I am not a racer, so... (archive)

The complete automotive resource for buyers, sellers, and owners like you.

They aren't BMW's, don't drive like BMW's, don't FEEL like BMW's... Very few cars on this planet do what the Coupe can do, and those that do are either rooky-racer hot rodded crap (Ford Mustang SVT example), or are really way more expensive (Ferrari, Porsche 911 maybe...).

I don't need to be the fastest, most unbeatable, whatever, to justify taking my car to a track, especially since my focus is on driving schools and NOT racing.

With this said, it should be easily understood why I might choose a car that I enjoy driving in a wide range of situations, such as a Sunday drive in the hills, a long distance haul to the Midwest, a trek to Seattle to drive at Sears Point, a drive to work on Friday in traffic, as well as taking in High Performance Driving Schools where I can. I love driving. But I also love solid cars. I HATE it when, as cars get older, they get softer, fall apart, or start feeling tinny. I've found that BMW's are build rigid, last forever (when taken care of), can take a LOT of abuse and stay solid. Actually they get better with age, and faster as they get some miles on them. I like that a lot, and buy them for these reasons.

I'm not into cars for the ego trip, or the big testosterone rush oif kicking some guys ass on the track. I'm into cars because I dig the dance, love the precision workings of expensive equipment, and enjoy doing many things in a single platform, so I don't have to have three different cars. For this... I am willing to haul around a few extra pounds... no big deal!

For most of us guys in our 40's, the whole rooky-racer trip has lost it's luster. Meanwhile the romance of being able to cut fast laps on a road course, finding and riding the perfect line, perfecting that braking technique, or building on throttle steering skills, get's the blood moving.

: so i think this weight issue would be important to you. did you not just post what mods you would do in the future for tracking your car?
: now, in my simpleton mind, force is always proportional to mass times acceleration. similarly, the coefficient of friction is also a function of how much force (which is a function of mass and weight). if you had the same wheelbase and the same tire width, you could carry more speed without losing traction in a lighter car.

: this is the principle behind the lotus elise. you could call that a crappy jap car, too. but in an experienced driver's hands, it will probably put our M coupes to shame.

: now, you also mentioned this bit about the more powerful cars all weighing 3100 pounds. that's true. the 360 modena weight about 3018 pounds. give or take. and it has much less torque and less hp than the new z8. but it does have a 550 pound weight advantage. so, do you want to guess which is the faster car? straightline? in the curves? on the 'ring?

: as an enthusiast, i'm surprised that you care less about weight. it impacts brake longevity. it impacts suspension life. it impacts treadlife. these are all things you also mentioned in your: mods i would do after i did some tracktime....

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.