Quote:
Originally Posted by Obioban
I don't care about "faster", I'm not racing. I want a car that is involving to drive. Circa 2002, every BMW was the best driving car in its class and everyone was involving/enjoyable. Today, their non M cars drive worse than the lexus/caddy competitors. Similarly, I don't want "luxury", as inevitably that really means isolation from the driving experience.
Traditionally, the non M BMWs were as sporty as they could be while keeping them comfortable enough for normal people to enjoy driving every day. The M cars took it a step further, compromising civility for absolute involvement in the driving experience. That's what I want. And deal breakers for me include electronic power steering, turbos, fake exhaust noise generators, automatic transmissions of any sort, run flats, etc.
What would I like to see BMW make? I'd like an e36 sized sedan with carbon fiber tub (ala i3) and an N52 with a 6mt. I'd like an i8 with all the electronic garbage removed and an S65 instead.
I disagree completely. Modern BMWs are a significantly worse driving experience than their previous counterparts. The engines lag, the manuals suck to shift, the tires sucks, and the steering feel makes pushing the car to the limit... dicey. The competition absolutely has stepped up their came, but BMW completely fell off theirs (and onto a different game).
I don't think they make any real M models any more. Fake noise generators, turbos, SUVs, automated gear boxes. Moreover, what's "motorsport" about any of them (which is the very definition of M)? What current M car wouldn't be totally out of place on a track?
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Any car M division makes is a "real M car". Successful companies cannot live in the past, they have to continue with product development and keep up with modern trends. Not to mention be innovative and first to the market with certain things. If you like older BMWs, they're still around to be bought! Don't expect the company to stop progressing and move backwards... with the new regulations in place they couldn't do it even if they wanted. Porsche is known for producing driver's cars as well, yet they also have noise generators and automated gear boxes. Hell, some people are upset the new GT3 doesn't come with a manual. I like one Porsche's engineer response "Yes, we love manuals too, but we love winning even more!). No company is investing money in manual transmissions anymore... it's outdated technology. That would be like IT companies spending money on coax cable instead of fiber optic.
The new M cars are not out of place on a track! You're just not paying attention to them because they're not what they used to be (but they're faster than ever). Some people are slow to accept change, there's nothing wrong with that.