Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st
As much as I hate the recent transition of M cars appealing to soccer moms and stoplight racers who can't drive a RWD without traction control or bother to learn how to properly drive a DCT, credit should be given where it deserves.
Prolonged track driving will tell you that:
1. M engines are much more reliable and less costly to run than Porsche F6 engines. Up to 991 engines all Flat-6 engines other than GT variants suffered from oil starvation destroying cylinder walls because of their design.
Flat engines just cannot handle high lateral G without dry sump system. M engines from E36 M3 3.2 Euro all have dual oil pickup which supplies oil in high lateral G conditions at all times.
2. Weight is a big problem, but weight distribution matters as well. The famous 50&50 weight distribution of M cars does not just mean front and rear, it also means left to right. This enables drivers to chase higher cornering speed (i.e. higher entry speed) than 40-60~ 30-70 weight distribution of 911s. Where 911s shine is actually straight line speed from the corner exit. 911 Non GT variants understeer going at same entry speed as F8x M3/4s so driving 911 is not a pleasant experience for track rats looking for a neutral balance.
3. Nurburgring times don't mean shit as track conditions differ and car setup is drastically different to get the maximum result out of a particular track. Just because 911s are more nurburgring focused does not mean it fares well on other tracks. M cars are consistently fast on all tracks.
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Contrary to what BMW would want us to beleive, a 50-50 weight distribution is far from ideal. It is a question of physics and polar moment of inertia. The farther the center of gravity is form the rear axle of the car, the greater the force needed to get the the car to change direction. There's a reason why all great handling cars as well as race cars have a rear weight bias.
From my recent experience of driving a base 992 C4 on track, I can attest that it changes direction with much more conviction than any of my ///Ms (E46/E92/F82/F82cs).
Further, looking at the G8X stats, it seems like it is carrying a fair bit of weight on its front axle, much more so than the F8X (~200lb of the 300 extra lbs are on the front axle). The AWD version will be even worse. No wonder they had to widen the front tires and track so much. The front axle on the G8X will have to work quite hard indeed.