BMW weight loss

[georgezippy]

Hello
I am about to buy a 3 series touring diesel, My preferred type of car is a RWD hatch/estate. I have looked at some data and am concerned about the weight of the car, it's 1500 - 1600kg depending on model!!!! why so heavy?
My current car is an ancient Ford Sierra 2.0iS which has a cast iron engine and gearbox yet tips the scales at only 1200kg. it's about the same size, the reason I have this car is because it's a factory sport model which has the uprated suspension and a few performance enhancements but no unecessary toys like aircon and leccy seats/windows.

How do I shed some weight from a BMW? What is it that makes the cars so heavy? As I've just mentioned, I'd rather have no toys at all, I just want a comfy seat (which I am prepared to adjust manually) and a nice pokey diesel engine. Is there a factory sport model I could get which is lighter?Am quite happy to lose some sound insulation and get a car without aircon but what else can I do to lose at least 100kg's of pointless lard? without going to extreme lengths...

[E38]

I think you must also understand that many of these 'unnecessary' features are now essentials. Looking at your car history shows you have/had a car with the best cooling and heating flow I have ever used, Capri. No air-con or loads of fans, just a direct flow of air from outside. Get a 3 series and you NEED aircon, in the summer at least...

And you wouldnt notice the weight loss that much anyway, and if you must have light-weight then why a commute-mobile than a cat7?

[dxb335d]

You say it as if it the only heavy car in the world. You do know that a Lambo Murcialgo weighs over 1700kg. An M5 weighs in at 1800kg odd.

Your sierra is lacking even Basic crash safety equipment such as airbags etc.

Get a decent engine and you wont notice the weight.


Carlos

[Methane Bloke]

The early Sierras were renowned for their bodyshell weakness, a parking speed shunt could cause the footwells to ripple necessitating a body change or insurance write off. The facelifted model was a little better but I still had to double up the inner wings when I raced them. The transmission tunnel used to ripple behind the front seats as well. It was a very lightweight bodyshell and only the multipoint cage saved me from injuries on a few ocassions.

Regards

Chris

[belleair302]

Lose the seats, take out some of the sound deadening, put on new lighter wheels, and if you feel brave put on a carbon fibre bonnet. Chip the engine, get decent brake pads fitted and away you go. Losing 100KG froma modern car is not hard, but it depends what you are prepared to sacrifice.

[carlosvalderrama]

For a different reason I just put my 328i on a diet. I took everything out of the interior, it's now bare metal everywhere.

Bonnet insulation, all sound deadening and trim from the boot and stuff like the glovebox and dash kickpanels came out too.

I did some basic weighing with the bathroom scales and it's added up to about 75kg. With removing all the electric sunroof nonsense and chipping off the interior and underbody sound deadening, I'm hoping I might get close to 100kg. If I get round to making/buying perspex windows I can junk the huge window mech, maybe 25kg?

But then I'm fitting a couple of buckets and harnesses, and experimenting with a plywood front splitter. Which will add another 20kg or so.

100kg is a lot of work for a very noisy and annoying car to drive.

Incidentally, if anyone can help, I'd like to know the accurate kerbweight of a 328i coupe.