2009 BMW 1-Series Cabriolet Preview

2009 BMW 1-Series Cabriolet
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BMW has released first pictures of a drop-top version of the 1-Series. The car, which will be known as the 1-Series Cabriolet, is a four-seater, rear-wheel-drive machine and will go on sale next spring.

The roof is canvas rather than metal, and can be raised or lowered in 22 seconds at speeds of up to 25 mph. It’s available in either black or taupe cloth, but there’s an optional Moonlight Black version which will be unique to the car. Interwoven with metallic fibers, the hood produces a shimmering silver appearance in sunlight. And for such a compact car, BMW says storage space should still be good. It claims two golf bags will fit in the trunk of the car even with the top down.

Power will come from a variety of engines. The 128i will get BMW's 3.0-liter, 230-hp straight-six engine generating 200 lb-ft of torque. The same engine with twin-turbochargers will be tuned to produce 300 hp for the 135i. This will be the performance model, giving a 0-62 mph time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph.

There will also be two non-U.S. models featuring newly developed four-cylinder powertrains; the 120i with 170-hp and the 118i developing 143-hp. A four-cylinder diesel, the 120d offering 177-hp, will also be available.

The interior of the car has two unique features, and the first is optional Boston leather that incorporates sun reflective technology. Pigments worked into the upholstery mitigate the effect of the sun's ultraviolet rays. The second is a climate-control system that has an additional Cabriolet mode designed for open-roof conditions; as such, it reacts less to interior temperature and more to the exterior temperature and sunlight factors.

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