‘08 NAIAS: The 2009 BMW 1-series Convertible is Here

BMW introduced its 1-series convertible to North America this afternoon, rolling out the drop-top amidst a fanfare of lights, smoke, and spinning martial arts dancers.

The company will bring the 1-series convertible in 135i trim to the land of the free and the home of the brave starting this spring. Much to the glee of true driving enthusiasts and boulevardiers from coast to coast.

(Click on the jump to read more including BMW’s very long official press release.)

With everybody and their German mother calling the new 1 a reincarnation of the legendary 2002, we can’t wait for our turn behind the wheel for some top-optional motoring.

Enjoy our large live gallery of 1-series Convertible images, and then tell us what you think of the car in comments.

A new Dimension of
Open-Air Motoring Pleasure:
The new BMW 1 Series
Convertible.

Whenever the objective is to combine thrilling pleasure at the wheel with
a wonderful experience of sunshine and the wind rushing by, the new
BMW 1 Series Convertible immediately becomes the star of the show.
Indeed, this open two-seater extends the typical experience of driving
a BMW Convertible into a new dimension.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible making its world debut at the
2008 NAIAS in Detroit combines sporting elegance in design with the
outstanding agility of the world’s only compact car with rear-wheel drive.
Two powerful and efficient straight-six engines are available from the start
in introducing this new model into the US market. Particularly the top-of-therange
BMW 135i Convertible sets new standards in sports driving pleasure,
featuring a 3.0-litre straight-six with Twin Turbo and direct gasoline injection
and standing out clearly from the other models by the slightly modified
M Aerodynamics Package featured as standard.
The BMW 1 Series Convertible is a four-seater boasting electrohydraulic
operation of the soft roof opening and closing – if required also at low speeds
while driving – in just 22 seconds. As the first premium convertible in the
compact segment, this unique car opens up the door to the unparalleled
experience of driving a BMW Convertible, at the same time bearing out the
brand values so characteristic of a BMW in a particularly youthful and
aesthetic manner.
In its looks and appearance, the BMW 1 Series Convertible stands for modern
elegance all the way, the low shoulder-line running parallel to the road and
the dynamic lines of the soft top serving to make the car look very lean and
slender. The driver, the front passenger, and the passengers at the rear all
experience a feeling of openness characteristic of a BMW Convertible thanks
to the low waistline, thus enjoying an even more intense thrill of motoring in
the open air than a compact convertible is otherwise able to offer.
Exterior design: clearly a BMW at very first sight.
Benefiting from its compact dimensions, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible
is truly impressive not through its size, but rather through its self-confident,
positive design. The entire silhouette of the car with its long, frameless doors
is a visual expression of rear-wheel drive quite unique in this segment.
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The tense, muscular, concave/convex surfaces merge harmoniously with
the equally muscular wheel arches, giving the car a firm and athletic look also
from the side. The shoulder line very low for a car in this segment, finally,
stretches the entire vehicle and conveys all the elegance so typical of
a BMW Convertible.
A striking feature of the new BMW 1 Series Convertible is the flared shoulder
line running parallel to the road. Extending from the engine compartment
lid past the A-pillar all the way to the rear lid, the shoulder line visibly connects
the front and rear of the car with one another, forming a surface surrounding
the complete interior. Looking at the new BMW 1 Series Convertible
from a somewhat higher point, you even get the impression from the clearly
accentuated shoulder line of a boat deck.
Optical effect of the soft top highlighting the contours of the rear end.
The rear view of the new BMW 1 Series Convertible is influenced largely
by the optical effect of the soft top. As long as the roof is open, the horizontal
lines on the body develop their full effect and impact. With the roof disappearing
completely into the passenger compartment, the BMW 1 Series Convertible,
seen from behind, offers a particularly low, sporting and elegant look.
Once the driver closes the soft top, on the other hand, the contours growing
wider towards the bottom of the car reveal all their features and highlights.
The rear lid merges at the end into a discrete contour lip complete with the
integrated third brake light. This aerodynamic feature quite literally chiselled
into the car emphasises the short and snug design of the rear end and high
speeds ensures additional downforce on the rear axle.
