The Myth of the Real ///M Car
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Just posted this article on the facebook page and figured it could use a discussion thread.
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-myth-of-the-real-m-car-1507516158/@pgeorge
My thoughts, I completely agree with the article (although my stance would be different If I'd never worked behind the scenes of a dealer). BMW has done what is has had to to keep up with the competition because they've finally come up to the same level.
While ///M stands for motorsports, ///M cars doesn't mean street legal race cars. The E12 M535i and later the E28 M5/E24 M6, being the first mass production ///M cars, were never used as race cars (like the 3.0CSL and M1) in the first place. While yes the E30 M3 (and even better the Evo I and II) were examples of that philosophy, I consider that just one part of the brand.
While like most of us I feel the older cars are much better than the newer ones (E39 M5 wins over F10 hands down!), I don't feel like the F10 M5 is any less of an ///M car than its predecessors. All the stupid things like soft close doors and options like rear seat entertainment were put on the car because that's what you can get on the C63 AMG.
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My beef with the current state of the auto industry:
8 year auto financing
Planned obsolescence
More bean counting and marketing than engineering
C-segment cars with leather, nav, premium wheels, and other options only found on F-segment cars just over a decade ago...(necessitating 8 year auto financing)
My thoughts about what an ///M car should be and what other premium marques should be:
Options and components that are exclusively available on the premium marque and not on the standard....
Example: Nissan and Infiniti, Honda and Acura. etc. You get the same VQ35, leather, and options on a Nissan, that you would get in an Infiniti. Today's Kia is more high class than yesterday's Cadillac. The standard for standard vehicles is so high, that it is difficult to justify paying more for a premium marque for anything other than badge/brand image.
Examples where BMW got this right: The M roadster was offered with a mechanical clutch-type limited slip diff, whereas the only limited slip offered on a Z3 2.8 was a Torsen unit. The M roadster came with extra differential cooling fins where the standard car didnt.
The E36 M3 came with a variable ratio steering rack for high speed on-center stability where standard E36 cars didnt.
The E30 M3 came with aluminum front control arms, and solid offset front bushings for more caster/dynamic camber.
Nowadays the 335i (N55) and M3 (F30 S55) are like the WRX and STi. The basic standard for tires, brakes, power, and handling is so high, that the lesser vehicles still have boggling performance for the street. With turbocharging comes the ability to run an aftermarket reflash to gain 80hp instantly. There are certainly some hardware differences between the cars, such as a more robust transmission, and larger brakes on the STi vs the WRX, but for those who drive normally 99% of the time and tap into the extra power very minimally, it essentially tells people "dont waste your money on the premium model, get the basic one, its good enough, and you will be just as fast as the real deal for under a grand"
Because the bar has been raised so high for basic automobiles, the ///M still means something to me but its hard not to see a lot of it as ///Marketing.
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ever since the 80s its be a roller coaster of poor styling, giant proportions, and technology cramming.
if they would have only stuck to round headlights, this would have all never happened. goddamn e36.
i think the best evidence of their lack of concetration on making great driving cars is the fact that they havent had any sort of supercar, super performance coupe, etc for sale in over 10 years.
Dan
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The more high horsepower "M" cars that they produce means more sweet engine swaps the e30 and e36's will get 5-10 years down the road.
@DrLeadFoot
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The M cars I have really gotten to beat on are:
-E30 M3
-E39 M5
-E46 M3 SMG and Stick
They all have there pluses. I really miss my e30 but for daily driving I think the e46 smg is the best of all worlds.
I have the least amount of seat time in the e39. That thing is a beast.
@DrLeadFoot
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Really need to drive an e46 m3!!! Never had a chance my e46 328i is the closest thing I got
1984 BMW 528e - SETA and manual swapped! M50 to come!!!
1988 BMW 528e - Need parts?
1991 Chevy C1500 (mighty 350 with TBI and Wisconsin weight reduction package)
1996 Mazda Miata (SOLD!!!)
1996 BMW 325i (Donor car)
1998 Chevrolet Corvette (BEAST)
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee (BROKEN)
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