Quote:
Originally Posted by simianspeedster
I think this may be the fundamental basis of all the complaints even if it's not obvious. As BMW's mainstream cars stray further from their roots (bigger, softer, usually heavier), the M variants will inevitably stray as well because there's only so much the M Division can do to alter a car once the "bones" are in place. How can BMW reasonably make a lighter, tighter M5 when it's essentially based on a 7 Series?
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We'll see soon just how much further M Division can advance the state of the art with the next generation M3/M4 and their F8x chassis. This new designation vs. the F3x chassis on which the M version will be based signifies that they have some new tricks to show us this time around. Originally the speculation focused on carbon fiber, especially body panels, but newer rumors suggest that the focus will be heavy use of aluminum, both in the body shell and in subframes and chassis components.
Speaking of your 7 series and of carbon fiber, the next generation of that car is slated to make much heavier use of the material than in any past BMW. Here we will likely see some use of CFRP body panels and perhaps suspension components. Later these will make their way into other BMW products including future M vehicles.