In the L-shaped rear lights the reversing light and the direction indicators are
combined with one another to form a white strip. The rear light clusters also
comprise light bars made up of LED light units. Given this structure of the light
sources so typical of the brand, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible stands
out clearly also in the dark as a genuine BMW all the way.
Exclusive roof material with integrated gloss thread.
As a genuine premium car, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible offers a
number of surprising features in its design. The soft top, for example, is a
vailable as an option not “only” in classic Black or Beige, but also in Anthracite
with a special Silver effect. In this case the soft fabric roof developed as
an exclusive feature for the BMW 1 Series Convertible unique the world over
is enhanced by fine gloss threads, giving the material a sophisticated
metallic shimmer creating beautiful reflections in sunlight.
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The wide range of body and interior colours available underlines the youthful
character of the new BMW 1 Series Convertible, powerful colours and
intense contrasts between the exterior and interior generating a special effect
harmonising the exciting design of the car and the driving experience
characterised by unique agility.
BMW 135i Convertible in a unique look and with supreme
aerodynamics.
The BMW 135i Convertible comes as standard with a modified M Aerodynamics
Package, the larger central air intake leading up to the top next to
the numberplate panel. The smaller air intakes at the side, in turn, border
on special flaps slightly flared to the outside, this very different design giving
the front end of the BMW 135i Convertible a particularly wide and muscular
look. A further feature exclusive to the front end of the top model is the use
of chrome-plated bars in the kidney grille.
Featuring an additional light contour, the side-sills of the BMW 135i
Convertible give the side panels an even more muscular, lower and sleeker
look accentuating the low-slung appearance of the car’s silhouette. The rear
end, in turn, emphasises the wide track of the car in particularly clear and
convincing style. A more reserved optical feature with a strong aerodynamic
effect is the diffuser on the BMW 135i Convertible integrated in the rear
air dam beneath the bumper and finished in matt Anthracite.
Interior design: premium quality with sophisticated materials.
The interior of the BMW 1 Series Convertible blends smoothly and elegantly
with the surrounding exterior surfaces. Proceeding from the BMW 1 Series
Coupé, the interior design has been matched to the particular style and
requirements of an open-air car, the various features of body and interior
design interacting with one another and mutually enhancing their effect.
The particular design of the car’s waistline merges smoothly with the widely
flared shoulders and the rear lid, creating an overall impression of harmony and
elegance. The transition from the exterior to the interior, in turn, is highlighted
in very special style by the all-round Chrome Line featured as standard.
The interior offering space for up to four occupants is absolutely equal,
through its sophisticated materials, the clear arrangement and structure of
individual features, and the sophisticated functional design of all details to the
interior of other cars in higher segments. The surfaces on the upper doorsill
extending back from the windscreen continue smoothly and harmoniously to
the rear end of the passenger compartment.
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The cockpit, by contrast, is characterised by sweeping, horizontal lines,
with the upper section of the instrument panel finished in Black. High-quality
grain on the surfaces of the instrument panel, the door linings and centre
console, finally, further enhance the special flair of special quality.
The door openers, the air vent adjusters, the surround on the start/stop button,
the touch bar on the ashtray, the opener on the glove compartment, the
control knobs and buttons for the audio and air conditioning, as well as the
ornamental trim on the optional leather sports steering wheel and the optional
iDrive Controller are all finished in a special galvanised pearl gloss surface.
The insert integrated in the door panel between the upper doorsill and the
armrest follows the surrounding lines in its contours and is finished in the
same material as the seats of the car. With optionally available leather upholstery
covering in the BMW 1 Series Convertible not only the seats themselves
but also the armrests on the centre console and the doors comes complete
with decorative seams providing an extra touch of quality.
Innovative seat leather in Sun Reflective Technology.
The leather upholstery available in the BMW 1 Series Convertible offers all
the benefits of innovative Sun Reflective Technology used by BMW as
the first car maker in the world to reduce the generation of high temperatures
on the surface as a result of sunlight. When treated with Sun Reflective
Technology, the leather is enhanced by special colour pigments reflecting
the infra-red radiation in sunlight. As a result, the temperatures otherwise
experienced on the seat surfaces and armrests as a result of excessive
sunlight can be reduced dramatically.
