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      05-22-2013, 08:05 AM   #25
mkoesel
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Drives: No BMW for now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M3takesNYC View Post
I don't see why not since the current e9x is actually 3550 as weighed by many owners indepedantly through the years.
While it is true that owners have measured their cars at those weights, we should expect BMW to quote their own figures if they indeed use past vehicles as a basis for comparison. In other words, if the F80/F82 has an advertised weight of 3500lbs by their standards, then they'll quote that as a 200lb weight loss from the E90/E92 which weighed about 3700lbs by their standards as well.

In such a case, whether an independently weighed F8x actually comes in 200lbs less than an independently weighed E9x will remain to be seen.

Quote:
The e46 was 3450 which is much higher than most actually know.
Was it, truly? As I recall that too was an advertised weight. Owners vehicles may have come closer to 3300lbs in weight, for example (that number seems to stick out in my head) . I'd have to go back in forum archives and look to be sure, but it is academic anyway. BMW is fantastic at the numbers game. We saw it recently with the F30 3 Series claims. Is it really lighter than the E90? I think the point is still up for debate today, which is usually the case with such matters - no consensus is reached.

One big problem is that it is difficult for us as consumers to compare apples to apples in the real world due to differences in standard equipment, especially when you start talking different regions and so forth. Then, of course, optional equipment comes into play, and two equivalent pieces of functionality or technology from different eras could have vastly differing weights as well, but the heavier one may be much more robust and feature-laiden, etc. At some level of abstraction (sufficient scrutiny) there really is no true apples-apples comparison to be made. And from a marketing perspective, this presents plenty of opportunity.

So, only BMW knows exactly how they compare the weights of two particular products, even when claims about individual components like the chassis or frame. In the end the finished F8x products will outperform their E9x M3 equivalents,but I strongly doubt we will have a sub 3,300 lb. for or five passenger car this size before next decade when CFRP becomes more mainstream.
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