Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankL
Geez. I wish they would offer an upgrade on new ones for $1,000 more. I am guessing $20 to 40 more for a aluminum one versus plastic? We all know that all the manufacturers die for 0.5 mpg more. BMW with the B48 and 58 do a great job with gas mileage and reliability. Those newish Toyota-Lexus twin turbo V-6 engines have real and major problems. They also lack power and get fairly poor gas mileage.
I need to weigh the aluminum oil pan in the garage that the mechanic is installing soon. The plastic probably save 3 to 4 pounds. I am wondering if that is part of the equation.
BMW has really made great strides on reliability while competitors are getting worse.
I wish they would fix these little things. I think it would really improve brand loyalty. A lot of Lexus and Toyota owners with that V-6 twin turbo are going to start feeling like Jeep and GMC owners. They may be looking for a new home.
They can get an X7 with a B58 for less than a RX500.
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I doubt the weight differences matter to BMW corporate. Seems each iteration of their cars get heavier and heavier. The weight difference you're talking about is a rounding error to the overall weight of the vehicle especially with the ever increasing horsepower these cars are getting with their engines.
If weight was a focus, you'll see signs of it else where. With my 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R, weight was definitely a focus where the bike came stock with a full titanium exhaust system. It even got down to the crazy ridiculousness of large bolts used in the bike having the centers of the drilled out to reduce weight on those fasteners. None of these measures are being done with BMW cars.
As I said, it's a cost cutting measure to maximize the profit they get per car.