Innovative air distribution control in the BMW 1 Series Convertible ensures
an even higher standard of comfort through the automatic air conditioning with
the roof open: Over and above the usual three settings Gentle, Medium, and
Intense, the automatic air conditioning comes with a special Convertible mode
for use with the roof open. As soon as the driver chooses for this particular
mode, ventilation control is no longer influenced that strongly by the current
temperature inside the car. Instead, the air conditioning is masterminded
in particular as a function of the outside temperature and solar irradiation in
determining the intensity of the air ventilation effect.
The optional wind deflector reduces air swirl within the interior above all at
higher speeds. Fitting into special mounts in the side panels, the wind
deflector rests firmly in position easily and conveniently within a matter of
seconds.
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Through-loading with transport bag: more space for
sports equipment.
With its luggage capacity of 260 litres or 9.1 cu ft, the BMW 1 Series
Convertible offers unusually large transport capacity even with the roof
open, unparalleled by any other convertible in this segment.
Once the driver has closed the soft top, he is able to conveniently swivel
up the variable panel separating the roof from the luggage compartment, in the
process increasing luggage capacity to 305 litres or 10.7 cu ft. The specially
developed rear-seat backrest, in turn, gives the BMW 1 Series Convertible
an even higher standard of function again quite unique in this vehicle segment.
The optional available trough-loading to the rear, coming complete with a
transport bag, is higher and wider than conventional through-loading systems
of this kind, giving the driver and front passenger even greater freedom in
taking along sports equipment and other bulky items. Indeed, the transport
bag is large enough to take up two snowboards or a full-size golf bag, to
mention just two examples. And even with the roof open, two full-size golf
bags fit conveniently into the luggage compartment.
BMW EfficientDynamics: greater driving pleasure and enhanced
fuel economy.
The straight-six power units available in the new BMW 1 Series Convertible
offer dynamic performance, motoring efficiency and running smoothness
in typical BMW style. They are based on the BMW EfficientDynamics
development strategy and come with a wide range of innovations optimising
both fuel economy and exhaust emissions. The various improvements
introduced in the interest of enhanced efficiency are used in appropriate
combinations on each model, naturally coming as series equipment.
These improvements are not limited to engine technology alone – the
reduction of friction forces, re-configuration of the combustion chambers,
reduction of weight, optimisation of the fuel/air mixture process by means of
VALVETRONIC or High Precision Injection, precise control of the combustion
and air guidance processes – but rather also include the various ancillary
and support units.
On-demand operation of the coolant pump.
Motoring efficiency is further enhanced by on-demand, energy-saving
operation of the coolant pump: the new electrical coolant pump does not
operate merely as a function of engine speed, but rather as a function
of temperature, thus cutting in only when really required.
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This intelligent operation of the pump serves to enhance engine efficiency,
power uptake of about 200 watt amounting to only about one-tenth of
the power required for a conventional pump running permanently even
when not required.
BMW 135i Convertible:
featuring BMW’s most powerful straight-six.
The most sporting and dynamic model within the new range is the BMW 135i
Convertible driven by the most powerful straight-six within BMW’s entire
engine range. Combining Twin Turbo Technology with High Precision Injection,
this light-alloy power unit offers technology unique the world over in this
engine category. With its displacement of 2,979 cc, the engine develops
maximum output of 300 hp at an engine speed of 5,800 rpm and peak torque
of 300 lb-ft, available from just 1,400 rpm. The result of this superior power
and muscle is incomparable spontaneity when setting off and accelerating,
fascinating pulling power not only from a standstill, and virtually inexhaustible
power reserves offered by this very special engine in BMW’s open two-seater.
Acceleration to 62 mph in the BMW 135i Convertible comes in 5.6 seconds
(provisional figure). And the top speed is limited electronically to 130 mph
(also provisional). This raises the top model in the range into the ranks of the
most thoroughbred sports cars, while at the same time keeping fuel
consumption to the lowest level in this segment.
