words: Bryan Joslin   Go ahead. Take one look at it and jump to
the usual conclusion. Yeah, sure, it's a four-seat drop-top with
the coveted blue-and-white roundels at each end, but don't
assume it's only good for running between cheerleading practice
and the mall. BMW's new 1-series convertible is a seriously good
driver's car that looks even better in the metal than the coupe
on which it's based. And Godammit, it's not a chick car!  If
BMW's newest convertible were merely a boulevard-cruising
frontin' machine, surely its PR team would have flown the first
pack of international journalists to the south of France to
frolic on the beaches of Nice and simply take in the beauty of
its latest sunchaser. Instead, BMW let us have a go on the
challenging mountain roads-cum-sheep paths outside of Valencia,
Spain. The weather was warm enough to enjoy top-down motoring,
cool enough to feel justified in driving with the top up, and
the scenery amply majestic for beauty shots. But the roads — oh,
sweet Lord — the roads w