Test drive BMW 3 series of E93 convertible since 2010 Cabriolet

Open topic

Red rocks. Fascinating landscapes of the desert. Mountains with snowy peaks and cloudless blue sky ... In BMW, they considered that the best place for the presentation of the new convertible of the 3rd series than the American state of Arizona could not be found.
This is the fourth generation of open cars created on the basis of BMW treships. For the first time in the lineup of the Bavarian company, a convertible appeared with a stiff folding roof. The market has received the next representative of the new-fashioned class of coupe-cabilets? In BMW, they reopen from such shortcuts, preferring a clear segmentation of their products: a compartment separately, convertibles separately. Yes, the driver and passengers of the latest BMW convertible, the 3rd series, now protects not a cloth top, but a folding steel roof, but this did not become more closed.
 
An open ride here is the motto of BMW convertibles on the basis of the 3rd series, explains Michael Brakfogel, one of the top managers of the project of an open threek, at the presentation. Our group also worked on the creation of a compartment of the 3rd series. Therefore, we clearly understood the different orientation of these cars. The compartment is a more sports car. The shape of the body, the atmosphere in the cabin, the characteristics of the engine and settings of the suspension of the compartment are designed to give birth in the soul of his driver, similar to those that the pilot of the racing car is experiencing. The convertible in our understanding is a completely different car. His driver and passengers are open to the sky, sun, wind. A trip on a convertible is a walk, not a speed competition. And we tried to make sure that the walk on this car was remembered not only by the sensation of the open sky, but also by the pleasure of the process of driving.
Building shoulders
The branded line of previous generations of open tremors was the low shoulder line of the body. The driver and passengers of the 3rd series of the 3rd series are not clamped by iron. Such a body construction gives rise to a feeling of freedom, air and light, and what other qualities can be more important for an open car?
In order to preserve the corporate identity, designers and designers of the new convertible had to solve more complex tasks than their predecessors who dealt with a cloth riding a small retreat: recall the file parts of the Opel Astra Twin Top, Peugeot 307 CC, PEUGEOT 307 CC. VW EOS. Full? The origin of the massive forms of these models is simply explained: in their trunk it is necessary to pack the bulky design of the folding hard roof. So, Dammlov sword of obesity hung over the new BMW convertible
 
In recent years, cars of the Bavarian brand have already gone for the hardware of design. It would be a shame if the BMW of the 3rd series was an example of an elegant style among the bbw. Fortunately, this did not happen. The designers managed to fulfill the wishes of the designers and compactly place three elements of a hard roof in the trunk, which allowed to preserve the low-shoulder line typical for BMW convertibles, continuing it in the back of the body. A short front overhang, a long hood and a long base visually lengthen the body and emphasize its dynamism.
 
With a raised roof, the car looks no less rapidly than with a folded one. The shape of the hard top made it possible to preserve one of the main generic features of the BMW famous bending of the hofmaster of the rear door. A curious feature of the appearance of the convertible lack of antennas on the body. Reception of the radio signal with a folded roof provides antennas in the side panels, with an antenna raised in the rear window. The antennas of the navigator and the phone are also built into the roof.
Arizona desert landscapes attract not only manufacturers of aviation equipment (the fact of the fact is located on the staff where Apache helicopters are produced). This is an ideal place for walking on a convertible: the roads laid in the desert are endless, and the rains here are unique. Arizona Earth of the Apaches, the warlike tribe of the Indians. But now they live peacefully in reservations, so you can not be afraid of a red -skinned warrior in Mustang. So go along the roads of Arizona on a convertible with a raised top of real blasphemy. We immediately folded the roof and set our pale physiognomy to the rays of the bright January sun.
The rigidity is not a vice
The road rested on the mountains. Climbing through the serpentine, I could not get enough control of BMW this miracle! Slasping is absolutely alien to this car. Outwardly open, the convertible is internally assembled, tightly compressed, like a fist of a professional boxer. According to BMW, the new convertible has the hardest body among all open models of the company. The pleasure of the management process is enhanced by active steering that can adjust the sharpness of the steering wheel depending on the speed. In order to turn around by 180, it is enough to turn the steering wheel for less than half a turn! At high speeds, the steering wheel, on the contrary, becomes less responsive. The convertible to high -speed straight lines is stable, it does not scour along the road, does not force the driver nervously strain, as is often the case with other cars, like BMW, loving fast turns. You get used to the good instantly and you begin to perceive the active steering wheel as something granted.
 
