3 Series coupe-cabriolet on the way

• Folding metal roof for 3 Series drop-top
• Expect on sale next autumn
• Audi will keep cloth roof for A4

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BMW is tipped to combine coupe and cabriolet in one car with the arrival of the new 3 Series convertible next year.

Expected next autumn, the new 3 Series coupe-cabriolet will use a folding metal roof. Rival Audi says it will stick to a soft top, however, when it replaces the face-lifted A4 in the next few years.

Audi hasn't given any idea of what it might have up its sleeve for the next TT coupe and roadster that are due next year, however. The recently unveiled Shooting Brake concept gives an idea of what the front end of the TT will look like.

Mercedes has already said that its two-seater convertible models, currently the SL and SLK, will continue to use a metal roof while four-seaters like the CLK will retain distinct cloth-roofed convertibles and traditional tin-topped coupes.

Cloth roofs are more vulnerable than metal designs, but they can keep the weight of the cars down and leave more room in the boot when folded away.

The previous-generation Mercedes SLK popularised folding metal roofs which are now used on a host of current and future models. The Mercedes wasn't the first to use the design, however, Peugeot taking that honour with the 1930s 402 Eclipse.