gIzzE

Only problem with FI is it can be a little boring.

Although the 335i was quick and nimble, there was not much that made you feel you had acheived something.
An engineering masterpiece for sure, but the power was always there, at 2000rpm or at 5000rpm, you press the throttle and go, you never missed that point but you never felt a sense of acheivment either.
Straight line, throttle, go, brake, corner, throttle, go, brake, corner etc. etc. etc.
Very quick, very sedate and all very civilised, no fuss, no drama, you can have your nan in the back and she doesn't even mention you're doing 120mph.

I sold it and bought another M3.

With the M3 is a whole different kettle of fish. Change gear too early and you have no power, a corner can catch you out and make you look like an idiot, but at the same time it also made you learn the car and really drive it.

Take the same bit of road and as you come out of the corner you blip the throttle in 3rd, you are at 4500rpm and the engine is starting to scream, you put the power down and the revs climb, you are pinned back inyour seat as you hit 6000rpm and the engine is screaming at you, 7000rpm and it is going ballistic, by 8000rpm the sound is unreal, the car has got light and nible on its feet and the whole thing feels alive, you approach the corner blip the throttle and drop it to 3rd, accelerate out and use the oversteer, straighten the car hit the gas, you feel the diff lock up and the back end twitch a little, the revs are back at 5000rpm and you are starting all over again!!
And Breathe!!!

You miss that magical 4000 rpm and you will not have power on tap, but that is what makes it so special.



Forced Induction is great, I love the E55 Merc, I loved the B5 RS4 and the RS6, and I loved the 335i and my 535d, however they are a very different animal, they take everything in their stride and do it all very sedately, very quickly, in fact extremely quickly, but they don't have the agression of a high revving NA engine.

I think in some ways the Audis suit FI, and in many ways BMWs should be sticking to NA for anything that wears an M badge.
However, with emmissions regulations these days I can see most stuff going FI over the next decade, will just have to wait and see if thing like M3s and M5s loose what makes them so special or whether they pull it off.

jnystr

I just traded my 330xi for a Audi A6 3.2. It was a choice between a 335xi coupe or the Audi. I thought the Audi offered a ton more creature comforts than BMW. A lot of small things like sunglasses holder, four door pockets, real cupholders, two arm rest compartments, a trunk that will hold golf clubs, etc. The real deal breaker was the run flat/no spare tire system in the BMW. I have many friends that have had to replace four tires because of one flat on the run flat system. Maybe it was bad timing for them, but I do not want that hassle. Performance is great in the BMW but the convenience of driving the Audi made me go that way.

gIzzE

See, we all buy cars for different reasons, and that is why there is a market for different marques that push different areas.

Haha, I have to say, it's probably incorrect though, but...... what you have just posted is exactly how us over in Europe see the Amercian customer.




The run flat tyre issue is an issue, for a start they end up being crashy, nearly as bad as the S-Line suspension that everyone moans about, and it does worry people.
They do work well though, I know someone who did a lap of the Nurburgring on a flat runflat, and it held out no problem, it had a hole the size of a tomato in teh sidewall as well.

I'm not sure why anyone would have to change all 4 tyres?? they can be reapired the same as a regular tyre, and you pretty much treat them the same as normal tyres regards mixing treads etc.

I however ditched them on all my BMWs, there is a very fine line between a truly stunning car handling wise and average, with the run flats I think it pushes the BMWs into the average bracket, Ok so that may be a bit harsh, but why compromise for £500??

jefman

Fighter pilots use HUD. Be great to integrate my V1 with it.

Gap not annoying to me but is to others. Groovy steering wheel - ah, not a concern for me. Seats, I posted before about having to put less pressure on legs with better seat positioning.

My biggest beef for last 10 years with 4 A6's has been suspension on rough roads.

HUD is the way to go. I want to see that on my next Audi.

The G Man

If you think the A6 is rough on uneven road, you should take a ride in a BMW with runflats. Not only is the ride uncomfortable, but its is very noisy as well.

jnystr

[QUOTE=gIzzE;23801969]See, we all buy cars for different reasons, and that is why there is a market for different marques that push different areas.

Haha, I have to say, it's probably incorrect though, but...... what you have just posted is exactly how us over in Europe see the Amercian customer.

I'm 64 and my racing days are behind me. Living in Minnesota, with impending speed cameras, five times the traffic, and reduced speed limits, have tamed my passion for driving cars and motorcycles. I also prefer all wheel drive. Half of my driving is in iffy weather. I do now seek a more convenient automoible.

When I was at the BMW dealership I asked the salesman about the run flat repair option. We went to the parts department and asked about the options. They said that they did not recommend a repair in any situation. The exact replacement tire to match the other three was at a cost of $350 just for the tire. If there was wear on the remaining tires they wanted to replace all four. Why? I suppose it is a huge profit center for them. Normally, if I was on the origional tires I would pull the spare and roll on until I needed to replace all of them. I do not question that run flat tires are safe and effective as a product. I question the idea of a flat tire in northern Minnesota with no dealer or replacement options available for one or two days. Throwing a extra wheel into the trunk is not a practical option. That was a large factor in purchasing my 4th Audi.

The G Man

Once the run flats have been driven with no air, the sidewall has been compromise and the tire should be replace according to the manufacturers. Also, if the other 3 tires have significantly less thread, it could affect the stability system of the car, therefore all 4 tires should be replace.

am_ver

I went to school in Minneapolis (U of M grad school)!! You defintely need a Quattro there.

Whats the problem with that, is it too stiff or something?

gIzzE

It is extremely crashy, it makes the whole car rattle and feel hollow.
And it doesn't take anything but the very smoothest of corners well at all, get it on even a slightly bumpy road and the car skips about rather than bite into it.

It is actually pretty hard to find an SE over here as most sold are the S-Line, but I wanted an SE and I will put some Bilstein struts and springs on.


I have just had a 3.0tdi Quattro S-Line for two days, and although the seats are great I really didn't like the ride, in fact I left it on the drive and used the M3 instead, which ridiculously is more comfy.

gIzzE

I was saying that in jest. I agree and bought an SE avant for the comfort thing myself.