Shiplo and Rose are Car 5, a 330d M Sport E93 BMW 3 Series Convertible.

This the first cabrio in BMW's lineup with a 3-piece folding aluminum hardtop roof.

Jeremy Clarkson had this to say about it:

In many ways, this is a perfect car. Anonymously styled for maximum anticock inoffensiveness, it’s the right size and it’s fitted with a diesel engine of unparalleled smoothness. You can find more power elsewhere, and more economy. But for a combination, with almost none of the tingling you normally get from a coal burner, this big six is the tip of the arrowhead.

Shiplo calls her the Black Mamba, and we're trying not to think about about that. Remapped to 290bhp she does give a hell of a lot of tyre shredding torque.

She's also reliable, warm and dry. They may all prove invaluable qualities on this trip.

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