I found this video showing the strength of a CFRP drive shaft. I think it is pretty cool that the F8X M will have one of these!
I am a big car guy but a CFRP drive shaft was a new application of the material that I had never seen before so needless to say, I am kinda excited about stuff like that. Things like this are just part of what makes these cars special. I totally forgive BMW for not making the engines at a bespoke plant since they used the cost savings to reward us with things like this.
From the official BMW M3/M4 press release (from Official Thread):
Quote:
The properties of the extremely light yet impressively durable material CFRP have allowed the engineers to follow a fundamentally new approach in the manufacture of the drive shaft. Made from CFRP, this component feeds the engine’s torque from the gearbox to the rear differential and works under extremely heavy loads – especially in high-performance vehicles. “The impressive stiffness and low weight of the CFRP tubing allow the drive shaft to be constructed as a single-piece unit with no center bearing. As well as a weight saving of 40 percent over its predecessor, we have achieved a reduction in rotating masses and therefore improved drivetrain dynamics,” explains Albert Biermann.
The new BMW M3 Sedan and new BMW M4 Coupe also feature a CFRP propeller shaft. The high rigidity and low weight of the CFRP tube mean that the propeller shaft can be produced as a single-piece component, without a center bearing. This achieves weight savings of 40 percent over the previous model and a reduction in rotating masses, which in turn results in more dynamic powertrain response.
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Some photos from
Official Thread.