2008 BMW M3 Cabriolet: Nature of the beast

ANDREW MEESON FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The sights, the sounds, the power -- touring Niagara in the 2008 BMW M3 Cabriolet is a feast for the senses. All of them.

Andrew Meeson

THE TORONTO STAR

JORDAN, ONT.–Touring the Niagara wine region in the late fall in a convertible may seem like an act of folly.

But with the top peeled back on the 2008 BMW M3 Cabriolet, we could admire the brilliant colours of the remaining leaves, breathe in wafts of wood smoke – and flinch at the sharp report of what sounded like gunshots echoing around the vineyards.

"Oh, those are bangers that scare away the birds, which will eat the grapes," said the helpful woman at the Cave Springs store. "We also have goshawks up on the Escarpment – they're a natural form of pest control."

It takes some kind of cheek to discuss the finer points of the natural world and its birds of prey when you're ripping through it in a 414 horsepower sports car worth more than $93,000.

In fact, the driver's seat of that car would strike most as a preposterous place from which to demonstrate your interest in Mother Nature.

The fuel consumption in the 16 L/100 km (18 m.p.g.) range certainly doesn't help matters.

But the environment is exactly what did strike us.

All of the sights, sounds and smells of wine country were brought into especially sharp relief from the cockpit of the M3 Cab with the roof down (it takes 24 seconds to completely fold away).

The woman in the wine store on the too-twee street in this tiny village may have wanted to sell me a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, but we were too preoccupied with our four-wheeled cab outside to linger in her shop.

Back up on the escarpment we went to further explore what the car had to offer.

For all its determined emphasis on being solely about the driver and the driving experience, the M3 Cab does have some amenities that soften its harsh Teutonic edges.

Our Jerez Black Metallic tester was outfitted with a couple of packages that took its base price of $81,900 up to $93,900, including a $3,200 MDrive package that included voice recognition and sat nav.

Other options included extended leather in the cockpit for $1,800 and 19-inch double spoke alloy wheels for $2,000 and Electronic Damper Control for $2,000.

You want the M Double Clutch automatic transmission? That would be another $3,900.

The $3,000 executive package in our car included more adjustable seat options (making the extremely firm seats surprisingly comfortable), a compass rear-view mirror, mirrors that turn down when you're reversing and a USB cable for your iPod.

That USB adapter made the iDrive compatible with our iPod for selecting playlists and songs to accompany the drive.

And despite the chill, the heating system kept us warm, even at the speeds of the 403. Aiming the driver's vents squarely at my hands helped ward off frostbite.

The Cab also comes with a rear seat, but it's best reserved for vertically challenged passengers.

Or luggage. Or groceries.

The shallow trunk goes from a paltry 350 litres to an almost non-existent 210 litres if you drive with the top down (the reason you spring for a convertible in the first place).

In our case, that meant enough room for a couple of toiletries kits and a few bottles of wine lying on their side.

But putting your bags on the back seat means having to put the roof up and lock the car every time you stop, to keep your valuables secure. Unless owning a car like this means you don't have to worry about valuables.

If you need a further reminder of what this car's all about, check out the two cupholders in the front. Both spring out on mounts in front of the passenger, safely out of easy reach of the driver.

Irritating as this seems, this design quirk does have a logic to it. After all, a driver should not get distracted by sipping coffee and instead needs to focus on the task at hand – driving.

But put the top down, flick the "M" button on the steering wheel (tightening the already firm suspension, making the steering even more direct and making the V8 engine sing) and all its shortcomings are forgiven.

Attacking the sharp corners, accelerating through the sweeping bends with the bangers going off around us – here is where the car felt most at home.

With so much power matched to a smooth shifting six-speed manual, it was frightening how quickly you could get into licence-losing territory.

Flick the electronic driving aids off, and even at low speeds, you can feel the car's power, poised to spring.

The convertible design added some 200 kg of weight over its hardtop M3 brethren, but you'd never know it from the way it seemed to spring off the line (0-to-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, according to BMW).

Even in sixth gear on the 403 it passed slower moving vehicles with no hesitation.

(Some writers might try to draw some strained analogy between the Cabriolet and the cabernets we tried, such as that both cabs initially felt tight but grew in depth and charm as they aired. Not me, though.)

Though true track demons might pooh-pooh the idea of a convertible sports car because its body isn't as stiff, the whole feel of the M3 cabriolet – from the extremely firm seats to the tight suspension that transmitted every crack and ripple in the Niagara region's roads to the extremely low seating position (you slide in and down) – served to remind that, ultimately, it's built for speed, not for comfort.

More videos from Wheels.ca and our partners