Take It All Off! BMW Reveals Drop-Top 2015 M4 Convertible

BMW is adding another dimension to its ultra-high-performance family of M vehicles. The new M3 sedan and M4 coupe will soon be joined by a drop-top model.

Predictably, the 2015 M4 Convertible is basically a standard M4 with a retractable metal roof. Hopefully engineers did more than just attack the coupe with a can opener and dump the pieces in the trunk.

This car lets the sunshine in, and the rain fall on your head if you fold the roof down during a thunderstorm. Still, it’s got enough raw power to outrun unwanted precipitation.

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Exhilaration comes courtesy of a high-winding, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine. With a duet of turbochargers forcing air down its gullet this powerplant cranks out 425 ponies and 406 lb-ft of twist – identical numbers to its stable-mates. Quad exhaust tips punctuate the car’s rear end and make sure it can breathe easily.

Now, when it comes to acceleration the M4 Convertible promises to warp the fabric of space-time. When equipped with the optional M-DCT seven-speed dual-clutch automatic it can blitz from zero to 60 miles an hour in a blindingly fast 4.2 seconds. Cars featuring the single-clutch, six-gear manual can achieve the same velocity in a claimed 4.4 seconds all while having a lot more fun and not selling out to the man.

Helping this drop-top reach terminal velocity is light-weight engineering. The M4 Convertible’s hood and fenders are made from aluminum, as is much of its chassis. Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic also plays a major role in this high-performance machine. The driveshaft is made from the exotic material for reduced weight and less rotating mass; the front strut brace is also carbon fiber and weighs only 3.3 pounds.

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But engineers could only do so much; convertibles are inherently heavy beasts and the M4 version is one enchilada past morbid. Curb weight clocks in at around 4,055 pounds in U.S. spec, though joking aside that’s about 90 less than its predecessor.

The 2015 BMW M4 Convertible looks at least as cool as its coupe and sedan counterparts. It rides on lightweight wheels spanning either 18- or 19-inches that barely fit within its swollen fenders. Likewise, it’s got a bulging bonnet to contain all of those horses! It looks nice and goes on sale this summer.