High Precision Injection plays a key role in the concept for maximum fuel
efficiency: As the second generation of direct gasoline injection, this revolutionary
system uses injectors positioned directly next to the spark plugs in the
cylinder head and delivering fuel into the combustion chambers at a pressure
of 200 bar. The result, clearly, is extreme precision in the dosage of fuel.
Over and above its outstanding power and performance, the BMW 135i
Convertible comes as standard with a wide range of other features for unique
driving characteristics. Apart from significant distinctions on the exterior
with the modified M Aerodynamics Package, these features include the
M Sports Suspension, individual set-up of DSC Dynamic Stability Control, an
electronically controlled locking function on the differential, an even more
direct control map for Servotronic steering power assistance, and even more
spontaneous response of the gas pedal control map.
BMW 128i Convertible:
the normal-aspiration alternative in the six-cylinder league.
The new BMW 128i Convertible likewise features a straight-six within the
engine compartment. Displacing 2,996 cc, this naturally aspirated power unit
develops maximum output of 230 hp at 6,500 rpm and peak torque of
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200 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm – quite enough for acceleration in the BMW 128i
Convertible to 62 mph in 6.4 seconds (provisional figure) and a top speed
limited electronically to 130 mph (also provisional).
Weighing just 161 kg or 355 lb, the six-cylinder power unit makes an important
contribution to the harmonious balance of axle load in the BMW 128i
Convertible, thus helping to enhance the car’s superior agility and handling on
the road. A feature helping to make the engine particularly light is its crankcase
made up of a magnesium shell and an aluminium insert. A further point
is that the cylinder head cover as well as the bedplate are also made of
extra-light aluminium, with the lightweight camshafts developed especially
for this straight-six again serving to optimise the weight of the engine.
Fully variable VALVETRONIC valve management and the electric coolant
pump operating on demand are further features serving to enhance the
efficiency of the engine. As a result, the BMW 128i Convertible ranks No 1 in
its performance segment in terms of both acceleration and fuel economy.
Automatic transmission with Steptronic function.
As an alternative to the manual gearbox, all engines available in the new
BMW 1 Series Convertible may be combined as an option with six-speed
automatic transmission. With its special converter technology, the automatic
transmission not only reduces energy losses but also gives the engine
an even faster response and shortens gearshift times to a minimum. Directly
connected to the engine, the automatic transmission further enhances the
dynamic character of the car and ensures precise selection of gears allowing
the driver to skip one or several gears when shifting down in a hurry.
Benefiting from BMW Steptronic, the driver is also able to shift gears
manually either via the gear selector lever in the centre console or wire
paddles on the steering wheel. This paddle shift is indeed standard
on the BMW 135i Convertible with automatic transmission.
Elaborate suspension with EPS Electric Power Steering and Active
Steering as an option.
It almost goes without saying that the new 1 Series Convertible is a BMW
through and through. So it is only natural that the car conveys its power to the
engine via the rear wheels. The rear axle is a five-arm configuration tailored
to the particular demands and requirements of a very powerful and high-torque
drive unit. The front axle, in turn, features a standard of technology and engineering
quite unique in this segment, the double-joint spring strut tiebar axle at
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the front combined with an anti-roll bar being made largely of aluminium.
Apart from low weight, this also guarantees a high standard of all-round
stiffness and stability on all components.
As an option the BMW 1 Series Convertible is available with the world’s only
Active Steering for even greater precision and steering comfort. While
Servotronic featured as standard varies the steering effort required, Active
Steering varies the steering transmission ratio as a function of road speed:
At low speeds the same movement of the steering wheel turns the front wheel
further than at high speed, enabling the driver, for example, to manoeuvre
into and out of a parking space with minimum effort and maximum ease.
At high speeds, in turn, Active Steering makes it easier for the driver to remain
precisely on course.
Dynamic driving programs for perfect control of the car.
Apart from ABS anti-lock brakes, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible comes
as standard with DSC Dynamic Stability Control preventing the rear of the
ar from swerving round under critical driving conditions (oversteering) or the
wheels “pushing” out of a bend (understeering) by applying the brakes as
required on the appropriate wheels and reducing engine power accordingly.
