When you think about it, the launch of the BMW 435i Coupe presents itself a rather perplexing proposition, here is a 4-door Coupe derived from a 2-door Coupe which itself derived from a 4-door sedan that can trace its family lineage all the way back to the original, a 2-door Coupe. Confused yet? Don't be, because despite the Germans strange use of language when describing cars, the 4 Series Coupe is pretty good.
I'll admit i was a skeptic when it first arrived on the scene. The biggest question on my (and i suspect many other) mind was why don't people buy the already excellent 3 Series sedan? That was of course before my eyes glazed over the svelte bodywork of the Gran Coupe, at once familiar and new at the same time.
With the elongated bonnet, side vents and panel surfacing carried over from the 4-Series Coupe, the Gran Coupe takes the best bits of the Coupe and mixes it in with 2 extra doors and a long elegant roof-line that tapers into a large tailgate reminiscent of the GT. Looking more sophisticated than sporty and easily best looking of all the 4-door "3" variants, the 435i Gran Coupe sits lower, wider and longer than its 3-Series counterparts. Come to think of it, this is probably what the designers at BMW really wanted the new 3-Series to look like. It also comes with frame-less windows which everyone knows, oozes cool.
Enhancing the already pleasing aesthetics on our shiny silver test car are tasty bits of M-Sport trim featuring meaner looking bumpers, high-gloss black trim, 19s all around and shiny twin chrome pipes shooting out rearwards.
Our test car came spec-ed up with a red and black interior on a silver body. They could not have picked a better color combination as it looks a treat and really makes the interior pop.
For those up front, the excellent driving position and overall layout have been carried over from the Coupe. Textures and surfaces feels well put together and the soft but supportive seats have adjustments to clamp you into the leather like a baseball in a glove. Like the Coupe, eager drivers will easily find their perfect driving position with ease and the very lovely to hold and behold M-Steering wheel makes an appearance in the Gran Coupe after being strangely absent from the Cabriolet. They should really keep it standard issue in all 435i's. (Actually, i think they should make it standard issue in every new BMW.)
Rear seat passengers are decently catered for with adequate shoulder and legroom. The rear seats are set low into the cabin and two full sized male adults will fit comfortably while 3 might find it a little bit cozy. Unfortunately headroom for taller individuals might be a bit tight due to the elegantly sloping roof.
Speaking of which, with the inclusion of a lift-back style tailgate, boot access is now through a larger aperture earlier seen on the 3-Series GT. While luggage space remains the same as normal sedan, the inclusion of the rear hatch does make it appear bigger and makes it easier to load or unload daily necessities, golf bags for instance.
We'd only be covering half the story if we didn't sneak in some mention of the driving dynamics. Hallmarks of every BMW and rarely do they disappoint. The 435i Gran Coupe is no exception when it comes to performance figures, we've seen this Twin-scroll turbo-ed 3-litre and ZF 8-speed combination in many other applications across the BMW range and the numbers here remain largely the same, 306 horses and 400Nm of torque. The century mark comes up in 5.2 seconds and the meaty power-plant will continue the charge from license busting speeds into jail-time territory all day without breaking a sweat. Big brakes tasked with hauling this silver bullet down from triple digit speeds do the job well and unless drivers head to the tracks, will probably not experience any semblance of brake fade.
Interestingly, i find that the damping characteristics of the Gran Coupe while being more athletic in feel than the Sedan (maybe due to the lower ride height and seating position), also seems to ride slightly better than the 2-door Coupe. Especially so when i thumb the adaptive M dampers into "Comfort" mode. Could the inclusion of a B-pillar actually help to iron out additional bumps from the road or was my bum feeling extra sensitive when i was out driving the Coupe? Regardless, on comfort mode, it still drives very well and manages to flatten out all but the most uneven of roads. Making point to point journeys enjoyably comfortable while an underlying firmness keeps the car feeling planted to the tarmac. With a juicy reserve of power nestled below your right foot, the 435i Gran Coupe allows for really quick progress once called upon.
