RE: BMW's M diesels: the official details
Discussion
geoffracing said:
Is it really necessary for the British to go on driving on the left so as to keep their identity?
I mean it is so silly for car makers to have to make different cars just for the English roads!
As said on an other PH page, the M5 Diesel won't be available in UK for that reason.
Sweden changed side overnight. And has Sweden become duller for this reason?
Sweden has always been dull I mean it is so silly for car makers to have to make different cars just for the English roads!
As said on an other PH page, the M5 Diesel won't be available in UK for that reason.
Sweden changed side overnight. And has Sweden become duller for this reason?
just further proof after the "British" clubman rear door , BMW is not committed to this country i know the engineering costs to convert the car to right hand drive may be alot , but couldnt they meet us half way and add a tuning kit for uk dealers to add more power to the 535d? the costs involved there would be very small indeed
really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
mogjay said:
we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
Compared to the worldwide sales of LHD ones - no we don't. Even factoring in the Aussies and Saffas etc. Price-wise - we're either the same as, or cheaper than most other European markets.
Lost soul said:
geoffracing said:
Is it really necessary for the British to go on driving on the left so as to keep their identity?
I mean it is so silly for car makers to have to make different cars just for the English roads!
As said on an other PH page, the M5 Diesel won't be available in UK for that reason.
Sweden changed side overnight. And has Sweden become duller for this reason?
Sweden has always been dull I mean it is so silly for car makers to have to make different cars just for the English roads!
As said on an other PH page, the M5 Diesel won't be available in UK for that reason.
Sweden changed side overnight. And has Sweden become duller for this reason?
even if we are as small as you say zwolf it would be nice for companies like bmw to at least compromise as a mark of respect to uk buyers, for a prestige maker not being bothered to think of a work around is sickening to say how many cars we have of theirs on our streets
even audi are bringing there low volume super a1 quattro to this country
even audi are bringing there low volume super a1 quattro to this country
StottyZr said:
Zwolf said:
Quite a few early 335is were problematic and had both turbos replaced under warranty, some before even 30k miles had passed.
Do you have any information about 123d and 335d's? These use a similar method of turbo charging and as far as I'm aware very few have failed...I just see huge potential for these units to be hugely problematic to subsequent owners years down the line, given how ruinously expensive some of the more straightforward NA engines (particularly M Power sixes) can prove. It'd be reassuring if there was any sense that these cars were engineered to last significantly beyond the factory warranty without major failure, but then I guess they could market the cars with longer warranties if that were the case.
Only thing I've stumbled across is the perennial swirl flap issue with the x35ds, not sure if that applies to the x23d/ALPINA D3 Bi-turbo engine.
mogjay said:
just further proof after the "British" clubman rear door , BMW is not committed to this country i know the engineering costs to convert the car to right hand drive may be alot , but couldnt they meet us half way and add a tuning kit for uk dealers to add more power to the 535d? the costs involved there would be very small indeed
really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
I suspect established after market tuners such as AC Schnitzer and Alpina will have good tuning packs for these models. As with most diesels a remap could be the cost effective answers for those oil burner owners who want a little more power.really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
thinfourth2 said:
its a little known fact that the X6 is so ugly because there is a small ugly generator fitted behind the back bumper.
This generator is very powerful and needs fuel to run it
haha the post cracks me up....yes the X6 is a very ugly design do they come with a paperbag to put over the drivers head because they look like a dogs vomit.This generator is very powerful and needs fuel to run it
fishman said:
mogjay said:
just further proof after the "British" clubman rear door , BMW is not committed to this country i know the engineering costs to convert the car to right hand drive may be alot , but couldnt they meet us half way and add a tuning kit for uk dealers to add more power to the 535d? the costs involved there would be very small indeed
really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
I suspect established after market tuners such as AC Schnitzer and Alpina will have good tuning packs for these models. As with most diesels a remap could be the cost effective answers for those oil burner owners who want a little more power.really tired of companies giving up on our market or making shoddy conversion's to right hand drive cars , we buy so many new cars and at high price points , we deserve to be taken seriously even for the sake of showing respect to our market.
I think the reason bmw aren't doing RHD versions of their x-drive saloons is that it would involve completely re-engineering the drivetrain for RHD.
This is because the propshaft from the transfer case to the front axle runs down the RH side of the gearbox. Further to this, the front diff is offset and sits on the right hand side of the engine. The LH drive shaft does through a cut-out in the sump.
On a RHD car, all the steering column, pedals and steering box are all right where all this gubbins sits so to make it work, all the front drive kit would have to be moved over to the other side. This is a major change so for the volumes likely to be sold in RHD markets (none of which have significant cold/snowy winters) it's just not worth the return on investment.
