The 2019 BMW 8 Series Convertible Will Keep Your Neck Extremely Warm At 155 MPH

We saw the leaked press photos on Wednesday, but here it is: The 2019 BMW 8 Series convertible. Same pretty face as the hardtop, same pretty lines, just no roof. I'm not usually one for convertibles, but this one is quite, quite nice.

The soft-top roof opens and closes electronically in 15 seconds at a button's touch while traveling up to speeds of 31 mph.

Soft top. Not a retractable hardtop for you 8er buyers. That's for plebs in M4s. You're in the world of Rolls-Royces (and, uh, Mustangs) now with a cloth roof.

Special, convertible-specific under-body bracing has been added to the stiff chassis structure to compensate for the lack of a fixed roof. The windscreen frame has also been fortified and rollover bars added behind the rear seats that "extend by pyrotechnic charge." Sounds like a party!

Other convertible-specific equipment includes a pop-up wind deflector in the back and neck warmers integrated into the front head rests as an option. And let me tell you, those neck warmers are a game-changer. If you drive around with the top down and have the heat, seat warmer, heated steering wheel and the neck warmer all going, it really won't matter how cold it gets outside.

Otherwise, the performance hardware appears to be the same. The car's market launch is set for this coming March with the M850i xDrive Convertible, which gives you the 4.4-liter, 530-horsepower V8 mated to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, the chintzy gear lever seems like it's staying.

Anyway, all that will get the car to hit 62 mph from a standstill in a claimed 3.9 seconds and have a top speed of 155 mph, which is more than enough to seriously mess up your passengers' hair for the day.

No pricing was announced just yet, but you can be sure that the new convertible is going to be Expensive.