BMW 4 Series Convertible

BMW 4 Series Convertible
/

Full 2014 BMW 4 Series Review

What's New for 2014

The 2014 BMW 4 Series is an all-new model.

Introduction

What's in a name? At first glance, it might seem like the new 2014 BMW 4 Series is little more than a clever  BMW marketing ploy to dig deeper into your wallet. Here you've got plus-one on the BMW Richter scale. Yet compared to the related 3 Series, you're paying more (almost four grand when new) for plenty of identical hardware, two fewer doors and less practicality than the sedan. Hey, what gives? But take a closer look and you'll see that the 4 Series justifies its premium and fortifies BMW's position as a creator of exceptionally desirable luxury coupes and convertibles.

The 2014 BMW 4 Series is a replacement for the previous 3 Series coupe and convertible, and it shares its underpinnings with the latest-generation platform that started with the sedan in 2012. But more so than in the past, the new 4 Series is distinguished by a sleeker presence than the sedan. Its low-slung, low-cabin profile is impressively sporty and highlighted by flared fenders and a character line rising from the front fender to the rear taillights. The specs back up this visual impression: The 4 Series is about 2 inches lower to the ground than the sedan, and its wheels are pushed farther outward for improved handling stability and grip. Special styling details, such as vents just aft of the front wheels (BMW claims they improve aero efficiency) further differentiate the 4 Series.

Underneath the 4 Series sheet metal you'll find two of the same efficient yet powerful engines that BMW offers in the 3 Series sedan. Base BMW 428i models get the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Rated power doesn't really change (241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque), but BMW's engineers have dramatically enhanced its aural characteristics; instead of workaday thrumming, you get a revvy, inspiring soundtrack not unlike a classic BMW straight-6. Should you want the real thing, of course, there's the top-spec 435i model and its 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder.