BMW M440i review, first drive: Fun beyond the engine

The Z4 covers the coupe convertible for the Bavarians, but if you want something slightly more practical, this one gets four seats.

BMW has established a cult following with the B58 engine, which is celebrating its 11th year of production, and for the German automaker, this has become an all-too easy exercise. Every time they need to make a reasonably faster version of their regular cars, BMW slots in the B58, and it’s not just the go-faster versions, even the 7 Series, X5 and X7 get the same motor. And the engine feels like the highlight, regardless of the body style, it behaves the same, gives the same punch and that does make it pretty special – but somehow, in the new M440i Convertible, the B58 is outshined by just how everything else has been put together.

The M440i is essentially the 4 Series Convertible, loaded with the B58, that is designated by the 40i suffix. And while the world treated the new M4/M3 as an ugly child when it originally came out, BMW has somehow mastered the art of making a car unacceptable in the beginning and pretty as it grows a bit older. Compared to what the brand has done with the 5 and the 3, I prefer the styling of the 4 – it is edgy, it is bold, the sharp headlamps with its the double C-shaped LED DRLs, and Adaptive LED tech looks really well, and comes with a darkened accent. The grille is pretty interesting, and is all black, but considering how all of it comes together at the front, the M440i looks neat.

Over to the sides, the design is simple, marked by a character line that runs all the way to the rear haunches. But it is the convertible roof that lets the M440i really expand on that aura – the soft top mechanism is quite interesting to witness – especially if you’re a nerd like me. The mechanism sits in the top of the boot, with the flap opening on the top, and the more interesting bit is how the rear window (a heated one) gets detached and stored in, and this entire process is cool enough that everyone else gets a better spectacle compared to the BMW’s occupants.

Opinions can be conflicted about the front of the M440i, but the rear is just a thing of beauty, the taillamps are large, and feature an intricate design that debuted with the ultra-rare M4 CSL, each of the strips of light appear to be independent. There are twin exhaust tips at either ends that tie up the rear pretty well.

The M440i is an attention magnet, and that is without the convertible roof, and I was kind of glad that BMW India specced their media car in a subtle Brooklyn Grey, otherwise it would have been near impossible to drive through the city without all eyes on me.

Inside, the story is similar to what BMW has been serving for some time, twin screens housed in a single floating panel, and they are great, even with the roof up, the displays have enough glare resistance to be visible in harsh sunlight.

The central console meanwhile houses a few important buttons, the most vital of these being the drive mode buttons and the convertible roof toggle, but here just like another BMW Group convertible I drove last year, the toggle has to be operated for the entirety of the operation, and 18 seconds is a fair bit of time especially if you’re driving. But what I really appreciate is the seatbelt feeder, and the additional window switch that can roll the quarter windows up or down – and with all the glass area dropped the M440i really starts serving the open-top experience.

The front seats are where one needs to be, but considering that this is a large-ish two-door the rear seats aren’t terrible, but the headroom does feel compromised with the roof deployed, and this would mostly appeal to kids. Features are of course plenty, it gets a brilliant Harman Kardon audio system, and the layout of the interior and the trim elements are all top-notch.

The B58 3.0-litre inline-six that powers the M440i doesn’t need an introduction, it powers India’s favorite performance car – the M340i. Power is sent to all the wheels via xDrive, and this means that this car that weighs a bit more than the M340i can dispatch a nought to 100kmph sprint in 4.9 seconds, about half a second slower. That doesn’t make it mad fast, but what the M440i lacks in outright numbers, it makes up by delivering in a very raw open-top experience. With the roof down, the exhaust sings, even in Comfort mode, and the slightest jab of the throttle returns a very healthy roar, and the lack of a roof makes it feel even louder. While you can enjoy cruising on the highway with the top down, and the exhaust barking at your beck and call, the M440i holds its own really well around twisties. As it lacks the rigidity that a coupe has, like the M340i, it feels even more natural, less taut, a bit more forgiving if you decide to send it, all while providing loads of grip and confidence. It feels so balanced and sure footed, that you can introduce some play and allow the tail to dance, but it doesn’t do much considering the xDrive AWD and the M Differential.

This is aided further by the M Adaptive Suspension and the 50:50 weight split, makes the M440i feel like a small car, it doesn’t scare you, it dares you to go faster, and even those who lack expertise can really manage this 374bhp convertible pretty easily. The steering does lack a bit of the feedback, but its still sharp enough to make the car dance very easily. While one can have fun hitting apexes, the M440i’s is surprisingly comfortable on most roads, courtesy of the adaptive suspension, and it really absorbs our highway tarmac pretty well.

VERDICT

What the M440i does is make one feel rich, successful, and most of all – 14 years old. The feeling of the wind in your hair, with a car beneath you capable of pushing very healthy G-forces is something that is unequalled as an experience. And especially compared to the two other options in the wide price spectrum, one of which is electric and the other doesn’t match up to this in terms of performance, so as far as fun, fast, sexy convertibles are concerned – the M440i fits the bill rather perfectly.

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