Networked with the optional Active Steering, DSC is also able to prevent the
car from swerving when applying the brakes on surfaces with different frictional
coefficients such as dry asphalt at the left and wet asphalt on the right
(modal split application of the brakes), by counter-steering appropriately in
the right direction and with the right force.
Features included in DSC are ASC Automatic Stability Control, CBC
Cornering Brake Control, as well as DTC Dynamic Traction Control activated
whenever required for optimised traction and pulling force. DTC also allows
greater slip on the drive wheels, enabling the driver to set off for example
in deep snow with the drive wheels intentionally slightly spinning. And as yet
another function, DTC allows even more dynamic lateral acceleration all the
way to a controlled power slide in bends.
Whenever he wishes, the driver may of course deactivate DSC completely at
the simple touch of a button.
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Electronically controlled limited-slip differential improving traction
in the BMW 135i Convertible.
To ensure optimum traction under high engine power and muscular torque,
the new BMW 135i Convertible comes with a number of special improvements
for enhanced traction. The particular focus in developing these features was to
support a sporting and ambitious style of motoring, for example when
accelerating out of a bend or hairpin.
The electronically controlled locking function on the differential, to mention the
first of these improvements, ensures optimum traction in the DSC-off mode,
that is with DSC Dynamic Stability Control completely deactivated. In this
process a drive wheel spinning in a tight bend is slowed down appropriately as
required by the brake, improving the car’s traction without exerting a negative
influence on its steering behaviour.
Both the BMW 135i Convertible and the BMW 128i Convertible come as
standard on 17-inch light-alloy wheels. In addition, the BMW 135i Convertible
features an M Sports Suspension as well as high-performance brakes as
further standard features, the latter incorporating six-piston fixed-calliper brake
units at the front and two-piston fixed-calliper brakes at the rear, finished
in exclusive Grey paintwork and proudly bearing the letters “BMW” in white.
Airbags and rollbar for superior safety.
The safety concept boasted by the new BMW 1 Series Convertible is based
on the solid body structure of the entire model series. High-strength steel,
additional reinforcements and special deformation units serve to either absorb
a lot of the impact energy even in a severe collision or to guide such energy
along defined load paths away from the passenger compartment shell.
Both the car’s crash safety and its driving dynamics benefit from the exceptional
torsional stiffness of the body. Indeed, the BMW 1 Series Convertible
offers a level of torsional strength quite comparable to that of the extremely
dynamic and at the same time extra-safe BMW 3 Series Convertible. And as a
further highlight typical of BMW, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible fulfils all
legal requirements applicable in the international car markets for both active
and passive safety, thus offering optimum prerequisites for excellent results in
all crash tests relevant the world over.
Within the interior carefully harmonised restraint and support systems
masterminded by the car’s central safety electronics ensure maximum
occupant safety on all four seats. Featured as standard, four airbags give the
occupants in the new BMW 1 Series Convertible optimum protection on
the road, the frontal airbags operating in two stages consistently providing
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the restraint and safety required as a function of impact severity. Side airbags
integrated in the front seat backrests, in turn, inflate in a collision from the side
up to the level of the occupant’s head, thus reducing the risk of injury at hip,
chest and head level.
Crash-optimised front seats reducing the risk of injury in a collision
from the rear.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible comes as standard with crash-optimised
seats, special padding on the headrests and backrests significantly reducing
the risk of injury in a collision from the rear.
All seats come with three-point inertia-reel seat belts and headrests, the rear
seats are fitted as standard with ISOFIX fasting points for child seats at the
rear. The pedals moving to the front in the event of a head-on collision and the
footrest giving way smoothly under load serve furthermore to reduce the risk
of foot injury for the driver.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible comes as yet a further feature with
rollover sensors permanently monitoring vertical and horizontal movements of
the vehicle. As soon as the safety electronics register the risk of a rollover,
two rollbars resting behind the rear-seat headrests move up within fractions
of a second. The belt latch tensioners for the front seats and the head/thorax
airbags are also activated in the same process.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible offers an above-average standard of
excellence also in the area of active safety, with a range of features and equipment
carried over from higher vehicle segments. As an example, bi-xenon
headlights featured as standard as well as adaptive headlights including
bending lights make driving in the dark even safer in the BMW 135i.
