Tonight BMW M4 @ Top gear

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

Ha! I've also seen him on the Club Lexus site. They are desecrating Harris over his RC-F review in similar ways this place was ripping on Sutcliffe after he drove the M4.

None of us need reviewers to tell us what car to buy, but it sure feels good when early on, the M3/4 remains the standard bearer in this group. Really looking forward to what the C63 and RS5 have in store, those cars are going to bring it. This sub category of cars have so many options now, more than ever really.

I am really looking forward to the C63 as I think it will remain the only true competitor... has the RS5 ever even come close? and the fact that it's the only one that is awd? The ATS V I am sure will be lol as every other GM product minus the Z06.

Edit - Just went to Club Lexus to check out the RC F comments... there is a place for LOLZ... they go into resale value and crash safety ratings as Lexus positives.

[gmd2003]

Originally Posted by myzmak

Are the numbers for the cars you mentioned different from the BBC website than the fastest laps one? (my very quick review was they were the same, but I went with fastest laps as it had more info about cars, specifying, for instance, whether it was a 996, 997 GT3, etc)

Some cars are not on the BBC list that you mentioned and a couple are different but most seem to be the same .

[Damasconian]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I am really looking forward to the C63 as I think it will remain the only true competitor... has the RS5 ever even come close? and the fact that it's the only one that is awd? The ATS V I am sure will be lol as every other GM product minus the Z06.

Edit - Just went to Club Lexus to check out the RC F comments... there is a place for LOLZ... they go into resale value and crash safety ratings as Lexus positives.

Tons of comments about low Lexus maintenance costs too, as if they don't know BMW's come with 4 years of it included.

The only thing I would say about the RS5 is that after nearly 6 years on the market, that car still looks great. It's aged much better than the C63 and E9X have, not even close IMO. Interior is looking dated but that is one of the best designed cars to ever come out of Germany. Audi has been on one heck of a roll this past decade.

[VectorRalf]

I believe JC may have misspoken. He said that the new M3 is 4 seconds faster around 'our track' than the previous M3. Then he said that the previous M3 was already 5 seconds per lap faster than its rivals around the Ascari track in Spain.

The whole thing makes much more sense if he's talking about the Ascari track the whole time. That track is about 3.4 miles long and closer to a 3 minute lap-time (2:45 or so?).

[Vectors2final]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Edit - Just went to Club Lexus to check out the RC F comments... there is a place for LOLZ... they go into resale value and crash safety ratings as Lexus positives.

I just can't... The infotainment absolutely blows ass. You'd think Japanese car companies would have the best systems available, or is that a stereotype? I don't think it is given the electronic track record. I usually don't concern myself with crash safety ratings unless there is a glaring negative. I do have a child, but I'm not going to fret over four and five stars. Resale value?

[turbo8765]

Originally Posted by KennyPowers

you posted a heavily biased time from a z06

An HD video with full telemetry overlay and a written statement saying the car was 100% stock including alignment, weight, power, tires, and tire pressures... and in a car driven by a known non-pro driver?

What more are you asking for?

[Propanelgen]

Originally Posted by dmk08

I cant think of any areas. Are you doing it right?

Steering feel?

[dmk08]

Originally Posted by Propanelgen

Steering feel?

Im fine with the steering. I dont track maybe I would notice more if I did.

[verbs]

Originally Posted by ASAP

An e60 M5 may be the worst to own bmw ever made... bcuz someone in munich thought it would be a good idea to put a v10 in a car that is first and foremost a daily driver. Maintenance costs equivalent to a race car, repair costs equivalent to a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, fuel consumption equivalent to an F350 dually towing a rig and then to top it off its plagued with the worst automated transmission ever made. That's before you even get into the depreciation costs where you can go buy them for a 1/4 of the new price w 40k miles. The car was a gimmick and a show piece... kind of like the Veyron... cool to say you have it and make noises every once a month when you can wind it out but it ended there.

Clearly you never owned one. I did and it was the best bmw I've ever owned.

[Black Gold]

Originally Posted by turbo8765

An HD video with full telemetry overlay and a written statement saying the car was 100% stock including alignment, weight, power, tires, and tire pressures... and in a car driven by a known non-pro driver?

What more are you asking for?

