The 2002 is one of BMW’s most iconic sports coupes – the German automaker’s halo car from 1966 to 1977.
Now, almost 50 years later, the 2002’s spiritual successor may be the 4-Series Coupe and Convertible with 360,000 sold in 2023. That number jumped to 370,000 last year.
This second-generation 4 Series Convertible was redesigned in 2021. Changes are subtle in the refresh of this 188-inch-long drop-top for 2025, starting with a new take on BMW’s classic twin-kidney shaped grille, now 18 inches tall. Public reviews of the tall black mesh grills have been mixed. Some feel its the more sedate of some Bimmer grille designs out there now – others think it’s a bit brash.
For 2025, BMW tweaked the side intakes, while redesigned LED headlights get bolder Daylight Running Light (DRL) slashes. BMW M Sport alloy wheels and staggered 19-inch Pirelli P ZERO rubber tightly fill gentle flares front and rear. Rear fenders get gentle shoulder lines as creases flow into slim LED taillights. The short rear deck ends in a subtle spoiler above meaty steel exhaust tips.
The black power top drops quickly under a solid tonneau, looking very sleek. Top up, it’s tight and curves nicely into the rear deck. With the aluminum hood, front fenders and doors saving about 44 lbs. compared to the previous model, the whole shape is familiar and just sporty enough in its Tanzanite Blue Metallic paint.
430i Convertible Interior
Co-workers loved the reworked black over cognac interior, with matte-finish wood. You can drop all four windows and the top remotely via the key fob, then close it up the same way. Ambient dashboard lighting glowing inside as you step into firm, supportive leather-like Sensatec buckets with manually-adjustable thigh supports, plus power settings, heat and cooling. The flat-bottom M Sport steering wheel has a thick stitched leather rim that feels reassuring with alloy paddle shifters in back.
The big change from last year is that sweeping 30-inch-wide digital display. Half is a configurable 12.3-inch gauge display, bracketed by 160-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach (6,500-rpm redline) straight ahead, flowing into the navigation/Home screen, which is gently curved toward the driver. You can also select a basic speed reading, or other designs.
Move right, and a wide touchscreen shows navigation, audio, phone and more, with Amazon Alexa, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An iDrive Controller on the center console also handles center screen functions.
The Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo system punched out clean audio even with the top down. There’s an inductive phone charger under a textured wood door on the wide center console. Also new is a small drive selector switch as compared to the previous shift knob.
The redesign makes for a cleaner, nicely detailed look. The rear seat can hold an adult if the front seat passenger gives up a bit of leg room. The front seats motor slowly up to allow access in back while there’s a pass-through to a 9-cubic-foot trunk.
430i Performance & Handling
The twin-turbocharged 2-liter inline four offered 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission has a sport shift option on top of Eco, Comfort and Sport drive modes to adapt engine, exhaust note, accelerator response and gearshift characteristics. This is a GT – grand tourer – and not a hard-edged sports convertible. But the 4-cylinder engine had more than enough power to create some fun.
In Eco mode, the 430i leaves the line moderately, then powers up to hit 60 mph in 6.4 seconds with a subtly sporty snarl. We got a more authoritative launch in Sport mode, plus deeper exhaust growl enroute to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. And with launch control, we hit 60 mph in a quick 5.6 seconds. Driven in Eco mode, we saw a consistent 25 mpg.
There’s strut-type front and multi-link rear suspension. With solid torsional rigidity for a ragtop, we had no cowl shake even over bad roads. Its firmer sport tuning still gave a comfortably supple yet taut ride that easily ironed out speed with nary a harsh edge.
The car delivered precise handling, fairly neutral with little body roll on high-speed corners, the G-Force meter showing a solid .75Gs in neutral road holding. When we really pushed it in some turns in Sport mode, we pulled a good .98Gs as the convertible tracked cleanly through with a hint of power oversteer that was easy to hold.
Electric power steering was direct, with nice feedback and solid feel. I could tailor it to a firmer feel in Eco mode. The 430i’s brakes had great pedal feel, progressive bite and sure-footed stops from even high speeds with no fade after repeated high-speed use.
The soft-top design has multiple layers of insulation and is very quiet at speed. The top drops in 18 seconds up to 31 mph. At speed there’s not much of a breeze inside. It’s quite cozy with the heater on and top down during chilly weather.
A base BMW 430i Convertible starts at $58,700. Ours had lots of nice standards, plus the $2,450 M Sport package with special wheels/tires, wood, M sport suspension and steering wheel and a few more items for a final $68,520 price.
The Bottom Line
This fun GT droptop gave lots of fun with good style, power and handling – I could live with this commuting or weekending.
2025 BMW 430i Convertible Specifications
Vehicle type – four-passenger compact sports convertible
Base price – $58,700 (As driven – $68,520)
Engine type – Turbocharged aluminum inline four
Displacement – 2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 255 hp at 4,700 – 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 295 at 1,800 – 5,000 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic with sport mode and paddle shifters
Wheelbase – 112.2 in.
Overall length – 187.9 in.
Overall width – 72.9 in.
Height – 54.6 in.
Front headroom – 40.6 in.
Front legroom – 41.8 in.
Rear headroom – 36.1 in.
Rear legroom – 32.5 in.
Trunk capacity – 9 cubic feet
Curb weight – 3,918 pounds
Fuel capacity – 15.8 gallons
Mileage rating – 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway