Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie
The M340 has the same exact aluminum suspension (with a ///M stamp), brakes and identical electronic 100% locking LSD as a "real" M car..
Does it need to be anointed by the M gods themselves for it to be christen a true M car?
I get that you guys are trying to distinguish between the two variants but the pie has been cut so thin nowadays that separating M and M Performance is almost a pointless exercise, other than for the bragging rights.
I'll be honest, I didn't think much of the M340i before I drove one but man, that car is a rocket, handles just as good as an M2 and is as M as it's really all one would need for regular road driving, with a little pep.
The electronic 100% locking LSD was the crown-jewel of all M cars over the standard models but now that BMW has leveled the playing field and made them common amongst all, so I really don't see the advantage of an official M car anymore.
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First off, we don't have the G80 yet so how can you know it has the same suspension as the M car? Because to be frank, it does not. The suspension arms used in the M340i are exactly what are used in all the other cars except for one component, the suspension strut. The sheet metal is all the same. The interior leather is the same as the regular G20. There's no carbon fiber roof. The bumper is the same as the regular M Sport model. The only thing different is just to accommodate the extra power and some visual bits like the grille and badge.
I'm not saying the M340i isn't a great car. It absolutely is. But an M car has always had unique body panels and unique suspension geometry (significantly unique, not just a slightly revised strut). The F80 also had standard Merino leather and a bunch of interior differences. The M340i basically has the same interior as any other M Sport car.
Who cares if it's a real M car or not? I don't think it is, but that doesn't make it any less of a car. It's a great car. In fact, I'd prefer the M340i if I could get it in a manual. Hands down. But I wouldn't consider it an M car. It just isn't.