The leaves are changing color, so it comes as little surprise that BMW has announced a series of fall updates for the European market. While much of the company’s focus is on the impending launch of the i4 and iX, the automaker hasn’t forgotten about ICE models as the 4-Series Convertible is gaining three new variants. The first is the M440i Convertible, which features a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 369 hp and 500 Nm of torque. It’s paired to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission that sends power to the rear wheels via an M sports differential. This setup enables the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds slower than the all-wheel drive variant.
It’s being joined by a new M440d xDrive Convertible, which has a 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel engine that produces 335 hp and 700 Nm of torque. It’s connected to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, which allows the model to run from 0-100 km/h in five seconds flat. That’s pretty impressive for a diesel and the company noted the drop top also comes with an M sports differential. Last but not least, there’s the 430i xDrive Convertible which has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 242 hp and 400 Nm of torque. Thanks to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the dash to 100 km/h takes 6.3 seconds which makes it a tenth of a second faster than the rear-wheel drive variant.
The other big news is a Unique Forever Edition for the i3 and i3 s. It features a unique paint job – Aventurine Red metallic with Frozen Grey metallic accents or Storm Bay metallic with Frozen E-Copper accents – and a black insert on the rear bumper. Buyers will also find Vernasca Dark Truffle leather, dark matte oak trim, a Carum grey roof liner and front headrests with “Unique Forever” embroidery. There’s also “One of 2,000” badging, which reflects how limited production will be.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the X1 xDrive18d and X2 xDrive18d will now come equipped with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission, while an assortment of different models will gain new paint colors such as Aventurine Red metallic, Skyscraper Grey metallic and Frozen Pure Grey metallic. Furthermore, the My BMW App has been updated to include “comprehensive information on the condition of the vehicle’s tires” as well as storage of images transmitted by the Remote 3D View service.
Lastly, the iX3 gains an intelligent thermal management system similar to the i4 and iX. When the navigation system notices the driver will need to stop at a charging station, it will automatically precondition the battery before arrival to ensure the “battery is at the ideal temperature for charging at maximum power on arrival.”
