dkirk

I wonder why?

I was reading the latest test in car and driver between the M3 and the AMG. It states that BMW flew the test BMW M3 from the fatherland specifically for the testing? Who else thinks something seriously stinks!

Now don't get me wrong. I would love to have an M3, but this is starting to get pretty sad...

Doug

PS, I love my S4!!!!! (Gratuitous S4 content)

Ferris TMK

They fly it in because they know the weight the Magazine tests carry

Ferris TMK

it lacks... Damn..Oh yeah TORQUE...

RogDog

Especially after how all the early E36 M3 tests had them running mid-5 second 0 to 60s, but when C&D finally included a production model in a test, it ran a 6 second 0 to 60.

Couple that with the fact that the power to weight ratio for an E46 M3 doesn't jive with a 4.7 second 0 to 60 time, and...

Well, just things that make you go, "Hmm..."

NASA racer

and the car magazines are in the business of selling ad space. There has ALWAYS been an uneasy taint on road tests because to a large extent the magazines are reliant upon the auto manufacturers to supply them cars AND advertising dollars.

Since the magazines compete against each other, when BMW calls and says "we'll fly you to europe for a M3 test at our facility" you simply shut up and go.

The LAST thing a magazine can do is accuse a manufacturer of rigging a test so they later test a production model and say "somehow this one was slower than the previous models we tested"

Look at the E36 in the Car and Driver comparison. 0-60 in SIX SECONDS. Why? Because BMW didn't give a s**t about that test because the E36 had already been discontinued.

Ask yourself this...WHY does the E46 have 0-60 claims of 5.2 in Europe and 4.8 in the US? BECAUSE in europe they want to compete with the Porsche 911 (0-60 in 5.2) and in America they want to compete with Corvettes (0-60 in 4.8). It's JUST THAT SIMPLE.

CC Rider

Manufacturers would provide a car for performance tests. I heard one tale of a person who leaned on a fender (hey, this was 60's Big American Iron) and it caved in. It seems the manufacturer replaced the heavy steel fenders with something lighter like fiberglass or something. Anyway, it came out that the manufacturers were providing doctored cars for the tests.

It is for this reason that testers should avoid testing cars directly from manufacturers.

There's a similar story on Valentine One's website about an old test where another radar detector was performing as well as the old Escort. The testers opened up the other detector and found an Escort inside. V1 recommends detector testers buy the items just like consumers, to perserve the honesty of the tests.