Something missing/lost with the new M4

[brianeck]

Originally Posted by M4TW

I have found that throttle modulation is difficult with this car as there doesn't seem to be very good feedback of when the rear tires are beginning to loose their grip. The car otherwise communicates grip limits quite well. I sometimes wish active sound piped in tire squeal along with exhaust notes. Meanwhile, winter driving is hastening my relearning. The learning curve is steeper for folks like me coming from an AWD car and used to hammer-and-go throttle usage.

Haha that's a funny little quib I know what you mean coming out of a 335i x with a tune etc and my 650i x. I think a lot of it for me right now is that its way too damn cold for my tires. My winters should be in next week.

[M4TW]

Originally Posted by myzmak

If you want, I can record some audio of myself making tire squeal noises and send you a CD to play when you drive.

"SCCREEEEEEEEEEE!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I'm pretty realistic, I think.

That's great! Keep practicing and when you've perfected your simulated tire squeal, please send your recording to:

BMW AG Headquarters
Petuelring 130
Munich
80788
Germany

Attn: Herr Active Sound

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by M4TW

That's great! Keep practicing and when you've perfected your simulated tire squeal, please send your recording to:

BMW AG Headquarters
Petuelring 130
Munich
80788
Germany

Attn: Herr Active Sound

On it like Carmen Elektra on poor life choices.

[Bob Santorini]

Originally Posted by brianeck

Haha that's a funny little quib I think a lot of it for me right now is that its way too damn cold for my tires. My winters should be in next week.

I'd be interested on your 'feedback' (no pun intended) once the winters have been put on.
I'm sure part of the problem right now for me is indeed the cold weather.

Bob

[modkrazy]

Originally Posted by rsr racer

its like the others have said... a very evolved car.

try this: turn off all of the drivers' aid nanny's and then give it a chance and wring it out on your favorite back roads. It may just be what you are looking for feedback-wise

He may be looking for feedback, but if he does what you suggest, he may find a ditch or a tree instead. I wouldn't drive this car on the streets without at least MDM, or even on the track until I really got to know the power delivery.

Originally Posted by ASAP

You feel that way (as does every other middle aged housewife)...

Please name one thing that made the car better and how it become better.

And why the F30 is no longer on Car and Drivers top 10 after 22 years.

The e90 has-

1) Better engine choices and in the case of the N54 more tunable ECUs
2) Better Steering
3) Better driving dynamics
4) Imho a better transmission as no performance sedan should have 8 gears.
5) Terrible low rolling resistance tires.
6) Feels cheaper, lower quality plastics and less solid inside.


And what does the F30 have? Ah yes, a newer navi...

Agree whole-heartedly, the F30s are among the worst cars I've ever driven, and my first car in high school was a Ford Tempo. The feather-light, wildly inaccurate, utterly uncommunicative steering, the floaty and bouncy suspension, the ugly body, cheap and flimsy interior parts, and a stupid $100 android tablet glued to the dash. Ugh, every time I get in one of those loaners I want to vomit. The premium for an F80 is totally worth it considering just how much more you get for your money.

Originally Posted by dsm918

Far from the truth. Depends on what part of the forum you are reading? F8X or E9X? 99% of the negative reviews are coming from the folks who currently own E9X's or have just sold theirs and are really not sure about the new car. They have little to no seat time in the F8X and it is really not a car that blows you away in a test drive so I would partially agree with them in being disappointed. I haven't seen much negative feedback from the so called "journalist experts" or any of the new owners who came from the E9X barring a few exceptions. This is somewhat a repeat of 2007 when the E9X came out and the E46 M folks threw a fit. I was one of them till I bought the E90 and fell in love.

This post is full of shit. 99%? That number must have left a big void behind when you pulled it out of your ass. Yes, there are quite a few sour grapes E9x owners, and I wish they would all just fuck off already so we can go back to panicking about bearings. That said, many of the criticisms directed at the new car are from journalists, professional drivers, or (as seen in this thread) by current owners. The criticisms leveled at the E9x of "bigger, more numb, less raw" were valid. The criticisms leveled at the F8x of "bigger, more numb, less raw" are valid. It's been like this since the beginning.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by modkrazy

He may be looking for feedback, but if he does what you suggest, he may find a ditch or a tree instead. I wouldn't drive this car on the streets without at least MDM, or even on the track until I really got to know the power delivery.



Agree whole-heartedly, the F30s are among the worst cars I've ever driven, and my first car in high school was a Ford Tempo. The feather-light, wildly inaccurate, utterly uncommunicative steering, the floaty and bouncy suspension, the ugly body, cheap and flimsy interior parts, and a stupid $100 android tablet glued to the dash. Ugh, every time I get in one of those loaners I want to vomit. The premium for an F80 is totally worth it considering just how much more you get for your money.



This post is full of shit. 99%? That number must have left a big void behind when you pulled it out of your ass. Many of the criticisms directed at the new car are from journalists, professional drivers, or (as seen in this thread) by current owners. The criticisms leveled at the E9x of "bigger, more numb, less raw" were valid. The criticisms leveled at the F8x of "bigger, more numb, less raw" are valid. It's been like this since the beginning.

you obviously don't spend much time on this or the E9X forum! No need to get personal. It is what I have observed. Hope you are happy with your overloaded ass!! No void there I assume!

