This is ‘one’ BMW you’ll certainly be seen in – it’s the new 1-Series Convertible! Following on from the Coupé version, these are the first official pictures of the striking drop-top, which will further extend the model range when it goes on sale here in the spring.
The newcomer allows BMW to steal a march on arch-rival Audi, as it will arrive in showrooms ahead of the A3 Cabriolet (Issue 975), which is due in summer 2008. With an electric folding cloth roof, leather trim and a 306bhp turbo petrol engine for the flagship, the 1-Series is certain to be a hit.
As with the Coupe, the Convertible adds a curvier lower spoiler, sporty door sills and a shapely rear bumper to the baby BMW’s design. But the biggest change is the roof.
The electrically operated soft-top can be raised or lowered in 22 seconds at speeds of up to 25mph. It folds completely flat at the touch of a button, leaving a simple rear deck with a third brake lamp integrated into the bootlid spoiler and new LED tail-lights.
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