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      06-19-2012, 12:13 PM   #38
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Drives: 2011 328i LMB 6MT
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we do need to define what we mean by steering feel.

I do believe the 911, and the F30 both did a decent job in leaving the grip-level related steering feel in tact in their switch to EPS. That is, you can judge the front tire grip based on the steering feel.

What is being criticized is the lack of steering sensitivity, where the driver "feels the road" even on straight ahead position. In fact, I do not know of a single EPS system that is known to provide this, including the NSX and the S2000. (It's funny people keep brining these two cars up when their EPS racks were widely considered to be the least effective parts of their chassis.)

So if the M3 does make the jump to the EPS, I predict that once again, it will get the former right, but will lack the latter. My reasoning is,

1. It seems even the performance oriented companies like Porsche and BMW view this type of steering sensitivity (road feel) as having dubious value. They do not really make you go faster, and many non-enthusiasts consider it a nuisance.

2. For the same reason, it is conceivable that ZF, who seems to be supplying all the high end EPS these days, does not build this type of steering sensitivity into their parameter space at all. If this is the case, then no amount of tuning by the car companies will make a difference in this regard.
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