Could've used a 335 today.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

Well, today, I was shuttling a couple of girls back and forth to a lacrosse tournament. You wouldn't think having an extra 200 pounds of girl in a car would make a difference, but man!

Something else to keep in mind is that 200 pounds of girl tend to bleed once a month and that can really wreak havoc with the upholstery.

BJ

So if 200lbs can make that much of a difference... now we know why floor mats are not included! Its simply BMWs dedication to improving the performance of our ultimate driving machines

I notice the 265 pound weight difference between my wife's 328 E91 and my E93 with the same 2 folks in the car (her and me). Granted the E91's at 25k miles and the E93 is at 2k, so my engine is still pretty tight, but when I drive her car the revs come up faster and it just feels a little quicker. Could also be the drive by wire adaptation the computer does...

I thought this thread was going to be a kill story, or lack thereof.

When I had an E90 325i, I took it up in the mountains (around 7000') with 3 passengers and luggage... and holy crap the engine was still buttery and never sounded strained but the acceleration was pretty darn slow.

Originally Posted by captainaudio

If you don't want people asking you for a ride get one of these.



CA

Good point...I wouldn't want a ride in a dodge either...

(Does the driver have chafed nipples? Or is he being prepped for a funeral?)

get skinnier girl friends.

Originally Posted by xrated335

Good point...I wouldn't want a ride in a dodge either...

(Does the driver have chafed nipples? Or is he being prepped for a funeral?)

He's tightening his harness.

CA

Last year we drove all over the countryside and mountain passes of Bavaria and Tirol in a 118i with 3 people and 3 large suitcases. Never complained about a lack of power. Are y'all scared of running 5000rpm for a long time?

Originally Posted by sleepyx637

get skinnier girl friends.

I'm extremely fortunate to be very happily married.

There were two girls: my daughter at about 90 lbs and another, older, girl lacrosse player at about 110 (quite tall). Both would be called skinny.

Both run like gazelles and, in the process of running flat out, could throw a lacrosse ball at something like 70 mph and hit you in the chest from 30 yards off, lol.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

So, I'm really used to my 328i and, as I've said in many threads, I love it. Very spunky, very quick.

Well, today, I was shuttling a couple of girls back and forth to a lacrosse tournament. You wouldn't think having an extra 200 pounds of girl in a car would make a difference, but man! My car just didn't have the "zing" I've gotten used to. It didn't occur to me that it was the extra weight. I was double-checking the parking brake, frantically looking for other warnings in the dash, listening for strange sounds.... something wasn't right.

Then I realized it might be the extra weight.

Drop off the girls and "voila!" I have my good old responsiveness back.

Go figure.

A week or two after I first got my car I drove down to Baltimor with my g/f, mom and step-dad. I could feel the difference - major difference - in the driving of my car. The handling, performance, etc.

This is different, however, then going from say an x-drive and non x-drive. The reason the car is not balanced for four people. Most test drives for cars involve one driver - maybe one passenger. Plus it also became a side-by-side comparison. I got used to driving the car by myself (e.g. commute to work) and all of sudden...three extra people in the car.

Originally Posted by PhilipWOT

I notice my 102lb gf in the M3. I think it just means you're in tune with your car. Or maybe it means you should have gotten a 335i.


LOLOLOLOL
Philip the M3 snob

Tell the g/f to take a cab.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

I'm extremely fortunate to be very happily married.

There were two girls: my daughter at about 90 lbs and another, older, girl lacrosse player at about 110 (quite tall). Both would be called skinny.

Both run like gazelles and, in the process of running flat out, could throw a lacrosse ball at something like 70 mph and hit you in the chest from 30 yards off, lol.

How old are your kids? 90 lb lacrosse player? What is she the cradle? 110 lb and very tall? What is she the goal post?

Originally Posted by furby076

Tell the g/f to take a cab.

Is this what you do when not using her "as a floormat?" j/k

Originally Posted by DJEcLeCTiK

Is this what you do when not using her "as a floormat?" j/k

j/k???? Girls with me gotta learn to carry their own weight. There ain't no free lunches here

Lady neapolitan often says I'm getting too much "junk in the trunk," so I can only assume she feels the performance hit from extra weight. I often have some textbooks back there.

At least that's the way I interpret it.

Originally Posted by neapolitan

Lady neapolitan often says I'm getting too much "junk in the trunk," so I can only assume she feels the performance hit from extra weight. I often have some textbooks back there.

At least that's the way I interpret it.

I think she's hinting that Master neapolitan needs to hit the gym

Books? too much dead-weight...get CDs

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

So the question is... once a 335 owner gets used to the power to weight ratio of his or her car, would he or she also notice a loss in performance by adding two athletic girls or one not-so-athletic guy to his or her ride? (Being politically correct results in cumbersome sentences, don't it?)

,

Sure, with 400lbs of passengers the responsiveness of the 335 is notably less, kind of like an e93 probably. The biggest reason I bought a 335 was that I knew with passengers or some altitude, the 328 would have a big falloff in power/responsiveness. This would kill my windy mountain road dream drives. The 335 is still pretty fast with 3 passengers, but it isnt the thrill it is with a driver and one passenger.

