BMW’s new 4 Series Convertible gets a new photoshoot in Germany. Featured here is the 2021 BMW M440i xDrive Convertible painted in the new San Remo Green color. This new BMW 4 Series Convertible is obviously based on the brand-new 4 Series Coupe, so it gets all of the same new styling elements and mostly the same mechanics. Obviously the biggest change is that its roof folds down.
Last-generation’s 4 Series Convertible used a folding metal roof, making it a hard-top convertible. This new drop-top 4er ditches the folding metal roof for a 40-percent lighter, less complex soft-top and it’s all the better for it. Not only does reduce weight but it also lowers the center of gravity, as that weight loss is up high in the chassis structure.
Thanks to having a much more compact roof structure, the new 4 Series Convertible gains an additional 1.2 cubic feet of trunk space, bumping it to a total of 9.0 cubic feet. One cool aspect of this new soft-top roof is the fact that it comes in two different colors. There’s the standard black roof, which is rather obvious, but there’s also the optional Moonlight Black roof, which adds a metallic shimmer to it in direct sunlight.
BMW has gone to work to increase the torsional rigidity and strength of this new 4 Series Convertible. Additional front bracing connects the front shock towers to the bulkhead as well as the front end and more bracing was added to the rear axle as well. New side skirts with additional rigidity have been added, as well as a sheer panel to the front end, a new rear floor plate and a reinforced transmission tunnel. All of which are designed to make the Convertible as close to the Coupe, in terms of rigidity, as possible.
Aside from those Convertible-specific changes, this new topless 4 Series is still a 4 Series. So it still handles every bit as well; thanks to the same as-standard lift-related dampers or adaptive suspension; and gets the same engines. In the US market, there will be the BMW 430i Convertible and BMW M440i Convertible, both of which will be offered with either standard rear-wheel drive or optional xDrive all-wheel drive.
The BMW 430i gets the same 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the Coupe, making 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. While the BMW M440i Convertible still gets a 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-six with 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The M440i also gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup.
San Remo Green and not only is it fabulous but it’s also just one of several new interesting colors. Portimao Blue Metallic, Artic Race Blue Metallic, Sunset Orange Metallic and Bluestone Metallic all combine with the standard suite of BMW colors to offer a more complex pallet than most other BMWs. They’re all welcome additions but San Remo Green is the most exciting.
