Highlights

Indicated 47,184 miles from new
Refined and comfortable interior
3-litre twin-turbo engine
12 month MOT

The Appeal

At the time of its launch in 2007, Auto Express magazine described BMW’s 335i convertible – the company’s first-ever folding metal roof car – as ‘the best convertible on the market’ and raved about its ‘fabulous driving experience’.

BMW ditched the traditional canvas hood in favour of more refinement, better security and structural stiffness, and the car found favour with buyers and motoring press alike for its performance, handling and comfort.

This example has only 46, 606 miles on the odometer and is in excellent condition both inside and out. With its clever roof mechanism, that takes just 22 seconds to raise or lower on the press of a button, this is a convertible that is practical to use all year round.

The History and Paperwork

Recent receipts
Original folder with owner’s manual
Vehicle health check from April 2003
Current v5
MoT until May 2024

The vendor bought the car in September 2021, and it came with very little paperwork. Consequently there’s not much here other than the original leather folder with owner’s manual, the V5 and some recent receipts for work that the vendor has had done.

There’s a vehicle health check from BMW dealers Harwoods of Basingstoke, carried out in early April. The service record book has only a stamp for a service in April 2023.

The vendor loves the car, but with two small children it isn’t practical for use with child seats and as the family have another car he has reluctantly decided to part with it. The current MoT expires in May 2024.

The Interior

Cream leather heated seats, electrically adjustable
Driver’s seat has memory settings
Seats are heat-reflective to keep cabin cool
Rear seats with reasonable leg-room
Leather-trimmed door interiors in superb condition
Air conditioning
Six-speaker stereo
Smart wood dashboard and centre console
Clean carpets, protected by overmats
Leather-trimmed steering wheel
Original first-aid kit
Foldaway cup-holders
Clean and tidy boot
‘Ski-bag’ and hatch for carrying longer items

The car’s interior looks superb, suggesting that successive owners have treated it with care and respect. The bolster on the driver’s seat has some wear, but otherwise both front seats are clean and unmarked. The rear seats – unusually for a convertible – have reasonable legroom, even for adult passengers, and look to be unused. The rear armrest is detachable, revealing an aperture into the boot complete with ski-bag to protect the interior from the stowage of longer items.

The cream carpets have been protected by overmats and are in fantastic condition, while the overmat in the driver’s footwell has visible wear and that in the passenger footwell has a couple of small stains.

In the storage compartment on the front passenger seat is an original first-aid kit, still in its wrapper.

The wooden trim on both dashboard and centre-console is in excellent condition, while both door cards, trimmed with leather and wood, are immaculate.

The removable wind deflector is missing.

In the boot, there is a shelf that has to be folded down before the roof mechanism can be lowered, and the boot’s carpet liner is clean with no stains or damage. The vendor reports that when the car was serviced it was pointed out that there is the potential for water ingress into the boot.

The Exterior

Monaco Blue paintwork in very good condition
Smart 18” alloy wheels
Excellent badges and brightwork
Tyres all have good tread
Rear parking sensors

The car’s sleek lines look good with the roof up or down, thanks to that folding metal roof. The dark metallic blue (‘Monaco Blue) paintwork is generally in extremely good condition for its sixteen years, with only one minor ding visible.

All four alloy wheels are very good, with only minor scuffs on the rims of both on the nearside, while all the tyres have good tread.

The badges and brightwork all present very well, as do the doorhandles and wing mirrors.

The Mechanics

2979cc N94 twin-turbo straight-six engine
Six-speed auto ‘box
Rear-wheel drive
ABS brakes
Electronic stability control
Traction control
‘Sport’ mode
Starts and runs well
Roof mechanism works well
Clean engine bay

The N54, launched at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, was BMW’s first mass-produced turbocharged engine, and the company’s first since the limited-production M106 was discontinued in 1986. Critically acclaimed for its lack of turbo ‘lag’, the engine was first used in the 2007 model 335i. With performance close to that of the (much costlier) M3 of the time, the 335i was renowned for its on-road ability

This one starts readily and idles smoothly, and the vendor assures us that the car drives and handles beautifully, with no issues. The six-speed auto gearbox was an expensive option when new but is far more sought-after than the manual version.

Under the bonnet, everything looks to be in good order, with only minor surface corrosion evident on some metal surfaces, which is only to be expected on a sixteen-year-old car.

The roof mechanism works quickly and smoothly, and cleverly folds down into the boot – although this does compromise the luggage space somewhat.

As far as we could tell, everything else works as it should.

Summary

With better security and sound-deadening from the folding metal roof than from the usual cloth hood, this is a convertible that adds comfort and year-round practicality to its renowned performance and handling. It’s an attractive proposition for those who crave the thrill of top-down motoring without the downsides.

With its indicated 47,184 miles and smart condition inside and out, this example has clearly been well looked-after and should offer the new owner many years of enjoyable motoring.

Notice to bidders

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