This is because the propshaft from the transfer case to the front axle runs down the RH side of the gearbox. Further to this, the front diff is offset and sits on the right hand side of the engine. The LH drive shaft does through a cut-out in the sump.
On a RHD car, all the steering column, pedals and steering box are all right where all this gubbins sits so to make it work, all the front drive kit would have to be moved over to the other side. This is a major change so for the volumes likely to be sold in RHD markets (none of which have significant cold/snowy winters) it's just not worth the return on investment.
A shame that BMW won't bring the big derv unit or the 4WD to the UK... a real shame.
The M550xd Touring would have been the ultimate family wagon... all things to all men (and all that).
Big powerful engine, can keep up with most cars
Awesome cruising ability
Fantastic fuel economy
Huge load capacity
Imagine climbing in to your M550xd Touring, family strapped in, skis on the roof and heading down to the Alps. The car would cover the distance effortlessly, probably getting 40mpg on the way down. Then you turn off the Autoroute and head to the mountains... the suspension tweaks make a genuinely good drive, even fully laden, while the security of 4WD means you don't have to worry when you start to see the white stuff on the road.
In the car park, you don't have to worry. It just looks like a 5 series.
The M550xd Touring would have been the ultimate family wagon... all things to all men (and all that).
Big powerful engine, can keep up with most cars
Awesome cruising ability
Fantastic fuel economy
Huge load capacity
Imagine climbing in to your M550xd Touring, family strapped in, skis on the roof and heading down to the Alps. The car would cover the distance effortlessly, probably getting 40mpg on the way down. Then you turn off the Autoroute and head to the mountains... the suspension tweaks make a genuinely good drive, even fully laden, while the security of 4WD means you don't have to worry when you start to see the white stuff on the road.
In the car park, you don't have to worry. It just looks like a 5 series.
dvs_dave said:
I think the reason bmw aren't doing RHD versions of their x-drive saloons is that it would involve completely re-engineering the drivetrain for RHD.
This is because the propshaft from the transfer case to the front axle runs down the RH side of the gearbox. Further to this, the front diff is offset and sits on the right hand side of the engine. The LH drive shaft does through a cut-out in the sump.
On a RHD car, all the steering column, pedals and steering box are all right where all this gubbins sits so to make it work, all the front drive kit would have to be moved over to the other side. This is a major change so for the volumes likely to be sold in RHD markets (none of which have significant cold/snowy winters) it's just not worth the return on investment.
This would not be an issue if BMW properly respected the UK ( and other RHD markets ) in the first place. If they did, the need for RHD would have been factored in at the design stage. BMW do not care, so they did'nt bother including adaptability to RHD in the design brief. This is because the propshaft from the transfer case to the front axle runs down the RH side of the gearbox. Further to this, the front diff is offset and sits on the right hand side of the engine. The LH drive shaft does through a cut-out in the sump.
On a RHD car, all the steering column, pedals and steering box are all right where all this gubbins sits so to make it work, all the front drive kit would have to be moved over to the other side. This is a major change so for the volumes likely to be sold in RHD markets (none of which have significant cold/snowy winters) it's just not worth the return on investment.
VAG do care, it seems, because they DO include RHD compatibility in their design brief and so the Audi Quattro variants, plus 4x4 Skoda's, Golf R's etc, are all available in the UK in RHD.
For BMW there is no excuse as far as I am concerned. BMW are cynically offering the UK market the minimum they can get away with. From the failure to move the wipers to RHD on 5 and 7 series cars, to the Mini Clubman with the door on the wrong side, to the lack of 4WD options, BMW are taking the piss IMO.
JJMatrixx said:
loudlashadjuster said:
381hp, 545lbs/ft, 165g/km CO2?
Deeply impressive.
I bet BMW have been itching to have something like this to sell into the user chooser market, but have had to wait until either a) their tech was up to it, or (more likely) b) they could figure a way to fiddle the EU emissions testing!
(Reposted since my original post seemed to end up in its own thread...)
Agreed, incredible. If I was in the market for a fast executive saloon, this would be it.Deeply impressive.
I bet BMW have been itching to have something like this to sell into the user chooser market, but have had to wait until either a) their tech was up to it, or (more likely) b) they could figure a way to fiddle the EU emissions testing!
(Reposted since my original post seemed to end up in its own thread...)
It doesn't seem five minutes since the twin-turbo diesel was receiving all the praise, now we have THREE. If BMW carry on like this it won't be long before each 1000rpm increment has it's own turbocharger...!
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