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      02-15-2007, 11:14 AM   #35
ALPINE6SPD
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Drives: 2010 BMW 328i Sport
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Highland Lakes NJ

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ILC32 View Post
Its incredible that BMW still shorts M buyers in North America, which has become the largest market for BMW in terms of unit sales of M cars. The euro E60 M5, for example, has a far more effective launch control that launches at a higher rpm than the US version and upshifts through each gear at redline as well, unlike the US version. This leads to far better accelleration times for the ROW cars -- which usually are the cars tested by the media at product release.

BMW is not alone in this practice. The RS4 in North America does not come with the more extreme steering wheel and seats that are available in the ROW; the GT3 does not not come with the extreme seats either. But in these two examples, the differences are merely cosmetic (although real sport seats of course make it easier to exploit the performance of the car on the track).
The are reasons for all of the things you stated. The launch control is not on US cars because most owners would use it too much and damage the car and then blame the dealerships and BMW. You can thank the lawyers for that one not BMW. The seats in the RS4 and GT3 will NOT pass US DOT standards so that is why we will not see them. I believe the sterring wheels is also for crash testing as I dont think it passed because of lower body injuries. I am not sure on the sterring wheel but I know I am right about all the others.
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