PS cup tires are not the same as PSS. just because you can buy a car that comes with them from the factory doesn't mean they can be compared.

yes, I question the time. I think there is something to these laps run by jim mero. he is running relatively much quicker times at VIR and also the ring in the prior z06 than anyone else seems to be able to do. randy pobst ran faster at streets of willow in the gtr vs the new z06, yet the VIR times were much quicker for the z06.

when the time posted by GM is 15+ seconds faster than the one run by van strouma, who also tested the m4, I think you have to wonder why. I don't think it makes sense to compare times with different drivers and track tires vs street tires.

im sure a lot of it has to do with the aero, brakes and tires in the z07 package, but yes it is a little bit of a one off time.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by verbs

Clearly you never owned one. I did and it was the best bmw I've ever owned.

Key word there is "was"...

If something is so great, then you don't get rid of it unless you get bored with it or it causes problems... the same goes for the E92 m3 fanboys...

why are you in a lowly 335i again since you had a glorious "v10"?

[tallshortguy]

Originally Posted by VectorRalf

I believe JC may have misspoken. He said that the new M3 is 4 seconds faster around 'our track' than the previous M3. Then he said that the previous M3 was already 5 seconds per lap faster than its rivals around the Ascari track in Spain.

The whole thing makes much more sense if he's talking about the Ascari track the whole time. That track is about 3.4 miles long and closer to a 3 minute lap-time (2:45 or so?).

He refers to Ascari because that's where they did their shootout between the e9x m3, c63, and rs5 back in 2007.

He's clearly referring to the new M3's time as 4 sec faster on their test track. He also mentions the difference between the e90 and e46 times which match up to the top gear test track times.

[erind]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Key word there is "was"...

If something is so great, then you don't get rid of it unless you get bored with it or it causes problems... the same goes for the E92 m3 fanboys...

why are you in a lowly 335i again since you had a glorious "v10"?

[solstice]

With first the M5 and now the M3 not ending up on their track time board I wonder if it's some legal threat from BMW? It's very strange. They test the car on the track but can't give us the exact time or have it on the board. It's not like these cars aren't interresting enough in the car world...

[gmd2003]

Originally Posted by solstice

With first the M5 and now the M3 not ending up on their track time board I wonder if it's some legal threat from BMW? It's very strange. They test the car on the track but can't give us the exact time or have it on the board. It's not like these cars aren't interresting enough in the car world...

They didn't even test the I8 , that was no accident . I'm pretty sure BMW didn't let them .Lots of manufacturers control such things , I just never thought BMW would be one of them .

[fcman]

Originally Posted by solstice

It's not like these cars aren't interresting enough in the car world...

Compared to everything else hitting the market right now, the M3/4 really isn't all that interesting. It's been around for 30 years now and the formula hasn't changed much. Same with the 911, both are great cars but everyone already knows what they are about.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by fcman

Compared to everything else hitting the market right now, the M3/4 really isn't all that interesting. It's been around for 30 years now and the formula hasn't changed much. Same with the 911, both are great cars but everyone already knows what they are about.

Still, when new versions are released people want to know how fast they are and they are in many ways the benchmark competitors are held against. If that isn't interresting enough to show the lap and put it on the board I don't know what is. Something smells here.

[fcman]

Originally Posted by solstice

Still, when new versions are released people want to know how fast they are and they are in many ways the benchmark competitors are held against. If that isn't interresting enough to show the lap and put it on the board I don't know what is. Something smells here.

Yeah I'm not sure if there is something else going on. This season has been an absolute bore to be honest. I would have loved if they gave the M3 a proper review, instead they just keep giving us these reality TV segments. Ep 4 was the first of this season that I watched throughout. The other 3 I just skipped along to the interesting bits, maybe watched 10min of each episode.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by solstice

With first the M5 and now the M3 not ending up on their track time board I wonder if it's some legal threat from BMW? It's very strange. They test the car on the track but can't give us the exact time or have it on the board. It's not like these cars aren't interesting enough in the car world...

Could be that, or could be that they are just slow updating times on their web site.

The AMG GT Merc they test drove in the same episode also doesn't show up on any of the Top Gear lap time web sites at the present time.

a

[afadeev]

Here is some more feedback on "Comfort" vs. "Sport" steering mode debate:

http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/02/21/bm...-mode-setting/

Personally, I'm OK with either mode. Sport+ is a touch too stiff for me.
Neither provides the road-feedback of hydraulic steering racks, but that's seams to be par for the course with the latest generation of cars.

a