The own mass of the convertible by about 200 kg exceeds the mass of the coupe of the 3rd series. The weight gain is explained by the mandatory for the open car with additional beams in the bottom, as well as electric motors and hydraulic components necessary for the opening and folding of the hard top. At the same time, the designers managed to maintain a classic weight to the axes of 50:50 classic for BMW cars. To do this, I had to replace some steel body parts (not affecting rigidity and safety) in the front of the car with plastic ones.
 
For the pleasure of handling, you have to pay far from a standard smoothness of the course. Broken routes with small irregularities on the convertible is better to go around.
The flight is normal!
Additional weight in no way affected the dynamics, if we talk not about control measurements of speed, but about personal sensations. For an open threek, five engines options are offered. The most sports version of the machine is equipped with the first in the history of the brand in an in-line 6-cylinder engine with two turbochargers. From 3 liters of working volume, he gives 306 hp. and 400 nm. A little simpler of two 3-liter 6-cylinder engines with a capacity of 272 and 218 hp. For open threek, a 3-liter diesel and a new 4-cylinder engine with direct injection are also offered. I note that the direct injection technology for 4-cylinder engines BMW debuted on the new convertible of the 3rd series. A four -cylinder engine with a volume of 2 liters develops 170 hp. and 205 Nm. We got the top version of the convertible 335i for the test. Thanks to the use of two superchargers, each of which supplies compressed air into three cylinders, this engine does not have a turbo -sized effect. Small superchargers have a low moment of inertia and are able to create pressure without delay.
 
The biturgical engine accelerates an open treshka to 100 km/h in 5.8 s. It is strikingly elastic: the maximum of torque is available in the range from 1300 to 5000 rpm. The maximum speed of the machine is limited by electronics at a mark of 250 km/h.
 
Perhaps the only drawback of this motor is the consequence of its advantages. The engine gives rise to a sense of permissiveness and complete power over acceleration. Overtaking, starts from traffic lights, dynamic turns are so captured that you stop paying attention to fuel consumption. As a result, we burned a full tank, driving a little more than half of the route (about 300 km). Of course, if we had established the ardor, then perhaps we would have reached the declared fuel consumption of 9.9 l/100 km. But at the wheel of the BMW of the 3rd series, especially with such a motor, sometimes it is difficult to restrain emotions.
 
In general, it is not easy to talk about the disadvantages of convertibles. For example, I still have not met an open car in size similar to a three -lash, and even with a large trunk and spacious rear seats. Beauty, no matter how trite, requires sacrifice.
 
However, the Bavarian designers skillfully reflected the shortcomings of their convertible, traditional for other open cars. The rear seats can not be called additional, but they are equipped with a stylish console, effectively dividing the convertible salon into two symmetrical zones. So children and fragile girls in the second row will be comfortable. Between the backs of the two rear seats is a hatch for long -sized objects unique option for convertibles. If you travel together, then the second row can be safely used to transport baggage as an option, a special plastic cover is offered, elegantly closing the load on the rear seats from extraneous eyes.
 
Cabriolet car opened by the external environment. But the sun does not always shine above the head, and sometimes it is too hot. There is a solution for these cases. A hard roof covers the salon for 25 s, and is cleaned in the trunk for 22 s. For a hot climate, the option in the form of the finish of the seats and the salon with special skin Sunreflective, capable of reflecting the sun's rays, is useful. The use of this material in a dark-colored salon allows you to reduce the temperature of the surface of the seats and the interior decoration by 20. So, despite its hot disposition, the new BMW convertible will not burn. Even under the scorching sun, Arizons.
Technical characteristics BMW 325i Convertible
Dimensions, mm 4580x1782x1384
Base, mm 2760
Front/back track, mm 1500/1501
Equipped mass, kg 17301760
Engine type gasoline 6-cylinder
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 2996
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 218/6100
Max. moment, nm/rpm 270/2400
The transmission is mechanical
The rear drive
Max. Speed, km/h 245
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with 7.6
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 7.9
Tank volume, l 63
 
Igor Komarov
Photo by the author and the manufacturer
 

 

A source: Avtopanorama magazine