BMW 4 Series 435i Cabriolet Review: Blow dry beemer

What we like:

Beautiful design that looks just as good with the roof up or down. Nicely weighted steering that feels direct and precise.

What we dislike:

Not quite as performance oriented as the coupe but makes up for it by being an open-top.

The svelte cabriolet is powered by the same N55 3.0-litre twin scroll turbocharged straight six as in the coupe. And it churns out the same healthy numbers as the coupe, at 306bhp and 400Nm of torque from just 1,200rpm. In the topless transition, the car’s century sprint time is 0.4 seconds slower compared to the coupe's 5.5 seconds. But that’s not to say the cab is a slouch as it will still put a good number of sports cars in their place at the lights.

Having driven this engine on several different platforms before, the N55 and 8-speed ZF gearbox partnership is a sublime combination. Power delivery is very BMW with linear acceleration throughout the rev range with very little lag from the engine.

BMW has strengthened the chassis further with high and ultra-high steels to maximize chassis stiffness to make up for the missing roof. Torsional rigidity has improved by 40 per cent compared to the previous generation. This translates to a car that drives no differently from its coupe counterpart with zero scuttle shake that was a problem frequently associated with cabriolets that had insufficient body rigidity.

The cabriolet rewards with a beautifully weighted steering and a direct steering feel that allows you to thread it accurately through bends with ease. However, when compared to the coupe, the additional 295kgs becomes quite evident when going from bend to bend where some of its agility is muted by the additional weight.

Where the 435 Coupe is an outright performance car, the cabriolet feels closer associated to a robust cruiser that will have no problem munching up the miles. It is comparable to the E-class cabriolet but edges slightly ahead in the handling department.

When it comes to a comfortable four seater coupe/cabriolet with decent power and acceleration coupled with snarling sports car design, you can’t go too wrong with the 435 Cabriolet. But if you’re looking for more power, the BMW M4 is fast approaching on the horizon with plenty under the hood to assuage any boyracer urges.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline