Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK
Yes I know its easy to comment from the sideline not having your own vid on display. Typing expertise is much easier than filming it.
However, this exact same remark is also said in the youtube comments, and autoexpress themselves replied with...
"The tail-out stuff on the video isn't from the hot lap. They're just eye candy."
I think that explains everthing. I'm pretty sure a guy like Steve Sutcliffe wont risk his pro driving reputation by throwing results in favor of a honda, he's way to proud for that. IMHO He does these test with a serious perspective because he thinks he's good.
And the results match more or less the outcome of other professional testing teams, this is just a confirmation that it's not just on the nordschleife (althoug I would have thought that the ring would be a track far in favour of the m3, but apparantly it isnt)
I'm just wondering how honda, renault and seat pull it off, making cars just as fast as the legendary m3, the pinnacle of performance (to some at least), but 120-150hp down on power in a fairly similar type of car (4 seater mid to compact). I mean on acceleration and top speed the m3 with all that power will be quicker. Is it braking? speed in corners? I know fwd cars (the hot hatches at least) took a huge leap in roadholding when they started fitting quaife lsd's (the cupra is the only one with a computer controlled diff I think), and they all use a mcpherson strut with extra kingpin, but is that all that is needed? Or are those manufacturers just more serious and putting more efford in tweaking the car to get real results and less in coming up with streetcred ricerlike parts that mostly look good but dont help the car at all?
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While BMW has been resting on its laurels by going mainstream and cashing in on its (formerly) well-deserved Motorsport reputation, other more serious manufacturers seem to have focused their R&D efforts and money on producing better all-around performance cars than BMW.
Those of us who have driven BMW 3-Series cars produced from the mid-1970s through the mid-2000s understand what's lacking in new BMWs... Great balance and superior handling used to be what BMW's older 3-Series cars were all about, and this formula is what made the BMW 3-Series the "benchmark" sports sedan in its class for three decades. In my opinion, all of the technological gadgets, M logos and turbocharged horsepower in modern BMWs don't even begin to make up for the lack of balance or handling in the cars.
BMW has proven to me that newer is not necessarily better, especially with the F30 (and E90).