Hard Hat

By Bill Saporito

It's quiet inside. That's one reason the new 328i convertible is BMW's hottest U.S. model (base price: $44,000). Quiet and convertible don't normally travel together, but BMW tamped the noise with a hard-shell top and what it calls tortional stiffness--this car is a rock. That's important when you're cruising on the highway at 120 m.p.h. (We tested the car in Europe.) On the winding back roads in the beautiful Argonne area of France, the ride was tight and sporty yet still luxe, at least in the front seats. The interior also features heat-deflecting leather so the seat won't scorch you when you leave the top down. The six-speed manual transmission is buttery, particularly on the downshift. In town, a new feature prevents the car from rolling backward when you take your foot off the brake to accelerate after you've stopped at a light. The automatic has optional shift paddles. The 328i has a more than healthy 230-h.p. engine, although the turbo 335i model ($50,000) gets you to 300 h.p. These same power plants will be packed into new 128i and 135i coupes, to be introduced next spring.