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Vehicle tests
Road test: BMW 420i Graves
A white, open BMW gallops down a winding road, no more cliché than that.
For years now the rolled-up versions of BMW have been the poster girls of this manufacturer, how much of it holds up in reality?
Tags
BMW
BMW
Series 4
Cabriolet
Delek Motors
420
Keenan Cohen
Thursday, 19 August 2021, 08:20 Updated: 08:22
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There are very few things that shout "freedom" more than an open car, there are very few things that shout it louder when it's a BMW open.
But you know that you are so waiting for freedom and then when it comes you say to yourself - what, this?
So that's how it was about.
From its inception, somewhere since it was first added to the 3-version version in 1978, the drop-down versions have been the poster girls of the yuppies, young, beautiful, successful - whether it was in Manhattan, SoHo, Munich, Tokyo or Tel Aviv.
Trivia for steering wheel benefactors - that version was not created by BMW but by Bauer Workshop (which built much of the open versions of BMW for decades) and was not a complete cabriolet, but a version that kept the window frames and rolled down the roof only .
Well, I put a picture, it will be clearer.
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The open versions of the Bauer, here not on the first generation but on the E30 (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
On the grill
And this image leads us to the design of the 420 tombs, as the box office gets the front of the ... what do we call it, requires time to digest.
One thing she did - she turned a lot of heads after her.
Another design and technical change in this generation is the welcome return to the canvas roof.
Less weight, less awkwardness and even a contribution to the design that now allows for a less bulky rear end.
The driver's environment is the sum of the usual list of compliments for BMW, from the quality of materials, multimedia operation, sports seats you do not want to get out of, a steering wheel you do not want to get your hands off and an excellent driving position created in the relationship between the two.
Comments on her duty?
The lack of coupling to Android devices and sophistication is understandable but unjustified in the form of an "inverted" RPM meter on the dashboard.
The cabin is high quality, you will not want to leave these seats (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
This entry-level version has leather electrification, wireless charging, all-around parking sensors, steering wheel control, 18-inch rims and split climate control with ports and separate rear seat control.
A sentence about the back seat, to seat a compact adult there someone will have to compromise - the driver who will sit too close, or the passenger who will have to bring his legs apart.
If you choose to use a device that blocks the wind vortices, you will give up the back seat completely.
The list of safety systems includes correction of deviation from the lane, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking also in reverse, warning of a vehicle in a "dead zone" with prevention of crossing an unavailable lane and more.
We would not call its rear seats practical for adults (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Passengers
Being the weakest on offer, it uses the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with 184 hp and 30.6 kg, the propulsion is of course rear and the automatic transmission (one of the best planets on the market in general) with 8 gears.
It travels fine as long as the conduct is administrative or just slightly above it.
8.2 seconds per 100 they do not say that dreams are made of them and not that acceleration to 100 is the most important thing in a sports car, but there is something to it that suggests a character and here it is a pretty sleepy character.
Due to the power-to-weight ratio that condemns it to lukewarm performance relative to image.
As long as you just cruise it calmly, everything is fine (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Also in the story of ride comfort the business is built the same, as long as it is a comfortable cruising it absorbs the bumps nicely, and with a closed roof it also offers very rare noise insulation for a car with a canvas roof.
But as the pace increases, this softness is too soft to possess exceptional dynamic capabilities.
The responsiveness to steering, so-called turn in is excellent and accurate, but what happens from then on is vague in the media and despite the toughness, widening the gap between the wheels and the promises of dynamism (which comes true in the box office version), it does not work here.
Returning to the canvas roof saves weight, awkwardness with the design of the back that is no longer too apple (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
The brakes are not powerful enough and lack a pedal feel to suit sporty driving.
And finally the missing feedback from the steering wheel to talk about the transition between grip and thinning the connection between the tires and the asphalt does not help.
Not that it has enough power to express the capabilities of this chassis, but even on a limited-slip differential that would put some animals into the party I would welcome it.
By the way, almost all the components that repair and improve this business (engine, adaptive dampers, limited-slip differential, M-brakes and more) can be obtained from its older sisters, the 430 and 440 dual-propulsion.
And the price accordingly.
Fuel consumption was reasonable for the car we worked very hard to get a proper pace - 10.1 km per liter on average.
I guess we'll just have to get used to this grill (Photo: Keenan Cohen)
Summary
Like the tennis player in the upscale neighborhood country (if you live in the right neighborhood), 420 Cabriolet has the right skirt, sneakers, hat and other appropriate gear, but she is not Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova or Maria Sharapova - she does not have the strength, agility or The ability to challenge those who seek leadership pleasure here.
And not that for most people it really matters, for most people who see it and probably for many of the people who buy it - for them it has the right look, the right message and the experience they are looking for.
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Finally, with its price starting at NIS 460,000, there is no dizzying value here, except for the quality in the cabin and the external appearance (which is a less objective matter).
Currently its main strength and perhaps the only justification for it is the lack of any opposition and alternative for those looking for an open car of its kind, with an aging Audi A5 whose cabriolet version is not marketed and a much more expensive Mercedes C-Class and faces replacement.
Looking for performance?
You will find them in the older and more expensive versions (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
On the technical side: the BMW 420i Cabriolet
Engine, propulsion:
gasoline, turbo, rear
volume (cc):
1,998
power / rpm (hp):
5,500 / 184
torque / rpm (kg):
1,350 / 30.6
Transmission:
automatic, 8 gears
Dimensions:
Length (cm):
447
Width (cm):
185
Height (cm):
138
Wheelbase (cm):
285
Trunk (liters):
300/385 (open roof / Closed)
Performance:
Acceleration 0-100:
8.2 seconds
Maximum speed:
240 km / h
Fuel consumption (test):
10.1 km / liter
Competitors:
Large: Audi A5 Cabriolet, Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet
Price:
NIS 460,000
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