BMW 2-Series Cabriolet

2015 BMW 2-Series Cabriolet

Last year, the BMW 1-Series Coupe has been replaced and renamed as the 2-Series Coupe following BMW's new naming structure where all saloons bear odd numbers while two doors bear even numbers but despite that, the 2-Series name, which is reserved for use with the 1-Series' 2-door equivalent, has been used for their minivans in the case of the front-wheel drive Active Tourer, which caused mayhem for Bimmer fans too many. Anyway, there's now a convertible version of the coupe version of the 1-Series, which is great on your weekend getaway but is it any good?

Under the bonnet lies the same choices from the hardtop equivalent such as the 136PS 1.5L engine from the 218i, 2.0L turbodiesel engine for the 220d, up to the top-of-the-line M235i whose 3.0L turbo engine develops 326PS of power. That's about the same as its hardtop and its M135i hatchback equivalent but even though it delivers the same stuff from its cousins, the cabriolet version is a hundred kilos heavier than its hardtop equivalent so, in the range-topping M235i model, it can do 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds (0.2 slower) and top speed normally limited to 250kph.

So, the cabrio may not be as fast as its hardtop equivalent but how about the way it moves? Well, despite the added weight, the cabriolet model behaves like the hardtop model. If you're in ordinary models, it feels good enough to cruise your brows all the way while in the range-topping M235i model, you can still enjoy the same thrill you'd expect from the hardtop equivalent. It may be as bland as a supermarket hotdog but it still has some taste that you can't get enough of or for better, you might expect some guilty pleasures not by driving in one of those but also by arriving in one of those. Hmmm...

As for value, this car is most likely to be passed out by some because the 2-Series Cabrio model is priced at 32,200 Euros, which is almost five grand more than its hardtop equivalent or a grand more than its chief rival, the Audi A3 Cabriolet, but you should know that the non-quattro models of the A3 Cabriolet are not as engaging to drive as the 2-Series Cabriolet so despite the one-grand-price gap between the 2-Series Cabriolet and the A3 Cabriolet, it's more fun to own than the Audi.

Photo: BMW