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First Look: 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible
First Pictures of the 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible
The 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible is coming, and BMW wants it to blow you away.
Some six months from now, the 2009 BMW 1 Series will be introduced to America, a smaller, leaner and sportier driving experience from Munich. With the formal introduction of the BMW 1 Series convertible, it's clear that BMW wants the 1 Series to be not just a car but also a whole new BMW culture.
The BMW 1 Series convertible has reached production some five and a half years after it was first previewed by the BMW CS1 concept at the 2002 Geneva Auto Show. It's set to be introduced to America on the BMW display stand at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
A Gaggle of Cars
This new convertible is actually the third model in the 1 Series range, as the hatchback has been sold in Europe for three years and the two-door coupe joined the lineup this summer. Only the coupe and the convertible will be coming to America.
As these first official photographs reveal, the appearance of the 1 Series convertible is tied closely to the 1 Series coupe. The two share the same edgy mixture of concave and convex forms that BMW Design Director Chris Bangle explored with the CS1 in 2002.
It's a similar story underneath, as the new BMW gets the same rear-wheel-drive platform as its fixed-roof sibling, although the floorpan has been reworked with additional steel reinforcements in the sills and rear bulkhead to provide what BMW describes as class-leading levels of structural rigidity. Together with the new folding top, these measures add around 276 pounds to the package.
BMW has positioned the 1 Series convertible to enter its lineup between the hugely popular Mini convertible and the recently introduced 3 Series convertible, providing it with a formidable five-model range of top-down cars that also includes the 6 Series convertible and Z4 roadster.
Tale of the Top
The BMW 1 Series convertible measures 171.7 inches from front to rear, 68.8 inches in width and 55.6 inches high. This makes it 8.7 inches shorter than the 3 Series convertible, though only 1.3 inches narrower and 1.0 inch lower.
Folding hardtops have become the fashion in upscale convertibles like the 2007 BMW 3 Series Convertible, as carmakers attempt to add a measure of all-weather utility and overnight security to the traditional convertible formula. But naturally the more affordable BMW 1 Series Convertible has an electrically operated fabric top that folds compactly into the rear deck beneath a hard tonneau cover.
"The compact dimensions of the 1 Series convertible mean the packaging of the roof is already tight," a BMW insider told us. "We weren't prepared to trade off styling simply to have a folding hardtop. More often than not, a hardtop dictates the look of the rear, meaning you get an ungainly high trunk lid. It was different with the 3 Series convertible because we had a lot more space that we could utilize."
The electrically operated Z-fold top of the 1 Series has been engineered by Edscha, a German specialist that has done work for the convertible versions of such cars as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi TT, BMW 3 Series, Lamborghini Gallardo, Rolls-Royce Phantom and even the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
It's a typical Z-fold arrangement in which the top retracts beneath a hard plastic tonneau cover into a dedicated compartment in the rear deck. Once the top is out of sight, the 1 Series convertible has a clean and uncluttered look that's very reminiscent of the earlier CS1 concept.
Performance Numbers
BMW says the electrically operated roof can be opened and closed in 22 seconds at the press of a button. This isn't the quickest time on the convertible market, but it's certainly a best-in-class effort and speedy enough to get the job done at a stoplight. (It's also as quick as the effort from the 2007 BMW hardtop convertible can manage.) The 1 Series top can also be operated at speeds up to 25 mph.
The top will be available in the usual beige and black colors, but there's also an optional anthracite scheme that incorporates metallic fibers in the weave of the fabric. It creates a shiny appearance that BMW hopes will find an audience among buyers seeking something out of the ordinary.
This top arrangement naturally compromises trunk space to a certain degree. While the 1 Series coupe boasts 13.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the 1 Series convertible offers 9.9 cubic feet when the top is up and 8.5 cubic feet when the top is down.
BMW claims there's space for two golf bags, although it would appear to be a tight squeeze. An optional 60/40-split folding rear seat lets you extend the cargo area, and it comes with a luggage bag that's designed to swallow skis and snowboards.
The Other Performance Numbers
While European buyers of the BMW 1 Series can choose among five different engines, Americans have just two alternate engine choices for the 1 Series, and this goes for the convertible as well as the coupe.
The base-model 128i convertible gets the 3.0-liter version of BMW's classic, naturally aspirated inline-6. It delivers 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. BMW claims the car will hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 148 mph.
You'll also be able to step up to the 135i convertible that features the latest twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6. With 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, it'll whip Munich's new open-top car to 62 mph (100 kph) in just 5.6 seconds on the way to a top speed that is electronically limited to 155 mph. As a sign of the engine's tractability on the highway, BMW also says the 135i will accelerate from 50-75 mph in 4th gear in 5.5 seconds.
As with the 1 Series coupe, both convertible models will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, and the car's long list of options includes a six-speed automatic with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. While BMW continues to deny such a move, we believe the 135i is in line to receive BMW's forthcoming dual-clutch gearbox, although the timing of its introduction remains unclear.
BMW has lots of special technology to improve fuel economy and reduce air emissions that is available for the 1 Series in Europe, but so far the American version of the car will do without such features as the automatic stop/start mechanism, brake-energy regeneration system and a dash indicator for the optimum shift points for manual-transmission models.
BMW's Next Big Thing
So far, some 100,000 people have signed up to receive information about the 1 Series on BMW's Web site, and BMW executives are hoping that the 2009 BMW 1 Series Coupe and 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible will create the same excitement that the introduction of the Mini aroused.
First-year examples of the 1 Series in the U.S. are expected to carry special badging and come with a certificate of authenticity and a commemorative book to enhance collectibility.
Prices are expected to range between $30,000 and $35,000. There's no word on pricing out of BMW's North American operations just yet, but expect the 1 Series convertible to attract a solid premium.
