335i convertible: What’s not to love?

Every roadster owner knows the drill.

You’re out for a summer-evening spin, the air spilling across your skin like warm silk. Now and then, you float along on a fragrance cloud given off by one blossoming plant or another. The rise and fall of the exhaust note is soothing, meditative.

Just you, your car and Mother Nature.

But then Ma drops a chill that seizes you by the scruff of your neck. Then another, and another. Until, finally, unless you’ve had the foresight to bring a jacket, you give into the inevitable.

In olden times, the Putting-Up-the-Top ritual was five minutes of wrestling with naps, tonneau covers and ill-fitting canvas tops.

But the world has changed. Even the humble Mazda MX-5 Miata now offers an optional, electrically operated hardtop.

And BMW has introduced its hardtop conversion version of the 3 Series.

Grand Tourer or Sports Car?

At first blush, Miami seemed like a less than optimal location for our first look at the 3 Convertible.

Every road in the region looks like it was laid out with a straight rule.

There’d be no lust-for-life Bimmer-tossing in hard, quick corners. No trail braking through diminishing-radius, off-camber sweepers.

There’d be no fun, that is. Not in the way automobile journalists define it.

But BMW had good reasons for dragging us to Miami. Miami is glam-central, especially during Spring Break, and where better to show off your glamorous new droptop (and it is gorgeous; its simple, elegant lines seem born for the top-down look)?

Besides, as BMW brass took pains to point out, the 3 Convertible is less sports car and more grand-tourer.

It comes with the territory. The absence of a fixed roof reduces body rigidity, which impacts suspension tuning and, hence, handling characteristics.

In truth, though, few drivers have enough skill to exploit the superior dynamics of the 3 Series sedans and coupes, so the point is essentially moot.

Good Things Expected

The 2007 3 droptop joins a crowd of newly minted hardtop convertibles and suffers from the usual drawbacks — limited in-cabin storage, miniscule trunk space, limited rear-seat room and, well, actually that’s about it.

“Just say ‘it’s perfect,’” advised a friend during a subsequent weeklong test of the 335i back on familiar Eastern Washington turf.

There are two choices of 3 Series convertibles. The 328i (from $43,975, including destination) is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six that churns out 200 horsepower. The 335i ($49,875) utilizes the same 3.0-liter engine block but adds twin turbochargers, and air-to-air intercooler and direct fuel injection to make 300 hp.

One expects good things of a compact convertible with a $44,000 base price. And, indeed, both trims come equipped with wide-ranging list of standard comfort, convenience and safety features. There’s even a new breed of leather that uses modified color pigments to reduce seating surface temperatures by as much as 36 degrees.

Amazingly, the stuff seems to work.

With the exception of marginal cupholders and minimal storage, front-seat occupants lack for nothing in terms of creature comfort. Though supportive and well bolstered, the sport seats in our tester were roomier and more forgiving than BMW’s narrow and extra-firm M Sport seats. The controls are straightforward and easily mastered. The fully adjustable driver’s seat and tilt and telescoping steering wheel make easy work of finding a comfortable driving position.

Rear-seat quarters are tight, but shoulder room is up 3.15 inches over the last generation convertible and hip room increases 4.72 inches.

The top takes up enough trunk space that the rear seat will mostly wind up being the place where the luggage and the groceries go.

High Standards

BMW may not consider the 3 Convertible a sports car, but those are high standards. The 328i runs 0-60 in 6.7 seconds with the manual and 7.2 seconds with the automatic. The 335i turns it in 5.5/5.7.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard on both models and a six-speed STEPTRONIC automatic is optional.

The 335i’s twin turbochargers spool up quickly, rendering turbo lag a non-issue. Power delivery is sure and swift and the transmission gearing is beautifully matched with the engine’s broad power band.

Our tester was equipped with the $1,300 Sport Package — it includes 18-inch alloy wheels, performance tires, sport-tuned suspension and sport seats — and handled accordingly. Balanced and nimble, the 3 Convertible exhibits minimal body lean in the corners, yet around town offers a ride even your mother would love.

Or at least not hate.

She’ll also love this lid. At the touch of a console-mounted switch, the lightweight, three-piece steel top executes an elegantly choreographed, 22-second dance. One moment, you’re nature’s own star-worshipper; the next, you’re cocooned cozily within a sedan-quality cabin.

No snaps, covers or latches to line up. What’s not to love about that?