BMW currently sells two convertibles in the United States and has certified thirteen
different open-topped model lines for US sale since 1989. This page lists all of them, with
the years, weights and outputs from our specification records, and
covers the two questions that actually decide the purchase: how much the roof costs you and
which of the two roof types the car has.
Every open BMW sold in America
Counting convertibles and roadsters together, because BMW treats them as one part of the
range even though the marketing separates them:
| Model | US model years | Versions | Power | Curb weight | Length | EPA combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Series | 1989–2013 | 97 | 168–320 hp | 2,987–4,001 lb | 174.4–180.7 in | 18–23 mpg |
| Z3 | 1996–2002 | 36 | 225 hp | 2,690 lb | 158.7 in | 18–24 mpg |
| M3 | 1998–2013 | 26 | 240–414 hp | 3,781–4,145 lb | 174.4–181.9 in | 16–21 mpg |
| Z8 | 2000–2003 | 4 | 394 hp | — | — | 15 mpg |
| Z4 | 2003–2026 | 94 | 215–382 hp | 3,020–3,549 lb | 161.0–170.9 in | 17–28 mpg |
| 6 Series | 2004–2018 | 45 | 300–448 hp | 4,189–4,650 lb | 189.8–192.5 in | 15–24 mpg |
| M6 | 2007–2018 | 21 | 500–560 hp | 4,398–4,508 lb | 191.7–192.5 in | 13–17 mpg |
| 1 Series | 2008–2013 | 24 | 230–300 hp | 3,250–3,660 lb | 171.7–172.0 in | 20–22 mpg |
| 4 Series | 2014–2026 | 49 | 240–382 hp | 3,920–4,330 lb | 182.7–187.8 in | 23–30 mpg |
| M4 | 2015–2026 | 23 | 425–523 hp | 4,054–4,070 lb | 183.9–188.6 in | 18–20 mpg |
| 2 Series | 2015–2021 | 34 | 240–335 hp | 3,549–4,065 lb | 174.4 in | 21–27 mpg |
| 8 Series | 2019–2026 | 22 | 335–523 hp | — | 191.3 in | 19–25 mpg |
| M8 | 2020–2025 | 8 | 617 hp | 4,570 lb | 191.3 in | 17 mpg |
Two of those are still current: the 4 Series
Convertible with the M4 above it, and the
Z4 roadster. The 8 Series
Convertible is certified through 2026; the M8 last appears in 2025.
The lightest and the heaviest
The spread is the point of that table. The lightest open BMW on record is the
Z3 at 2,690 lb. The heaviest is the
6 Series at 4,650 lb — 1,960 lb
apart, which is most of a Z3 again.
The length column separates them just as sharply. The Z3 is 158.7 inches; the M6 is
192.5. Nearly three feet of difference inside one body style.
What that means practically is that “BMW convertible” is not a category with shared
characteristics. A Z3 and an M6 Convertible are open two-doors and have almost nothing else
in common — not size, not weight, not what they are for.
The current pair sits in the middle and not by accident. The Z4 runs
3,020–3,549 lb and the 4 Series Convertible 3,920–4,330 lb. Neither approaches
the Z3’s lightness, and neither approaches the 6 Series’ mass.
What the roof costs
Every convertible is heavier than the coupe it is based on, and our records let us
measure it rather than estimate. Across 61 pairs of US-certified versions that share a model
year, a model and a trim name and differ only in the roof, the median penalty is
403 lb · 183 kg, with a range from 194 lb to 576 lb.
The split is not random. It follows the roof mechanism, and our brochure archive
documents which car had which. The
2018 4 Series brochure opens its convertible
section “With a power-folding hardtop”; the
2007 6 Series brochure specifies a “Fully lined
fabric softtop with glass rear window and electric rear-window defroster”.
| Model | Roof | Median weight the convertible adds |
|---|---|---|
| M4 | Folding hardtop (2015–2020) | +514 lb |
| 4 Series | Folding hardtop, then fabric | +470 lb |
| 3 Series | Folding hardtop (E93) | +452 lb |
| M3 | Folding hardtop (E93) | +441 lb |
| 2 Series | Fabric | +403 lb |
| M8 | Fabric | +267 lb |
| M6 | Fabric | +253 lb |
| 6 Series | Fabric | +241 lb |
A folding metal roof costs roughly twice what a fabric one does. The current M440i
xDrive Convertible, at the fabric end, adds only 194 lb over its coupe — less than
half the penalty of the 428i with the hardtop that preceded it.
