Peed off with the 335i already
17 February 2008, 05:14 PM
#181
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Throwing myself down a mountain at every opportunity...
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
27 February 2008, 09:57 AM
#182
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Throwing myself down a mountain at every opportunity...
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Picked the car up on Sunday (eternal gratitude to Kevin at Birds!).
Haven't had chance to really put the car through its paces yet because Monday was jetlagged hell and yesterday I was in Paris.
However even just from driving home on Sunday it's absolutely transformed the car. Of course I've driven numerous cars with and without LSD's, however I have never driven the SAME car, before and after having a diff fitted / removed. It's absolutely night and day, and believe me there is absolutely no emperors new clothes syndrome here!
It's always difficult to describe 'sensations' accurately, however before the only way I can now describe it is that the car used to 'flow' or 'pour' through the corners, whereas my old M5 would hunker down and really push through them.
Now, more so than even the M5 (possibly to do with the difference in weight, possibly because I imagine the 335i chassis is slightly less stiff) you can physically feel both rear wheels driving the chassis through and out of the bend. You can feel that extra traction trying to flex the chassis. It makes a MAJOR difference in mid-corner and exit speed!! It also gives a huge amount of confidence.
The other obvious big difference is, once that extra drive finally breaks the tyres contact with the tarmac, the way the car now behaves is totally transformed. Whereas before the inside wheel would just spin up, now when you are at the limits of adhesion you can lean a little more on the throttle and it will start to slide in a beautiful, delicate and progressive way. As you can imagine I've not had chance to start playing with this yet but on the couple of occasions I deliberately provoked it, I think this might turn out to be the most agile rear-end of any non-'sports car' I've ever driven. I'm putting part of that down to the modest 255/35/18 rear rubber, versus the 275 on the M5.
The brakes don't really need any comment...they are awesome, full stop.
Planning to get on to the next dry track day I can a) to play with the new setup and b) to wear out these horrid, hateful run flats...
Haven't had chance to really put the car through its paces yet because Monday was jetlagged hell and yesterday I was in Paris.
However even just from driving home on Sunday it's absolutely transformed the car. Of course I've driven numerous cars with and without LSD's, however I have never driven the SAME car, before and after having a diff fitted / removed. It's absolutely night and day, and believe me there is absolutely no emperors new clothes syndrome here!
It's always difficult to describe 'sensations' accurately, however before the only way I can now describe it is that the car used to 'flow' or 'pour' through the corners, whereas my old M5 would hunker down and really push through them.
Now, more so than even the M5 (possibly to do with the difference in weight, possibly because I imagine the 335i chassis is slightly less stiff) you can physically feel both rear wheels driving the chassis through and out of the bend. You can feel that extra traction trying to flex the chassis. It makes a MAJOR difference in mid-corner and exit speed!! It also gives a huge amount of confidence.
The other obvious big difference is, once that extra drive finally breaks the tyres contact with the tarmac, the way the car now behaves is totally transformed. Whereas before the inside wheel would just spin up, now when you are at the limits of adhesion you can lean a little more on the throttle and it will start to slide in a beautiful, delicate and progressive way. As you can imagine I've not had chance to start playing with this yet but on the couple of occasions I deliberately provoked it, I think this might turn out to be the most agile rear-end of any non-'sports car' I've ever driven. I'm putting part of that down to the modest 255/35/18 rear rubber, versus the 275 on the M5.
The brakes don't really need any comment...they are awesome, full stop.
Planning to get on to the next dry track day I can a) to play with the new setup and b) to wear out these horrid, hateful run flats...
27 February 2008, 10:24 AM
#183
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: www.tiovicente.com
Posts: 2,006
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has it had any effect on the way the standard car has an initial tendency towards understeer? I understand your comment about 'flowing' through a corner and by the sounds of it adjusting the rear end is easier on the move?
You'll be amazed at the difference replacing the RFTs will make. I was reading an article in Evo on the Schnitzer MCS which suggested that swapping RFTs for standard tyres was akin to the difference between 18" and 20" rims plus the unsprung weight will reduce which is also beneficial.
You'll be amazed at the difference replacing the RFTs will make. I was reading an article in Evo on the Schnitzer MCS which suggested that swapping RFTs for standard tyres was akin to the difference between 18" and 20" rims plus the unsprung weight will reduce which is also beneficial.
27 February 2008, 10:50 AM
#184
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Throwing myself down a mountain at every opportunity...
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does your experience related to the standard standard car, or an m-sport? Mine is the m-sport, and with the sports suspension I have to say I haven't experienced any understeer yet apart from on a very wet track when I did the drift day.
I have heard anecdotally that a LSD can sometimes actually promote understeer when braking hard into corners due to a 'run on' effect? Again, I really need to get out on a proper drive / track to really comment, which will hopefully be soon.
Part of me was just tempted to dump the tyres now, but apparently they work pretty good on a circuit because of the stiff sidewalls, so it seems to make good economic sense to kill them off on a track, whilst simultaneously bedding in the brakes and diff
I have heard anecdotally that a LSD can sometimes actually promote understeer when braking hard into corners due to a 'run on' effect? Again, I really need to get out on a proper drive / track to really comment, which will hopefully be soon.
Part of me was just tempted to dump the tyres now, but apparently they work pretty good on a circuit because of the stiff sidewalls, so it seems to make good economic sense to kill them off on a track, whilst simultaneously bedding in the brakes and diff
27 February 2008, 11:09 AM
#185
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: www.tiovicente.com
Posts: 2,006
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It had the M-Sport suspension but it was the saloon version, although the understeer was of the 'minor but easily converted to oversteer with a bit of confidence' type rather than FWD understeer.
I'm seriously considering the 335i coupe unless the new 350Z is seriously decent due to the considerable costs of running an M car with the high mileage that I do, so this conversion may suit me well.
If the trackday is somewhere like Bruntingthorpe, you'll kill the RFTs off in a day easily. I managed to get rid of some particularly horrific Toyos a few years ago there but then I was trying to get rid of them as they were brand new but a major disappointment.
I'm seriously considering the 335i coupe unless the new 350Z is seriously decent due to the considerable costs of running an M car with the high mileage that I do, so this conversion may suit me well.
If the trackday is somewhere like Bruntingthorpe, you'll kill the RFTs off in a day easily. I managed to get rid of some particularly horrific Toyos a few years ago there but then I was trying to get rid of them as they were brand new but a major disappointment.
27 February 2008, 11:23 AM
#187
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Throwing myself down a mountain at every opportunity...
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
27 February 2008, 11:26 AM
#188
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Throwing myself down a mountain at every opportunity...
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It had the M-Sport suspension but it was the saloon version, although the understeer was of the 'minor but easily converted to oversteer with a bit of confidence' type rather than FWD understeer.
I'm seriously considering the 335i coupe unless the new 350Z is seriously decent due to the considerable costs of running an M car with the high mileage that I do, so this conversion may suit me well.
If the trackday is somewhere like Bruntingthorpe, you'll kill the RFTs off in a day easily. I managed to get rid of some particularly horrific Toyos a few years ago there but then I was trying to get rid of them as they were brand new but a major disappointment.
I'm seriously considering the 335i coupe unless the new 350Z is seriously decent due to the considerable costs of running an M car with the high mileage that I do, so this conversion may suit me well.
If the trackday is somewhere like Bruntingthorpe, you'll kill the RFTs off in a day easily. I managed to get rid of some particularly horrific Toyos a few years ago there but then I was trying to get rid of them as they were brand new but a major disappointment.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
