Designers
The E93 convertible shares most of its design with the E92 coupe and so it makes sense to look at the design process for both cars together.
This was the last 3 series generation to be released under the guidance of chief of design Chris Bangle. The designer responsible for the general look of these twins is Marc Michael Markefka, and the exterior was created by Peter Gabath.
Marc Markefka would go on to lead the design of the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom and is the Head of Design Strategy at BMW (2021).
Peter Gabath worked together with Chris Bangle for a long time at that point and was certainly a key part of the controversial new design language that came around that time. He co-designed the infamous E65 7-series with the "Bangle Butt", and was also directly responsible for the E46 3-series compact.
The duo of Markefka/Gabath would also work together on the design of yet another spin-off chassis in the form of the E82 1-series coupe.
Differentiation from the 3 series
This new generation of 3-series significantly widened the visual distinction between the "normal" E90/E91 sedan/wagon and the more "exciting" E92/E93 coupe and convertible.
The previous versions would always use the same internal code, regardless of variant - it was always the E46, E36 or E30. The coupe and convertible would generally look very similar to the default model, but started having a bit more sporty dimensions (lower and wider) with the E36 generation. Only with the facelifted E46 would they gain a small difference in headlamps, but even then these details were only noticed by fans of the brand.
As a child I always noticed how some "3er"s simply looked a lot sleeker, but I had a hard time actually pointing my finger to what it was exactly that was different about them.