I would like to at this point go into detail about it's amazing handling through tight bends and windy back-roads but i cannot, not because it's so very anti-social nowadays but more because i never actually took it through tight bends and windy back-roads. For most of the time i had the 435i Gran Coupe i drove it like how potential owners probably would, on highways and byways, through the city and back again with the occasional blast through some long high-speed bends where the car remained positively poised while the electric steering stayed accurate and direct. No where near any of the handling limits of the car i reckon, but throughout the time i had with the Gran Coupe, i never once had a frown. It looks beautiful, the interior is gorgeous and is really a nice place to be in. It drives well and there is no wanting for additional power. Priced very close to the 2-Door variant, those looking at the 335i Sedans will have to decide if the added style is worth the added cash, but those already looking at a 435i Coupe but have needs for an extra 2 rear doors will be presented with a dilemma, but what a very pleasant problem it will be.
Choices, we are inundated with them every single day. From the moment you choose to wake up to when you go back to bed at night, you would have already made hundreds or even thousands of decisions. This is something the folks over at BMW have understood as they have created an array of models from the basis of the (excellent) 3 Series chassis.
You can now have your F30 derived BMWs in an array of flavors in either 3 Series or 4 Series guise and in the 4 Series range, you can have a Coupe, a Gran Coupe and for those who choose to have a mix of open and closed top motoring, our test car for today, the 435i Cabriolet.
Stylistically, it's pretty much the same as the Coupe up to where the roof starts and although i really love the red, it is slightly less elegant than the Coupe when viewed from behind.
Whereas the 4 Series Coupe has a very lovely taper towards the rear, the Cabriolet has to make do with a more upright C-pillar design because of the folding roof. The new car is also slightly larger than the car it replaces. Sitting 1 inch longer with 2 more inches added to the wheelbase and is 1.7 inches wider while height drops 0.4 inches. While it might not have as elegant a rear end, this scarlet drop-top is still an attractive looking machine.
Dropping the roof (in a traffic-lights friendly 20 seconds) however, does much to increase the 4's visual appeal. As the slightly bulky rear windscreen treatment disappears under the boot, the lines of the 435i Cabriolet starts to show more prominently, especially in this beautiful shade of rouge. Our 435i comes in M-sport trim which means dark trim for the Bimmerangs, window surrounds, front bumper intakes, rear exhaust and some nice big 19-inch shoes all around.
Inside, those familiar with the German marque's ergonomics will be right at home as BMW's excellence in this field ensures all switchgear falls into place and within easy reach of the driver. The all leather seats are supportive, comfortable and on the Cabriolet, have belts that are integrated into the seat backs. Unfortunately the very tactile M steering wheel is not standard equipment but perhaps a friendly chat with your sales representative can change that (no promises!).
Space inside is generous for a Cabriolet with easy access to the backseats. Although those getting into the back might want to tie their hair up when the top is dropped. Front seat occupants get to enjoy a relatively wind-free ride as careful aerodynamic considerations in the design means wind buffeting is kept to a minimal. Though the same cannot be said for those seated in the rear. You can attach a diffuser should you choose to do so. But once in place, the rear seats become redundant. Which also sort of makes the availability of a diffuser somewhat strange as you cancel out the passenger space for the very people who need it.
Access to luggage storage is quite limited to just a small aperture once the roof is stowed away. BMW's solution comes in the form of a lifting mechanism which, with the trunk lid raised, electronically raises the folded top (and boot lid) up and out of the way via a button. It looks rather dramatic but how practical it will be remains something for future owners to decide.
Thumbing the starter button brings the Twin-Power-Turbo 3 liter to life and awakening slightly over 300 horses from their slumber with a muffled rumble. With a persuasive push of the throttle, 400Nm of torque is churned out just above idle (1,200rpm) and is twisted out the rear axles, easily lighting up the driving wheels as they claw for grip. Once the rubber stops spinning and digs into the tarmac, 100km/h arrives in 5.9 seconds and helped by the brilliant ZF 8 speeder, rapidly slots in new cogs as the 435i headbutts the (thanks to a now dropped roof) vast panoramic horizon. It might take 0.4 seconds more than the equivalent Coupe on paper, but on the move, you'd hardly notice a difference.
