Quote:
Originally Posted by CSBM5
C&D went so far as to put the F30 and E90 on a chassis machine to figure out why the F30 was so different. It's an interesting article with many differences discovered, but one of the biggest is the dramatic reduction in self-aligning torque fed back through the steering and the amount of rear axle toe-in on compression perhaps. BMW literally did significantly change the entire character of the F30; they are focused on their target market which has evolved to *not* be the traditional enthusiast market, hence they've Lexus-ified the F30 as the average buyer has no clue nor care about driving dynamics/chassis dynamics. It's just the way it is now with BMW imo.
That said, I suppose C&D is still relevant to some extent, but I let my subscription lapse a few years ago about the time they totally revamped the layout of the magazine after having a continual subscription since 1972. I just don't see the need to have it come every month in the mailbox any longer. |
Thanks for this link. I've never seen this article before. But I am seeing mostly positives here, and none of this explains my dissatisfaction with the f30, compared to the e90. Maybe #3 and #10. The rest is mostly positive improvements.
"The Morse *Measurements data confirms some *suspicions but also refutes a few impressions logged during thousands of miles of 3-series seat time. Here’s what we learned:
[1] The 328i we tested for 40,000 miles weighs 3434 pounds, while a 2007 335i owned by former Car and Driver editor-in-chief Csaba Csere scales in at 3671 pounds. (Weight and CG data came from our garage, not Morse Measurements.)
[2] The 328i has better weight distribution (49.2 percent front/50.8 rear) than its immediate predecessor (50.5/49.5), but the older 335i’s center of gravity, at 20.0 inches high, is an inch lower than the 328i’s.
[3] The 328i’s wheel rates (overall suspension stiffnesses) are 2 percent softer in front and 10 percent softer in back, which helps explain the new 3-series’s smoother ride.
[4] The 328i’s anti-roll bars are slightly larger in diameter.
[5] Roll centers, both front and rear, are an inch higher in the 328i. (Suspension geometry defines theoretical points—one in the front, one at the rear—about which the body rolls when subjected to cornering forces.) The *imagi*nary line connecting the front and rear roll centers is called the roll axis. For a given center of gravity and cornering rate, a higher roll axis (closer to the center of gravity) yields less body roll.
[6] The 328i and the 335i both roll 3.4 degrees per g during cornering. This is the net result of findings two through five.
[7] There’s significantly more braking anti-dive built into the F30’s front-suspension geometry and slightly more anti-lift designed into its rear axle. Both characteristics are advantageous to braking performance.
[8] The 328i’s outside rear wheel toes in significantly more when subjected to cornering loads. This is a stabilizing feature to induce understeer, and BMW apparently implemented it as an alternative to the 335i’s staggered (larger in back) tire sizes.
[9] The 328i’s steering is 8 percent quicker than the 335i’s and has significantly less ratio change as the steering wheel sweeps lock-to-lock. This may be attributable to an improved steering-column design with reduced universal-joint angles [see graph above].
[10] The slip angles producing cornering forces at the tire patches create what’s known as aligning torque—essentially, the tire trying to return to straight-ahead running. This aligning torque is fed back through the rack-and-pinion steering gear to the steering wheel. It’s part of the information the driver uses to learn what’s going on where the rubber meets the road. The K&C machine reported that aligning torque is 64 percent lower in the 328i than in the 335i. While the switch to electric power steering may improve mileage, it’s a bummer for Bimmer driving satisfaction."