Quote:
Originally Posted by pikcachu
Yes I have... http://www.burgertuning.com/N55_Stage2_Jb4.html
and 60hp+ the stock 300hp is nowhere near the 420hp and new M4 makes...
but it would be much easier for people to just re-tune a detuned M4 engine than getting an an I4 make 420hp
Also a 335 doesn't have same type of M suspension, brakes etc... but between and M2 and M4 the only difference would be mostly on the engine... as both will have similar suspension, brakes, trans.... so you really need to make them different enough to make it worth while to get an M4 over an M2... so if you even put a I6 in both of them... Marketing will have a hell of a job to do to sell M4's |
The number of people who chip tune their cars is a minuscule percentage in the larger market. Even when you look at a low-volume (relative to something like a vanilla 3-series) vehicle like the M3/M4, the numbers are tiny. I don't think after-market tuning potential will be the primary impetus for engine selection at the BMW round-table. They stand to lose far more sales from customers who are dissatisfied with the package than they do people who buy an M2 because they can tune it to beat an M4 in performance. Don't forget that lots of people buy the M4 for the status alone, so buying an M2 wouldn't even be considered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BimmerMat135
Anyway if you install most of these tune bmw will void your warranty so they shouldn`t be afraid of people tuning there M2 to M4 specs if they both go on sale with the same engine. Can't beleive they want to go with a 4cyl to save what 70lbs??? Just install a CF roof,hood and trunk and we will get back those 70lbs and we will have the possibility to drive a car with an engine that worth listen to.
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I agree with you on the tuning comments. Most consumers are too risk averse to chip their brand new BMW.
However, after having owned an X3 28i with the N20 in it for over a year now, I'm beginning to question my own views on the I6 requirement. The N20 in our X3 has been an absolutely fantastic engine. It's plenty powerful and responsive for a grocery getter. In a smaller car, and with a decent tune, it'd be a potent engine for sure.
The only area it lacks is in sound. It sounds like a damn diesel at idle, and I don't care what kind of exhaust you put on an I4, they don't sound as good as an I6. No matter what.
The 70 lbs weight savings is a big factor though. It's a big factor because of where the weight lies. Even with BMW engine positioning in the chassis, the N20 has some major advantages over the N55. You should see the engine bay in our X3. The engine is literally 90%
behind the front strut towers. The ability to get the engine so far behind the front axle makes remarkable changes to the way the car handles.
I drove an X3 35i around a track, and I can tell you that the difference in gross weight and weight distribution has a perceptible impact on the way the car handles. The most apparent metric is turn-in, and turn-in is a
major influencer on the way a car feels. When you snap the wheel and the car changes direction and settles in almost immediately, you really get the sense that you're driving a machine designed for a driver.
The X3 is about the worst case in the BMW line up for performance driving, but I think it makes a great platform for feeling the differences in chassis configurations. I feel like the platform accentuates the differences in a way that are really perceptible.
Anyway, I've reevaluated my views a bit. I'm no longer focused on a single dimension. I want BMW to make the choice that results in the best balance and performance. I want a car that
handles as well as it performs on paper. If that means a juiced up version of the N20, then go for it. I'll buy it.