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.
Like the other two cars in the M3 line-up, the M3 Coupe and M3 Saloon, the Convertible is hugely impressive on the road.
The 4.0-litre V8 is a superb engine: with 414bhp on tap at 8,300rpm and 295lb-ft of torque available from low down in the rev range, there's always plenty of power to call on. And it has the added advantage of sounding glorious, especially with the roof down. Like any other M series it is, of course, quick: it takes 5.1 seconds to get to 60mph.
The throttle response can also be a little keener, thanks to the M Drive button on the steering wheel, which allows the driver to configure the car's set-up (which can be adjusted via the iDrive) according to their personal preferences.
The big story with this version of the M3, however, is the new seven-speed M DCT automatic gearbox. We've always had major reservations about the previous generation SMG 'box, but thankfully the M DCT is a whole new transmission ball game.
Developed for the M3 with Getrag, the 'box uses two clutches, one of which is always engaged, so the power delivery is uninterrupted. There's a fully automatic mode, or changes can be made manually using a standard gear shift and steering wheel-mounted paddleshifts.
On the road, this means that there's none of the jerkiness that came with the SMG transmission, except when you really work the engine and change at peak revs (in M mode, a series of lights above the rev counter lights up to show when to change). Apart from these occasions, the changes are smooth and instantaneous, making it comparable to Audi's S tronic 'box and the latest AMG Speedshift MCT transmission. It's a significant advance for BMW automatic transmissions and the sooner we see it in the M5 and M6 the better.
In common with the other M3s, the ride in the Convertible is compliant, especially if you opt for the Electronic Damper Control (EDC), which allows you to switch between Comfort, Normal and Sport settings.
The car also handles very well, but despite having a hydraulically assisted set-up, the steering still doesn't have that sense of feedback that a driver needs in order to have total confidence in what exactly the tyres are doing.
