Price from £33,950
MPG up to 67.3
Top speed 155mph
My friend sometimes talks about her father’s “reversing face”. As a child, sitting in the back, vinyl seats sticking to her bare legs, she’d watch her dad prepare to reverse – always a big deal back then. The gearstick would be wrestled with, the mirror adjusted, an arm would be stretched across the back of the passenger seat and, finally, mouth open, tongue lolling, there’d be some grunting followed by: “Get your head down, for God’s sake!”
It makes me think about my “driving face”. Do I even have one? I asked my wife and she said I often go a bit “Geoffrey Palmer”. That’s not the look I’ve been going for.
The faces we wear at the wheel could be used to make our driving safer. BMW has announced a three-year project with Loughborough University to determine your state of mind from the look on your face. Anger and disgust, for instance, can be read by computer software linked to embedded cameras. These expressions of “emotional stress” indicate your driving is compromised. The vehicle’s computer could then decide to take action. It could limit your speed or stop the car altogether. It could activate passive safety features or maybe a stern verbal warning: “Get a grip, you dick!”
Anyway, a look of anger or disgust would be unlikely in BMW’s new 4-Series convertible. It’s more likely to be one of beatific serenity. The car replaces the much-loved 3-Series convertible. It uses the body and interior of the new 4-Series coupé, replacing its fixed roof with a clever three-piece folding hard top. In the past few years there has been a move away from folding tin tops back to traditional fabric roofs – the wisdom being that hard tops are quieter and safer, but also heavier and bulkier. And this means they ruin the aesthetic line of a car. This BMW, however, sidesteps that bulbous rear end and still looks sleek and balanced.
The roof engineering does add a lot of weight though: almost 300kg. That’s like driving around with three rugby props in the back – which would obviously be good for banter, but it’s crap for driving dynamics. The car is still fast and gloriously smooth, but it doesn’t have the electric snap of its coupé sister. That didn’t bother me: I seem to be driving more slowly and more conservatively with each passing year (amber now means brake, not floor it), but aggressive drivers might prefer something less tame. A range of engines and specs are on offer. The most economical is the 420d, while the most powerful is the 435i.
Inside, the roofed and the roofless are identical and both are proper premium. Leather flows unchecked. The infotainment screen looks like an iPad that’s been casually propped on the dash, which makes it seem like an afterthought. It also features a touchpad controller which you can write on with your finger. Why?
There’s the usual host of smart technologies to keep you safe and comfortable on the road, including a full rear camera with parking alerts. So you’ll never need to make your reversing face again.
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
