ESCAPE HIGH ROAD
Smooth As SILK
BMW’s exquisite 2019 8 Series convertible is an open-top grand tourer EXTRAORDINAIRE By Howard Walker
POWER FILE
S
hed a tear for poor, unfortunate Isadora Duncan. On the fateful night of September 14, 1927, the sultry American dancer and bon vivant climbed aboard a racy open-top convertible in Nice on the French Côte d’Azur. The flamboyant Madame Duncan had been gifted a long, flowing, hand-painted silk scarf, which she wore draped around her neck. As the sports car sped away, the scarf got caught up in one of the spoked wheels and... well, you can guess the rest. She was 50. Thankfully, there’s no need to sport such a scarf—at least for warming purposes—if you’re driving the gorgeous 2019 8 Series convertible from BMW. How come? It’s equipped with neck warmers. At the touch of a button, toasty air cascades from outlets integrated into the front seats. Not all that useful here in the Sunshine State come summer, but divine on a chilly January evening when you fancy a little alfresco cruising. This new convertible is the soft-top version of the potent flagship 8 Series coupe that went on sale toward the end of last year. For the time being, only one model is on offer, the M850i xDrive convertible starting at $121,400, or $9,500 more than the coupe.
PRICE: FROM $121,400 ENGINE: 4.4-LITER TWIN TURBO V-8 POWER: 523 HP TORQUE: 553 LB-FT TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC 0-60: 3.8 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 155 MPH LENGTH/WIDTH: 191/75 INCHES WEIGHT: 4,736 POUNDS WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE IT’S THE ULTIMATE TOP-DOWN DRIVING MACHINE.
This is convertible styling at its most striking. With the top lowered, that high waistline and angled-back windshield make this broad-shouldered four-seater look like it’s charging along at 150 mph even at standstill. The front end doesn’t disappoint, either. BMW transformed its huge kidney grille into a piece of jewelry; on our dark-blue test car, it came in a stunning matte copper finish. In terms of functionality, this convertible is a cloth-topped marvel. The multilayer roof lowers in a mere 14 seconds and at speeds up to 31 mph. Raise all four side windows, pop in the standard mesh rear windblocker, and there’s hardly a rustle in the cockpit, even as the speedo reaches triple digits—let alone the amount of breeze needed to flutter a silk scarf, should you dare to wear one. BMW describes this new ride as a full four-seater, but that rear row
50 PALM BEACH ILLUSTRATED
050_HIGHROAD_0519.indd 50
4/5/19 9:35 AM