BMW reveals new M235i Convertible

BMW has today announced the brand new 2-Series Convertible. There are many variants to choose from. You are probably interested in only one.

The new BMW M235i Convertible. It's the first convertible ‘M Performance' car (think of it as a Diet M Division car), and like the Coupe, comes with that lovely 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine.

You're looking at 326bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds (or indeed five dead, if you choose the eight-speed auto gearbox).

There's also a handy 332lb ft of torque on offer between 1,300rpm and 4,500rpm, and a limited top speed of 155mph. BMW tells us the suspension and damping characteristics of this drop-top M car have been tweaked to cope with "the requirements of the open body style", the roof's motors, levers and mechanisms accounting for the extra 70kg of bulk over its Coupe brother.

You'll also get all the standard M235i goodies on the Convertible too, like the limited slip diff, M Sport brakes, and M Performance aero styling tweaks.

Elsewhere, the basics of the new BMW 2-Series Convertible are thus: it gets a newly developed, electrically powered fabric roof with insulation and acoustic ‘comfort', capable of opening and closing in 20 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph. Which should make for some interesting high-street scenes.

Other engines on offer include the 220i and 228i Convertible (four-pot turbo petrol engines, 184bhp/245bhp), and the 190bhp four-cylinder diesel in the 22d Convertible. All variants come with a standard six-speed manual. And interestingly, that 228i-which-isn't-a-2.8 will sprint to 62mph in 6.1 seconds. Not too shabby.

The body's torsional rigidity has been increased by 20 per cent over its predecessor (that'll be the 1-Series Convertible), and a ten per cent increase in bending strength. It's also some 11 centimetres longer than that 1-er too, gets strengthened A-pillars and spring-loaded rollover bars (the latter in the event of the car turning over, obviously).

Inside it's the usual BMW 2-Series fare, including the ‘Professional' radio system and iDrive operating system as standard. The display size ranges from 6.5in to 8.8in, and there's a range of options to lighten your wallet too, including a Harman Kardon audio system.

Prices start from £29,180 for the 220i Convertible, rising to £37,710 for the M235i Convertible. Have a click through the pics and tell us what you think of the new 2-Series drop-top.