The combination of such comfort and safety functions is indeed quite unique
in this market segment, with the daytime driving lights in typical BMW style
with two corona rings in each headlight unit enhancing perception of the car
under normal and diffuse light conditions. And last but certainly not least, twostage
brake lights operating as a function of the force applied on the brake
pedal give motorists following from behind a particularly clear warning when
applying the brakes in an emergency.
The entertainment programme:
greater versatility with an AUX-in bush and iPod interface.
The audio systems available on the new BMW 1 Series Convertible come as
an option and as a supplementary feature to the regular AUX-in bush with
a USB interface integrating various versions of the Apple iPod as well as other
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external MP3 players completely into the car’s audio system. The entertainment
programme enhanced to a new level in this way is masterminded by
the control buttons on the audio system or, as an alternative, by iDrive control
featured in the BMW 1 Series Convertible in conjunction with the optional
navigation system. In this case the Apple iPod is supplied with the power
required through the car’s on-board network.
Vehicles not fitted with a navigation system and BMW iDrive come with
an additional, illuminated glove compartment as an option in the middle of the
dashboard. A further option in this case is to fit two cupholders in the centre
console behind the gearshift or gear selector lever. As yet a further supplementary
feature or an alternative to these cupholders, an add-on cupholder
is also available for the centre console.
Using the central Controller – even featuring voice entry as an option –
the driver is able to operate all secondary and comfort functions through
iDrive Control with optimum ease and convenience, masterminding the car’s
communication, air conditioning, entertainment, and navigation functions.
iDrive is furthermore equipped with programmable favourite buttons for direct
operation of functions used particularly often, such as destinations in the
navigation systems, radio stations or specific telephone numbers.
Quite exceptional in a convertible:
M Sports Package as an option straight from the factory.
The new BMW 135i Convertible comes as standard with a modified
M Aerodynamics Package. The BMW 128i Convertible, in turn, may be
upgraded as an option with various components from BMW M GmbH
for enhanced looks and technical qualities.
The M Sports Package on the BMW 1 Series Convertible comprises aerodynamically
optimised panels on the rear and front bumpers including
foglamps and special side-sills. And last but not least, the M Sports Package
may be combined with the exclusive body colour Le Mans Blue Metallic.
The sports seats in the M Sports Package are available either in a combination
of cloth and Sensatec or, as an option, in leather. Further special features
from the wide range of M equipment in the new BMW 1 Series Convertible
include door entry trims with an M logo, an M leather steering wheel, and the
M footrest for the driver’s left foot. The gaters on the gearshift lever and
handbrake as well as the handbrake handle are finished in soft nappa leather,
with the wide range of interior features being rounded off by trim strips in
aluminium Glacier Silver accentuating the sporting character of the cockpit.
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The range of special products from BMW M GmbH for the new BMW 1 Series
Convertible also includes light-alloy wheels in two different styles of M design
combined in each case with different tyre sizes front and rear. As an alternative
to the “regular” wheels measuring 17 inches, 18-inch light-alloy rims
are available exclusively in conjunction with the M Sports Package, again
highlighting the sporting character of the new BMW 1 Series Convertible as
by far the most sporting alternative in this segment.
The new BMW 1 Series Convertible – a new entry into the world of
open premium cars.
Regardless of the engine chosen and the range of equipment the driver
prefers, the BMW 1 Series Convertible offers a unique driving experience in
its class. As a result, this is the first compact car of its kind providing such
exclusive driving pleasure in an open premium model.
In its concept and design, the BMW 1 Series Convertible, therefore, naturally
boasts all the features typical of a Convertible from BMW. The car’s looks
are characterised by fascinating elegance, the occupants enjoy the incomparably
intense experience of driving in the open air. So driving pleasure of
this calibre, in direct contact with the sun and wind rushing by, fulfils all of the
expectations the BMW 1 Series Convertible arouses from the start through
its youthful and fresh flair and design.