It's not the weight of the car too, it might be slightly heavier and have a higher center of gravity with it's folding tin-top, but i reckon most drivers won't really notice. And for those who do and insist it makes a difference when it comes to "handling", point them towards the Coupe. 
Slot the driving mode into Comfort and bringing the frenzied pace down a notch allows one to enjoy all the sights, sounds and sensations that envelope you and your senses when the roof is removed. Sure, the firepower to splash most other cars on the road is there, but you choose not to use it. You choose to be a gentleman, cruising the open road in your topless red machine and just for that moment, life is good. Who cares if the roof adds a few kilos, it's not heavy, it's cool.
The question now is, is the 435i Cabriolet worth it's asking price? Personally, if someone was in the market for one of these, I'd recommend saving almost S$60,000 and point him or her towards the 328i variant. Unless you really have the need for speed and want all the grunt of the Twin-Power Turbo'd 3 liter, the 328i has more than ample performance under the bonnet to satisfy the occasional jaunt and with a nice amount of cash in the pocket leftover, the 328i Cabriolet is (to me at lest) the pick of the drop-top crop.
So it seems the price of crude oil has been falling steadily for the past few months as US oil outputs hit their highest point in decades. With so much of the black stuff swirling around, you'd sort of imagine that prices of pump gas would be going down to their lowest point in decades too right? Unfortunately while that may be true for some countries, here in sunny Singapore, after a whole mish-mash of number crunching and plenty of fairy-dust, prices for premium unleaded still sit around levels when black was gold and politicians were running around telling everyone planet Earth was almost depleted of vintage dinosaur juice.
If fuel economy (and what was mentioned above) is of concern, than it looks like one of BMW's latest offerings in the 3-Series stable is tailored just for you. It's called the 320i ED and no, this car is not called Edward. ED here stands for Efficient Dynamics, BMW speak for well, efficiency and dynamism. Featuring a selection of little tweaks to give you more go for your dough. The 320i ED sits 10mm lower that standard cars, comes with some "streamline style" wheels that even though look somewhat small, help to move air around better and is shod with reduced rolling resistance (runflat) tires.
Coupling those tweaks with additional engine management optimization means ED starts of each drive in ECO-PRO mode where urgency gives way to frugality. Throttle response is dulled and gear shift points adjusted for maximum efficiency. These changes combined help make the 320i ED the most efficient premium car of its class
Inside the car, all the familiar 3 Series bits are here. Everything is where it should be and with BMW's signature ergonomics in play, getting in, setting up your optimal driving position and moving off becomes second nature.
With the keys of ED handed to me for a day, i used it how it would most likely be used by potential owners. Driving from home to work in the mornings and back home thereafter. Mostly because it was a work day and spending an afternoon out hooning the car is frowned upon.
For a car that is "resolutely oriented towards a highly-consistent reduction in fuel consumption", those are pretty good numbers. Numbers that just one generation ago, required a 2.5 6 cylinder-ed 323i to achieve. Such is progress. Unfortunately the trade of for this engineering excellence is that again, due to our strange local regulations, having a high power output from a small engine means it gets bumped up into a higher taxation bracket.
Discounting our local regulation and taxation bugbears, the release of the 320i ED has shown that one doesn't need to be a heavy drinker to have a little bit of fun.
For all its innumerable firsts, the new BMW M4 also marks the return of 2 key elements i am sure most of you would have already heard of or seen by now. The return of the Straight-Six (albeit now equipped with Twin Turbochargers), and that color. In BMW speak, it is now called Austin Yellow and although there might be some slight variances to its makeup, this shade is unmistakably reminiscent of BMW's fabled Phoenix Yellow. Like the mythical creature that reignites itself back to life, this new M-car rises up from the foundations of its predecessor with more youthful vigor and power than ever before, and in the process, is proudly christened with the M4 badge for the very first time.
