Quote:
Originally Posted by solstice
While I agree with how the ZF changes the character of the car vs. the DCT I disagree with that it becomes just a faster MXX(X)i car. My experience is that the true M cars are built to a very different standard in terms of endurance, cooling, strength, quality and they are tuned much more meticulously in chassis/suspension/steering.
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That leads to two questions:
1) Why exactly do these customers need the additional 'endurance, cooling, strength' etc? (I agree it's needed on the track - though I can still only manage about 20 minute sessions before the brakes start to cook!)
2) Why did I need to pay extra for "M Performance Suspension" on my M4?
Quote:
Originally Posted by solstice
And at the current size and practicality of the M3 I believe there is a sizable market who want all of that with a smoother gearbox. If you look at the lineup of M these days it’s not a lineup of track cars with compromised comfort, it’s a high end sub brand of BMW building better cars with sporty ambitions. The smallest cars retain some of the original M car’s track ambitions while the larger cars do not. The M3 is now having one foot on each side. An MT and a ZF make at least some sense.
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I actually agree with everything you said... right up until the last sentence.
Driving an M car in 'full auto' on the track is a frustrating and unrewarding exercise. Might as well buy a Tesla and put it in self-driving track mode with 'automatic drifting'.
As I understood it, 'M' is supposed to stand for Motorsport. Perhaps BMW need a new division for 'Overengineered Massive GT cars' (let's call it 'OMG')? ...but Mercedes already have that market covered.
As you say, the M2 is probably the best option for a driver's car right now, but that is starting to feel a little dated (especially the interior) and will also be EOP soon. So what's an M owner to do?