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"         Valencia, Spain \u2014 It&amp;#039;s not easy to think of a direct competitor for BMW&amp;#039;s 125i Convertible. After all, most 4-seat convertibles in the U.S. are either a size larger or front-wheel drive \u2014 as opposed to the truly sporting rear-drive of this little Bimmer \u2014 or both.   The 218 bhp from the 125i&amp;#039;s smooth 3.0-liter inline-6 we drove for the car&amp;#039;s European launch (the U.S. market will get the 128i with 230 bhp when the car goes on sale here in late March) doesn&amp;#039;t exactly blow your hair back on acceleration, though the car does scamper to 60 mph in a claimed 6.4 seconds \u2014 far from slow. But the hot ticket for the sporting sort will be the twin-turbo 135i with 300 bhp, due in the U.S. in May. Both cars will be available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.   The biggest factor hampering the 125i Convertible is its 3495-lb. curb weight, which means it&amp;#039;s heavier than the larger 328i Coupe! Despite this, the 1 Series still feels light and small, especially through corners. As usual, BMW has mixed a terrific blend of ride vs. handling, though the car leans a little too far toward understeer.   Bucking the current retractable hardtop trend, no doubt in the interest of cost, the 1 Series Convertible&amp;#039;s top is made of good old-fashioned cloth. Noise suppression is decent, though at higher speeds there is noticeable wind noise near the rear window. A neat feature: the power top can be raised or lowered when traveling up to 30 mph.   Speaking of price, BMW says the 128i Convertible will start at $33,875. Get a little itchy with your option-checking finger, and the car will easily exceed $40,000.   What&amp;#039;s Hot:   Rear drive in a front-drive world Excellent ride/handling compromise Convertible top can be operated when traveling up to 30 mph   What&amp;#039;s Not:   Heavy Underpowered Expensive  Cars to Compare:        "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a14018/2008-bmw-125i-convertible/>