The one thing the roof does not cost is fuel. Across 147 comparable pairs of EPA
ratings, the median difference between coupe and convertible is zero combined mpg. Half a
ton of mechanism is invisible on the test cycle.
Roadster or convertible?
BMW uses both words and the distinction is real, if not always applied consistently.
A roadster is a two-seat open car designed as one — the Z3, Z4,
Z8. There is no coupe version underneath it; the open body is the car. The Z4 has been
certified for US sale continuously since 2003, which makes it the longest-running open BMW
in the current range.
A convertible is a coupe with the roof removed — the 3, 4, 6 and
8 Series cars, and the M versions of them. There is a fixed-roof twin, the four seats are
retained, and the weight penalty in the table above is exactly the cost of doing it this
way.
The practical difference shows in the weight column. The Z4 at 3,020–3,549 lb is
lighter than the 4 Series Convertible at 3,920–4,330 despite both being current cars,
because it was never asked to carry a coupe’s structure or a second row of seats.
The Z4 across three generations
The Z4 is the only open BMW that has been on sale continuously since 2003, which makes
it the one worth tracking generation by generation. Our records hold 94 US-certified
versions of it:
| Generation | US model years | Power | Curb weight | Length | EPA combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E85/E86 | 2003–2008 | 215–330 hp | 3,020–3,197 lb | 161.0–161.8 in | 17–22 mpg |
| E89 | 2009–2016 | 240–335 hp | 3,241–3,549 lb | 166.9 in | 19–27 mpg |
| G29 | 2019–2026 | 225–382 hp | 3,296–3,463 lb | 170.9 in | 22–28 mpg |
Nearly ten inches of length added across three generations, and 276 lb at the light end.
The economy column is the one moving the other way: the worst-rated G29 returns 22 mpg
combined, which is better than the best E85. And the current car’s 382 hp top
figure is the highest a Z-car has been certified at outside the 394 hp
Z8.
Note the two-year gap. The E89 ends in 2016 and the G29 starts in 2019, so there is no
2017 or 2018 Z4 in US records at all — a detail worth knowing before searching a
classifieds site for one.
What has gone
Nine of the thirteen model lines above are no longer certified. The pattern in the dates
is worth reading.
The Z3 ended in 2002 and the Z8
in 2003 — the Z8 after only four model years and four certified versions, which makes
it the rarest entry in the whole table. The
1 Series Convertible ran 2008–2013 and had no
direct replacement until the 2 Series arrived in 2015; that ended in 2021, and the compact
convertible has not returned. The 6 Series and
M6 ended together in 2018, replaced by the 8 Series and M8.
The 3 Series Convertible is the one that did not disappear so much as change name: it
runs through 2013 in our records, and the 4 Series
Convertible picks up in 2014. Same car, new badge — the renaming is covered in
BMW coupe models.
Count what is left and the range has halved. Two open BMWs are on sale where there were
four as recently as 2018.
Common questions
Which BMW convertibles are sold now?
The 4 Series Convertible and the M4 Convertible, the 8 Series Convertible, and the Z4
roadster. The M8 Convertible last appears in the 2025 model year.
What is the difference between a BMW roadster and a convertible?
A roadster is a two-seat open car with no coupe version underneath — the Z3, Z4 and
Z8. A convertible is a four-seat coupe with the roof removed, like the 4 Series or the
6 Series.
How much heavier is a BMW convertible than the coupe?
403 lb · 183 kg at the median across 61 comparable pairs, with a range from 194 lb
to 576 lb. Cars with a folding metal roof sit at the top of that range and fabric-roofed
cars at the bottom.
What is the lightest BMW convertible?
The Z3 at 2,690 lb. Among current cars it is the Z4, from 3,020 lb.
Does a convertible use more fuel than the coupe?
No. Across 147 comparable pairs of EPA ratings the median difference is zero combined
mpg.
Did BMW make a convertible 1 Series?
Yes, certified for US sale from 2008 to 2013 with 230 to 300 hp. It was succeeded by the
2 Series Convertible, which ran 2015 to 2021.
Sources
- Model years, outputs, curb weights, lengths and fuel economy from this site’s specification pages, built on EPA fuel-economy filings, EPA certification test records and Transport Canada vehicle specifications.
- Roof types quoted from original US-market BMW brochures held in this site’s archive: the 2018 4 Series and 2007 6 Series.