MoneywebDRIVE: Feature
all space above that to be reserved for the roof mechanism.
But what the heck. If you want to
drive from Jo’burg down to the
coast, pack enough luggage
for the week and keep the top
up until you get there. With the
top up there is some 370 litres of
loading space, which is equivalent to what you’d get in a
medium-sized hatchback. And
there’s a load-through function
10
for long items into the rear passenger section.
Talking of passengers, during one
of my sorties to Pretoria I gave
three hefty “okes” a spin in the
car, and there was space for all
of us, despite the fact that they
pretty much fit the profile of your
average Blue Bulls supporter. So
the M4 Convertible is a usable
tool for friends and family too.
When you fold down the roof or
raise it, the operation itself is a
little disconcerting. That complicated, multi-panelled mechanism and all its attendant lever
arms, hydraulics, and electronic assistance adds some serious
weight to the car. The stock M4
coupe is an already substantial
(for this type of car) 1 650 kg,
while the automatic (M DCT )
model we had on test weighs
some 1 865 kg. You feel that
extra weight as the panels are
raised and folded and clicked
into place – the car gives a visible shudder as everything is
battened down!
The weight also takes a bit of the
edge off performance, which
you notice once you start thinking back to how the M4 Coupe
and its four-door M3 sibling per-