Quote:
Originally Posted by solstice
I trust CanAutM3’s technical knowledge more than most here and enjoy discussing with him but I don’t agree with him that we are at a stage where we can judge the merits of the car fairly and trash it. IMO the new car has a lot going for it and chances are good it is a stormer.
Will it be more costly to run on the track? No doubt but nowhere near the car he is getting  |
As with most things in life, it is not a question of absolutes; of black or white. It is rather where things are in a spectrum; what shade of grey they are.
As with all the other competitors in that segment, the G8X will most likely be an excellent car to drive, I have no doubts about that. Be it the C63S, RS5, ATS-V, Giulia QV or the M3/4, I don't believe anyone can say that any of these are crappy to drive. It is more a question of where they fit in the spectrum and what particular aspect one prefers to favour. It is about details and small nuances. It is not because I dislike the direction that the G8X is taking that I am "thrashing" it.
While I really loved my E92 M3 and it did out-handle my previous E46 M3, it did feel heavier and bit more numb in comparison. Biermann and his team really did something great dynamically with the F8X. I find the F8X brought back the nimbleness of the E46 (my DCT M4cs is within a few lbs of my 2001 E46 6MT M3) while maintaining the sure footedness of the E92 with power that massively eclipsed both. For sure, having a nimble chassis combined with big power and torque had some distraught journalists and owners complaining about the the unsettled rear. But for me, I found the F8X chassis very playfull and predictable, a real joy to drive on track. It moved the needle towards my preferred side of the spectrum.
However, with the M3(4) in general being used more and more as a street only car, it is becoming more of a mainstream vehicle and less of a niche market. That "playfullness" of the F8X might have played against it in the elaboration of the G8X for its intended demographic. I was lucky enough to be able to spend a fair bit of seat time with an F90 M5 on track for multiple sessions to be able to get a very good appreciation of it. It is a very impressive machine, fast as hell. Hard to believe that such a big and heavy sedan can achieve what it can. But as amazing as it is, it still feels like a big and heavy sedan. Compared to my M4, it feels jittery to inputs but slow to take a set. Plus the 8AT is just not as sharp as the DCT, and you always feel for those overburdened front tires. The C63S and RS5 I've driven on track had the same type of feel. Now the G8X will not be as big or heavy as the M5, however it is moving the needle in that direction of the spectrum that pleases me less.
On paper at least, combined with the marketing strategy, BMW seems to be telling me I am no longer the target demographic for the M3/4. Hence why I moving on to something else; knowing full well of the increased cost
, but I am also changing performance brackets to a significant extent
.
And since I'll still be an ///M owner for another 6 months or so, you'll have to endure me ranting about the G8X on the forum for at least that period
.