines offered for the new BMW 4 Series hail from the latest modular BMW Efficient-Dynamics family and are equipped with BMW Twin-Power Turbo technology. The new BMW 4 Series Convertible is available with 2 gasoline engines offering the following power ratings: the 430i with 248 hp and the top-of-the-range 440i with 320 hp. The BMW 4 Series Convertible come standard with the eight-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic transmission.
Summary.
The BMW 4 Series Convertible represents the latest chapter in the modern history of BMW Convertibles which dates to 1987 and the first BMW 3 Series Convertible, the 4 Series Convertible embodies the very essence of dynamics and aesthetic appeal in the premium segment.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price starts at $51,450.00, the one I drove the BMW 430i Convertible included the Snapper Rocks Blue Metallic Exterior Paint ($550.00), Luxury Package ($1,850.00) and Premium Package ($2,300.00), and it came in at $57,145.00 including destination charge ($995.00).
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
