Quote:
Originally Posted by TheRox
Well maybe.
Lightness also has to do with the materials used.
If BMW is willing to go the expensive route like the Porsche Panamera (v6) (100 KG heavier than the 335i), then they need to use magnesium and lots of aluminum.
The problem is that magnesium alloys are EXPENSIVE.
and BMW likes to cost cut, ...esp at the level of the 3 series; thats why the Panamera is only 100 KG heavier than the 335i e90...its because the 335i is simply too heavy, it doesn't have cutting edge materials -- but then the Panamera is twice the price of a 335i...and more if you get the larger engined cars -- you start to see where the money is going.
You can see why the 300 HP/300 torque V6 is plenty in the Panamera, the damn cruiser is light.
I do believe the current 335i is too heavy, it feels slow from a dig...by that I mean it feels slow to get up from a stop, it has a lot of torque, but a lot of weight. And nothing can make a heavy car nimble, no amount of torque.
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Yes, pretty much agree all around. You can though get savings from both materials and design. Many components can be made hollow and it they are engine or drivetrain components those help with performance as well (at a higher cost though typically, depending on how the part is manufactured). On the material front BMW is increasing its use of high strength steels and these also contribute to weight reductions. Some years back BMW also bought a specialized composites factory capable of medium production volume CF components. Many of those will be reserved for the M series but some (perhaps some less expensive composites) will be in the 3er. We will see, I'm so darn curious to know this. I wish there was some more information available.