First Impressions

One of the better pure-sports coupes in recent memory, the BMW 2 Series, wowed us with its great dynamics and raucous power. Now, it’s been chopped and dropped, the top that is, for a 2 Series Convertible.

As the hardtop, the Convertible comes as the 228i, or the M235i. The former grabs 240 horsepower from a 2.0 liter turbo I4. The latter, though not an all-out M version, gets 320 horsepower from a 3.0 liter turbo inline 6.

Both mate to an 8 speed automatic transmission. Now you’d get our blessing taking either powertrain, but the M235i is still the real gem. The one drawback for northern buyers, unlike the Coupe 2 Series, xDrive all-wheel drive is not available with the six.

The great thing about modern convertibles is that they’re not nearly as people and cargo space compromised as decades prior. The 2 Series also retains its tight and taught drive, with little or no cowl shake, despite the loss of the roof.

ZACH MASKELL: “The soft top can be opened, or closed, in under 20 seconds at up to 30 miles per hour. BMW also managed to cut noise in the front by 5 decibels, and 7 decibels in the rear, when the top is closed.”

JOHN DAVIS: On sale now, the 2015 BMW 2 Series Convertible can be had for $39,000.