Although re-badging the M3 Coupe might at first sound sacrilegious to fans of the marque, this move sits in line with BMW's recent shift in naming policy. What has not changed though is this remains BMW M's most popular sports coupe, and it comes with the credentials to prove it. 425 angry horses and 550Nm of torques lie dormant under the cover of a "down sized" 3-liter Straight-Six, keen to spool up its Twin-Turbos and so very eager to lay waste to some very expensive rubber.
Visually, there is no mistaking it for any other car in BMW's stable when painted in this hue. Unfortunately, this color remains a love/hate affair for me. Stunning to look at in pictures and dazzling under the showroom floors, it might be distinctive, but at times, it does come across as a little bit flash. Our test car also came accented with some dark chrome wheels which upped the visual aggression factor by quite a notch. If you are the sort of person who doesn't mind the attention at traffic stops, then perfect. But i'm not sure if this is the color i'd go for if i was to drop a big chunk of my hard earned coin for.
Apart from the bright paint, the rest of the bodywork has received the standard modern day M-Division cosmetic enhancements, with bulges and arches pulled aggressively over the generously sized wheels and M badges liberally applied both on the exterior as well as the interior. Along the sides, the 4-Series' Beemerangs have been replaced by a set of deeper cut outlet vents that swipe across along the entire length of the car aft of the doors.
With cooling becoming a higher priority due to the nature of forced induction engines, large intake gaps now feature prominently up front and the end effect is a game face that easily parts traffic. Presence, this car has it. On the M3 Sedans, the widened stance is even more pronounced.
Though the M4 might look imposing and hunkered down, extensive use of lightweight materials have brought overall weight down 80kgs from the M3s that came before. Even the boot lid uses SMC plastic over a carbon frame as part of the weight saving program.
Inside, the first thing that you will first notice is, yes, the seat emblems light up.
Apart from the blingy seats which are in fact, extremely comfortable and supportive, everything else inside is of a high-spec leather-wrapped BMW no nonsense business class standard. Controls fall into place logically and the most important bits of information will be relayed to you via the lovely heads-up display.
The most noticeable difference here is of course along the central tunnel where the stubby gear knob sits, flanked by a series of buttons and switches controlling throttle response, suspension setups, steering weight and how aggressive would Sir like his gearshifts to be. These life-altering settings can also be saved into 2 preset "M" mode settings which can then be brought back online with some very easy to reach buttons on the squishy steering wheel.
Thumb the starter button and the engine erupts into life with a cackling bark before settling into a baritone idle. There might no longer be a rumbling V8 under the bonnet, those who fear the M3 and M4 duo might have lost bits of their soul in the pursuit of turbo-charged power can rest easy. This car can sing it's own tune loud and proud. Thumbing either of the M buttons on the steering opens up some trick valves in the exhaust system and brings up the volume up to 11, for those times when you just want to wake up the neighbours.
On the move in regular traffic with the suspension in comfort, the M4 soaks up road imperfections well while maintaining a firm but comfortable ride characteristic. Coupled with a juicy amount of torque available down the rev range makes the car very drivable in everyday traffic. The gearbox might feel a little clunky in stop-start traffic but it's response and speed in swapping cogs once on the move alleviates any previous thoughts of it being inadequate in any way. 
With the hammer dropped, the century sprint arrives in a scant 4.1 seconds. And through long high speed curves, the M4 remains composed and planted eager to push harder and faster. The absolute limits of this car are easily out of reach for mere mortals like me but the joy of driving the M4 is how playful and balanced the car is when responding to driver inputs and directional changes at levels that sit well within the capabilities of normal drivers like yours truly. 
There have been many youtube videos showing this car thrown through corners with smoke billowing from the rear wheels and the drivers peering out at the road through the side windows. While that does make for a very entertaining show, the reality is that for most of us who value the safety of our license and the car, turning off traction control on public roads is not a particularly wise thing to do. But if or when you do find a nice big empty piece of tarmac to wander beyond the limits of grip, it comes as a pleasant surprise how not-very-difficult it is to man-handle over 400 sliding horses. 
Absolutely mega in execution, beautiful to drive under control and uncanny in how well behaved it remains when that control is breached. This Phoenix is reborn, and ready to reign once again.
