Quote:
Originally Posted by No Boost
This is the million-dollar question. It will be capable, no doubt. But, will it's heft and size sour some people's driving experiences, regardless of the car's immense power and skidpad capabilities and lap times. It's grown by what, 5.5 inches and multiple hundreds of pounds? Just throwing out an example, I'd rather drive a 300 hp/3000 lb car than a 600 hp/6000 lb uber-SUV, both having the same power:weight ratio. Who knows, maybe the new breed of enthusiast wants excessive power and torque with a cockpit having more buttons than a commercial airplane. Everything else be damned.
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As much as we like to think that the core BMW M buyer is a hardcore enthusiast, the reality is far from the truth. Whilst the M brand probably has a greater amount of "enthusiasts" than MB AMG. Most of the first time owners of these cars aren't going to notice the weight difference or care. They are interested in buying a car that's different enough from a 330 or M340i and faster. They're not going to the track or sophisticated enough to tell the difference between hydraulic steering or electric. They are buying into a brand the way people buy iPhones or LV bags.
The percentage of new M owners that take their car to any track is probably less than 5%. The driving experience probably referred to is on track. Who's buying a new G8X as a dedicated track car? No one. Anything other than a purpose-built race car is a compromise.
The current make up of cars (design, weight, etc.) is a response to what most people want, emissions, and safety regulations. The hardcore is owner is a minority amongst customers. BMW is a business; if it wants to grow and thrive, it has to meet those demands whether we like it or not.