BMW 228i Convertible AT

Ironically, the weather forecast for the week read between minus one and eight degrees Celsius. It’s almost as if Mother Nature was working against us simply because BMW chose to launch the drop-top variant of its 2 Series in good ol’ Texas. Just as the skies were clearing, the world’s motoring media left to return to their respective corners of the globe…

Anyway, as the inclement weather didn’t lend itself to open-air motoring, it’s just as well that the 2 Series Convertible was unveiled inside the pit garages of the Circuit of the Americas motorsport complex. Being driven around a partition while the softtop was being lowered allowed us all to see just how fast the vehicle’s folding mechanism really is. Twenty seconds is all it takes to transform the experience from holed-in to top down, or vice versa a process that can be started at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

The 228i is powered by BMW’s 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine that’s fitted with direct injection, dual turbochargers and Valvetronic variable valve timing with dual Vanos. Its peak outputs of 180 kW and 350 N.m of torque are nothing to scoff at, and I quickly got up to the legal limit on the back roads that wind round the outskirts of the greater Austin area.

Despite the optional 18-inch rubber fitted to the test unit, I didn’t pick up too much vibration and scuttle shake in the cabin. The unnerving body flex that plagued this vehicle’s predecessor, the 1 Series Convertible, was mostly undetectable; although I must admit that the strict traffic regulations didn’t allow for much dynamic driving. BMW claims that the 2 Series Convertible is 20% stiffer than the model it succeeds. The fabric roof, now available in three colours, also has a part to play in the more sedate driving experience it features an additional layer of insulation that lowers cabin noise by up to seven decibels.

The Audi A3 Cabriolet will have a tough new competitor when the 2 Series Convertible hits local dealer floors later this month.

BMW 228i Convertible AT
Engine:2,0-litre, 4-cyl, twinturbo-petrol
Power:180 kW
Torque:350 N.m
Trans:8-spd AT
0-100 km/h:6,0 secs
Top speed:250 km/h
Fuel cons:6,7 L/100 km
CO2:157 g/km