Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: No data available
Marvellous-sounding V8 engine, well-engineered convertible, fun to drive.
Licence-losing capability, not enough steering feedback.
If you want a fast, comfortable, sporty, open-topped cruiser, you can't do better than the latest M3 Convertible.
There's something about alfresco motoring that hits the automotive G-spots of us Brits. Despite the variable quality of our weather, we love to go topless at the slightest excuse - which is why we're the second-biggest market for convertibles in Europe.
And we also love BMW's motorsport-inspired M cars: in fact, we love them so much, only the Yanks buy more of them than we do.
Add these two phenomena together and what you get is a receptive UK market for the new M3 Convertible.
The final variant in the current M3 generation line-up still manages to chalk up some firsts: it's the first M car to feature a retractable hard-topped roof; the first M3 Convertible to be powered by a V8 engine; and the first BMW to feature the all-new seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
The Convertible largely offers the same driving experience as the other two models, but its drop-top nature gives it a significantly different appeal. While the Coupe is the enthusiast's weapon of choice and the Saloon is the stealthy option, the Convertible screams, in its high-pitched V8 wail, 'Look at me!'
As you'll gather from 4Car's reviews of the other M3s, we think the M3 Coupe is good, but lacks a certain specialness, and the M3 Saloon is a bit more interesting, purely because of its wolf-in-rabid-sheep's-clothing appearance. The Convertible has a different character again, worming its way into your affections thanks to its exuberance, its sheer joie de vivre, despite its loud, flashy character.
It also benefits from the fact that there actually isn't much else on the market quite like it. If you want a powerful open-top GT, and since the RS4 is no longer in production, there's the Mercedes CLK 63 AMG, the Jaguar XKR convertible and... well, that's it. As good as those two cars are in their own ways, the M3 Convertible just about trumps them as a driving machine - and it's 10 grand cheaper than the Merc and 20 grand less than the Jag.
So if you have £54,760 and want to wind up the neighbours, this is probably the car with which to do it.
