Quote:
Originally Posted by Karmic Man
Imagine the 6MT version close to 100Kg lighter with less drivetrain drag...it will kill the X Drive version in ultimate performance. This means they will push people to go back to 6MT for higher performance and they don't want that.
That is the main reason they reduced engine power on the Pure version.
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This isn't a bad theory, but doesn't explain why the same horsepower difference's occur in the X3M (regular vs competition). Although I agree the real world difference in the M3 will be much less due to weight savings of the manual/lack of AWD. Ultimately this differentiation between base and competition is mostly a marketing ploy as most will pay the premium for "more" horsepower even though its actual benefits may not worth the additionally cost.
Edit: After re-reading my comment I realize I was comparing the wrong HP figures. The Pure is listed as 444 vs base at 473 (equal to X3M base) which makes Karmic Man's comment about reduced power to not out perform the heavier version make more sense, my bad!