My family is crazy about cars. Whenever braais fall on a Formula One Sunday, everyone from children to grandparents will be in some sort of F1 attire. Mostly, they are McLaren and BMW fans, but there are also one or two fans of Ferrari and other teams.
My sister Sandy is a die-hard McLaren (and Mercedes-Benz) fan, and my recent trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England was about the only time it was acceptable for me to return home without the regulatory perfume and jewellery because I was under strict instructions to buy her whatever McLaren merchandise I could find.
Over the past two years Sandy has, like me, enjoyed most of the vehicles I’ve tested, but none matched up to some Mercs (such as the SL65 AMG) in her eyes, until recently.
The BMW 335i convertible didn’t make much of an impression on her until I had taken the roof down, let the revs climb into the red zone and thrown the car into a long, sweeping bend.
“Yussis, that was cool,” she said as the engine roared and I snap-changed into third gear, which caused a slight tinge of pain in my left wrist as the gears required a little muscle and sweat for sporty driving.
For the seven days I drove the 335i convertible, I couldn’t help letting those revs reach their limit, I couldn’t help kicking in that clutch pedal and I couldn’t help but let that engine rip just for the acoustics, for that throaty, spine-tingling growl.
Beautiful, yet brutal, but not so brutal that it can’t be enjoyed.
I got the distinct feeling that the 335i is a bit like a punching bag; it wants you to abuse it. It was quite strange, but it almost seemed to be goading me to drive it in a manner that ensured the brakes were crackling for a long time after I had parked it.
It’s quite a darkly masochistic vehicle because, in my defence, I did try to drive it tamely, but it jerked, shuddered and snorted the way a thoroughbred horse might react to a novice rider.
BMW has been making some fantastically ugly cars lately and the 3-Series sedan ranks right up there with a few other ugly siblings, but the 3-Series coupé and convertible are just about as beautiful as cars can be. Run your fingertips along the bonnet, up to the roof and down the sloping rear windscreen and it’s obvious that a great deal of passion has gone into the design of this vehicle.
Unlike most convertibles, the rear windscreen is big enough to give you a decent view of what’s behind the vehicle, and the metal roof folds away into three sections, tucking itself neatly into the boot in less than 20 seconds. As an optional extra, you can have the convertible function on the key and you can then take the roof down by remote without having to be in the vehicle.
Inside, the gleaming cream leather ensured that I wasn’t going to be drinking a cappuccino on the way to work (or at any point in time), as it just wouldn’t do to spill anything on such unforgiving upholstery.
However, while cream is a rather pimped-up colour and doesn’t seem to suit something as classy as the 335i, you really won’t give a damn once you settle into the snug sports seats, start it up and put the pedal to the metal. And ladies, if you plan on driving this car as enthusiastically as I did, leave the stilettos and flip-flops at home. But, if you’re going to be cruising along slowly with the wind in your hair, then any footwear will be fine.
At R577Â 000, the 335i convertible has the usual array of safety features and a host of optional creature comforts such as heated seats, and with 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque propelling it to a top speed of 250km/h, it’s guaranteed to spice up your life.
For now, this is one of my favourite vehicles in BMW’s range and while it’s pricy for a convertible, it more than delivers on Beemer’s promise of “sheer driving pleasure”.