Some six months from now, the 2009 BMW 1 Series will be introduced to America, a smaller, leaner and sportier driving experience from Munich. With the formal introduction of the BMW 1 Series convertible, it's clear that BMW wants the 1 Series to be not just a car but also a whole new BMW culture.
The BMW 1 Series convertible has reached production some five and a half years after it was first previewed by the BMW CS1 concept at the 2002 Geneva Auto Show. It's set to be introduced to America on the BMW display stand at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
A Gaggle of Cars
This new convertible is actually the third model in the 1 Series range, as the hatchback has been sold in Europe for three years and the two-door coupe joined the lineup this summer. Only the coupe and the convertible will be coming to America.
As these first official photographs reveal, the appearance of the 1 Series convertible is tied closely to the 1 Series coupe. The two share the same edgy mixture of concave and convex forms that BMW Design Director Chris Bangle explored with the CS1 in 2002.
It's a similar story underneath, as the new BMW gets the same rear-wheel-drive platform as its fixed-roof sibling, although the floorpan has been reworked with additional steel reinforcements in the sills and rear bulkhead to provide what BMW describes as class-leading levels of structural rigidity. Together with the new folding top, these measures add around 276 pounds to the package.
BMW has positioned the 1 Series convertible to enter its lineup between the hugely popular Mini convertible and the recently introduced 3 Series convertible, providing it with a formidable five-model range of top-down cars that also includes the 6 Series convertible and Z4 roadster.
Tale of the Top
The BMW 1 Series convertible measures 171.7 inches from front to rear, 68.8 inches in width and 55.6 inches high. This makes it 8.7 inches shorter than the 3 Series convertible, though only 1.3 inches narrower and 1.0 inch lower.
Folding hardtops have become the fashion in upscale convertibles like the 2007 BMW 3 Series Convertible, as carmakers attempt to add a measure of all-weather utility and overnight security to the traditional convertible formula. But naturally the more affordable BMW 1 Series Convertible has an electrically operated fabric top that folds compactly into the rear deck beneath a hard tonneau cover.
"The compact dimensions of the 1 Series convertible mean the packaging of the roof is already tight," a BMW insider told us. "We weren't prepared to trade off styling simply to have a folding hardtop. More often than not, a hardtop dictates the look of the rear, meaning you get an ungainly high trunk lid. It was different with the 3 Series convertible because we had a lot more space that we could utilize."
The electrically operated Z-fold top of the 1 Series has been engineered by Edscha, a German specialist that has done work for the convertible versions of such cars as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi TT, BMW 3 Series, Lamborghini Gallardo, Rolls-Royce Phantom and even the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
It's a typical Z-fold arrangement in which the top retracts beneath a hard plastic tonneau cover into a dedicated compartment in the rear deck. Once the top is out of sight, the 1 Series convertible has a clean and uncluttered look that's very reminiscent of the earlier CS1 concept.
Performance Numbers
BMW says the electrically operated roof can be opened and closed in 22 seconds at the press of a button. This isn't the quickest time on the convertible market, but it's certainly a best-in-class effort and speedy enough to get the job done at a stoplight. (It's also as quick as the effort from the 2007 BMW hardtop convertible can manage.) The 1 Series top can also be operated at speeds up to 25 mph.
The top will be available in the usual beige and black colors, but there's also an optional anthracite scheme that incorporates metallic fibers in the weave of the fabric. It creates a shiny appearance that BMW hopes will find an audience among buyers seeking something out of the ordinary.
This top arrangement naturally compromises trunk space to a certain degree. While the 1 Series coupe boasts 13.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the 1 Series convertible offers 9.9 cubic feet when the top is up and 8.5 cubic feet when the top is down.
BMW claims there's space for two golf bags, although it would appear to be a tight squeeze. An optional 60/40-split folding rear seat lets you extend the cargo area, and it comes with a luggage bag that's designed to swallow skis and snowboards.
The Other Performance Numbers
While European buyers of the BMW 1 Series can choose among five different engines, Americans have just two alternate engine choices for the 1 Series, and this goes for the convertible as well as the coupe.
The base-model 128i convertible gets the 3.0-liter version of BMW's classic, naturally aspirated inline-6. It delivers 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. BMW claims the car will hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 148 mph.
You'll also be able to step up to the 135i convertible that features the latest twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6. With 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, it'll whip Munich's new open-top car to 62 mph (100 kph) in just 5.6 seconds on the way to a top speed that is electronically limited to 155 mph. As a sign of the engine's tractability on the highway, BMW also says the 135i will accelerate from 50-75 mph in 4th gear in 5.5 seconds.
As with the 1 Series coupe, both convertible models will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, and the car's long list of options includes a six-speed automatic with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. While BMW continues to deny such a move, we believe the 135i is in line to receive BMW's forthcoming dual-clutch gearbox, although the timing of its introduction remains unclear.
BMW has lots of special technology to improve fuel economy and reduce air emissions that is available for the 1 Series in Europe, but so far the American version of the car will do without such features as the automatic stop/start mechanism, brake-energy regeneration system and a dash indicator for the optimum shift points for manual-transmission models.
BMW's Next Big Thing
So far, some 100,000 people have signed up to receive information about the 1 Series on BMW's Web site, and BMW executives are hoping that the 2009 BMW 1 Series Coupe and 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible will create the same excitement that the introduction of the Mini aroused.
First-year examples of the 1 Series in the U.S. are expected to carry special badging and come with a certificate of authenticity and a commemorative book to enhance collectibility.
Prices are expected to range between $30,000 and $35,000. There's no word on pricing out of BMW's North American operations just yet, but expect the 1 Series convertible to attract a solid premium.
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