CA, does Skip Barber train even when it's raining? I've always noticed that their tires are optimized for all conditions rather than just for dry tracks. Or are they trying to give a more street car type feel when the car is at the limit, over it, and recovering?

Originally Posted by furby076

How old are your kids? 90 lb lacrosse player? What is she the cradle? 110 lb and very tall? What is she the goal post?

One girl is finishing up 6th grade, the other is finishing up her sophomore year in high school.

These weights seem strange to you?

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

CA, does Skip Barber train even when it's raining? I've always noticed that their tires are optimized for all conditions rather than just for dry tracks. Or are they trying to give a more street car type feel when the car is at the limit, over it, and recovering?

The school goes on rain or shine. Before they repaved Lime Rock last year the rain line was very different than the dry line.

The car in the picture in my earlier post is the one that is used three day race school. It run on treaded tires and has a conventional H pattern manual transmission with straight cut gears so it is necessary to double clutch.

In the advanced two day school,in the race series and for lapping days they use a similar car with wings and a sequential manual racing gear box. Those cars run racing slicks. Although the slicks have considerably more grip they give a lot less warning before they break loose so they only use the slicks and wings cars in advanced activities.






Built around a steel space-frame chassis, the Formula Skip Barber 2000 incorporates a Ricardo 5-speed sequential gearbox, dual-element rear and single-element front wings, composite bodywork and BFGoodrich g-Force tires. Our 2.0-liter SOHC 4-cylinder is modified for racing in three areas: oil system (hybrid dry sump), engine control unit (primarily ignition timing) and breathing (custom racing headers). Top speed is 135 mph, it will corner up to 1.4g and brake at a level that approaches
1.5gs. The car easily accommodates ongoing development of its aerodynamics, as well as engine and tire updates

Originally Posted by captainaudio

snip

Those cars run racing slicks. Although the slicks have considerably more grip they give a lot less warning before they break loose so they only use the slicks and wings cars in advanced activities.

snip

It's funny how nicely behaved the stock xi car is under suboptimal conditions -- it may be because of the AWD simplicity, but even gently trying to make the car "snap" into oversteer I glide in and out of it -- never had the gall to do it with the DTC completely off though, would also need a closed track. With it on, you start to feel you are at the limits of traction, then the car will start sqeaking a bit around the turn, but no threat of spinning or breaking loose pretty much ever.

I should do the performance driving school -- been to a track a while ago with a friend's 911, but not anytime too recently...

Originally Posted by neapolitan

It's funny how nicely behaved the stock xi car is under suboptimal conditions -- it may be because of the AWD simplicity, but even gently trying to make the car "snap" into oversteer I glide in and out of it -- never had the gall to do it with the DTC completely off though, would also need a closed track. With it on, you start to feel you are at the limits of traction, then the car will start sqeaking a bit around the turn, but no threat of spinning or breaking loose pretty much ever.

I should do the performance driving school -- been to a track a while ago with a friend's 911, but not anytime too recently...

You don't want to "snap" into oversteer you want to bring it on gently. Driven at the limit on a track by "trail braking" through a corner a controllable amount of oversteer will be induced "trail brake rotation". This will help point the car through the corner.

CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

You don't want to "snap" into oversteer you want to bring it on gently. Driven at the limit on a track by "trail braking" through a corner a controllable amount of oversteer will be induced "trail brake rotation". This will help point the car through the corner.

CA

I snapped a 330i into lurid oversteer once coming into a slalom way too hot, ramming over a row of cones, however I did whip the car back on course to the surprise of my stern Austrian instructor... he said I have extremely quick hands.

Originally Posted by BMW GUR1

MY 335 always seems zippy enough even with the three people in the car including me. I was doing 90 in a few secs....ooops!!!

That is why I bought the coupe... never to have to find out... no more than one other person with me... and as far as athletic young girls,... well, my wife probably would have a problem with only one, more less two...LOL!!!

Originally Posted by captainaudio

You don't want to "snap" into oversteer you want to bring it on gently. Driven at the limit on a track by "trail braking" through a corner a controllable amount of oversteer will be induced "trail brake rotation". This will help point the car through the corner.

CA

Yep - I have driven cars though that will, for better or worse, tend to kick out more suddenly than others into oversteer (sliding vs static friction and all that)... This car just won't go sideways that easily (DSC on, DTC off). I expect the rear to start sliding, but all four tires will just kind of skid together and then regain traction as the curve continues. Maybe this is the 50/50 balance compared to the rear-heavy 911 (only other car I have had the opportunity to really drive hard off normal streets)

During winter as a young-un driving a RWD ford in light snow was very easy to kick out the rear to drift around a turn, even at pretty low speeds... this car just behaves completely differently. It is simply easier to drive... I'd bet part of it is AWD vs RWD.... I have never been in conditions to really push it to limits though, having never taken it to the track and living in the city now... Shoot, now I want to go to the track.