[sherm]

I think it lacks the "head pushed back into the seat" feel. My old Camaro had that which I miss but I'm slowly forgetting it and adjusting to my M4 lol

[modkrazy]

Originally Posted by dsm918

you obviously don't spend much time on this or the E9X forum! No need to get personal. It is what I have observed. Hope you are happy with your overloaded ass!! No void there I assume!

Touche!

There is one simple fact you are not recognizing. Both of those forums are predominately populated by M owners, therefore by definition, they are populated by BMW drivers. Why then, are you surprised that they are horrible people?

[brianeck]

Originally Posted by Bob Santorini

I'd be interested on your 'feedback' (no pun intended) once the winters have been put on.
I'm sure part of the problem right now for me is indeed the cold weather.

Bob

Day and night Bob. I only got to put about 30 miles on the car with my Blizzak LM32s but its sooooo much grippier (on 255 width in the back if I might add!) its not even funny. It's also more comfortable and quieter (this is ALL because its too cold in NY for the stock rubber) by a long shot. I got Axis Model 2 wheels in 19x8.5 and Graphite Gray all around (available on Tire Rack). I'll do a full write up with pics and everything next week as I'm on vacation this week and missing my car. Pics will also include my IND cosmetic package, Show N Go motorized front license plate installed into the lower grill, 20% 3M tints all around, and powdercoated gloss black exhaust tips. I'm also going to code some fun stuff in next weekend immediately upon my return

[karussell]

Originally Posted by Bob Santorini

Firstly please do not read this as somebody trolling.

I've had my M4 since September and having recently completed break-in, I'm now taking it that bit further up the rev range. So far so good.
However, I feel the car is too refined and lacking the same feedback as the previous E92. My old car had the competiton pack so maybe it was more hardcore anyway?
I'm hoping time will improve my gelling with this car. On familiar roads to me I feel like I have to be going a lot faster to gain the level of enjoyment I got from the last car and to me its just too dangerous to push beyond the high speeds I was doing in the E92 on these roads.
Or perhaps the cold weather and greasy roads arent helping here in uk.

I'm eventually going to get out on a track and find the limits of this beast, and hopefully a better feel for this car.

Anybody else at this stage sharing similar thoughts?

I really love the looks and the interior but the driving experience counts a lot too and is pretty much no.1 on the agenda for me.


Bob

whats your tire pressures?

[ASAP]

Damn, now people are complaining of a car that is too good...

[Bob Santorini]

Hey Jim, pressures are 30psi cold. That's according to the onboard computer, but I'll check with the portable gauge when I'm next out in daylight.
What pressure do you recommend?

Bob

[Lister]

Originally Posted by haynstylem4

it lacks soul..........but still, the new M's are frkn awesome!

This f80 is my third 3 series. I think its soul is well and truly there. Waiting to be found at 150mph coming up to a hairpin.

[dkhm3]

Originally Posted by dsm918

100% agree on #1. The N54 is far far superior.

LOL

N54 was not better than the N55.

My 335i w n54 plateaued 1k Rpms before redline. It had two modes- first nothing, then BAM FULL TORQUE. It was the most non linear engine I have ever driven.

I liked it a lot for the power, but man that engine had no soul.

Plus I had 2 hpfp issues!

n55 so far on my x has been solid. To me the power is more linear but not comparable to a na engine.

M3 engine feels like it just keeps pulling to near redline. It wants to be revd. More linear still not a na engine but it is a great turbo engine. There is more modulation than the n54.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by dkhm3

LOL

N54 was not better than the N55.

My 335i w n54 plateaued 1k Rpms before redline. It had two modes- first nothing, then BAM FULL TORQUE. It was the most non linear engine I have ever driven.

I liked it a lot for the power, but man that engine had no soul.

Plus I had 2 hpfp issues!

n55 so far on my x has been solid. To me the power is more linear but not comparable to a na engine.

M3 engine feels like it just keeps pulling to near redline. It wants to be revd. More linear still not a na engine but it is a great turbo engine. There is more modulation than the n54.

The complaints you list about the N54 are things that many love about it (minus the reliability part of course).

I love the S55 and it pulls properly but if there was anything that I could change, it would be to give it some more oomph below 3k... a few S55 owners I personally know thst come from N54s feel similar...

Tomato, Tomato... right?

[///M///]

Originally Posted by dkhm3

LOL

N54 was not better than the N55.

My 335i w n54 plateaued 1k Rpms before redline. It had two modes- first nothing, then BAM FULL TORQUE. It was the most non linear engine I have ever driven.

I liked it a lot for the power, but man that engine had no soul.

Plus I had 2 hpfp issues!

n55 so far on my x has been solid. To me the power is more linear but not comparable to a na engine.

M3 engine feels like it just keeps pulling to near redline. It wants to be revd. More linear still not a na engine but it is a great turbo engine. There is more modulation than the n54.

I was calling it superior from the tunability factor over the N55.

[Jockey]

And the lag in the N54 was less.

[Jim B]

I traded in a 2010 335i coupe for my M4. The N54 was great, with very little turbo lag and excellent response. I never had any reliability issues such as the hpfp problems reported in various forums in the 32,000 miles i put on the car. I'm convinced it produced considerably more then the published 300 hp. I've driven a couple of 335i's with the N55 motor and neither felt any where near as responsive and the N54. As for the S55 motor in my M4, it feels like an N54 on steroids!!

[Jockey]

Yep, I have read very people who preferred the N55 over the N54. Unfortunately, I had the HPFP problems (one failed, the new one was replaced under the recall, so I am on my third HPFP).

But aside from the ancillaries, the engine is amazing.