First BMW 8 Series Convertible rolls off assembly line

The drop-top edition follows just four months after the hardtop coupe entered series production.

BMW has announced the start of series production for its new 8 Series Convertible, manufactured in Lower Bavaria.

The first convertible was built just four months after the 8 Series hardtop coupe began rolling off the assembly line.

The company invested somewhere in the "low-three-digit-million-euro" range to upgrade the factory, which also produces the 5 Series and 7 Series on a single line.

The convertible arrives in Europe with two powertrain options, either the 840d xDrive diesel with 320 horsepower or the high-performance M850i edition with a 4.4-liter V8 that delivers 530 horsepower.