Quote:
Originally Posted by 3XTR3M3
Currently, if there is anything BMW is known for it's inconsistency in past ideas and beliefs, breaking tradition, and change. Big change.
BMW condemned Audi for using Turbos... they now depend on turbos.
BMW condemned Benz for putting the same engine in lot of performance cars... we will soon see BMW do the same. Maybe not exact engines but variations.
BMW M believed and preached in all-natural, high-revving engines in M cars... 80% of current M cars on the market are twin turbos with average redlines. When the F3X M3 comes out, 100% of M cars will be forced induction.
BMW never believed in front wheel drive vehicles... BMWi will be manufacturing front wheel drive vehicles.
BMW preached hydrogen technology while everyone was working out hybrids/electrics... now BMWi will make hybrid/electric vehicles instead of hydrogen which they wasted years on developing.
They have reason for doing everything they have done, but it does blur the lines of what we know about BMW and M.
If there is anything you can depend on, it is that you can not rely on BMWs tradition or past trends to predict anything they will do. Shaving weight off of future vehicles is no different. Just because the weight has done nothing but go up, does not mean it will always do so and not reverse and start going down.
I dont know this for sure of course, but I do know we can not rely on BMWs past or traditions to determine the direction of the current BMW. So if something seems logical, with enough supported evidence, I will believe in that before I believe in tradition, past values, and past trends.
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i understand what you're saying, but at this point i think it's kind of naive to believe that cars will get lighter. the spy shots of the next 3 series are out and it's just as big as the last 5 series.
i guess it's feasible for me to say that once the 3 series gets to 4000lbs it might be able to sustain that weight for the next model, maybe even drop some of it (would you be excited if they drop 50lbs from a 4000lbs car?). however, i do believe that there is a "weight ceiling" and, unfortunately, i don't think we've hit it yet.
i guess i'm jaded a bit by my E36 M3 with its stock weight of 3175lbs. i would be willing to place a decent wager on the fact that bmw will never make an M3 that weighs so little again. if for nothing else consider that their primary market is more interested in luxury and tech gimics. the fact that bmw felt it couldn't sell the CSL, GTS, etc. in america (their biggest market) is pretty telling on what is preferred and, at the end of the day, bmw is in the business of making money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RevFreak14
I hope they don't plan on shedding weight by using the same materials as on the Vette. The Vette is made of paper. I wouldn't want to be in an accident in one of them.
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here's a perfect example of what i was talking about.