[330Stevie]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I agree 100% with 1) and 2) but having sat briefly in both an A4 and C Class recently I'm not actually convinced either felt like it had an interior of significantly higher quality than my F31. After almost 4 years and just over 60k miles my car is also completely squeak and rattle free so no complaints on that score either!

Perhaps I've just been lucky and got a good one but I've never really understood the criticism of F3x interior quality....

Exactly this!! I’ve never really got the whole F3x interior bashing!?

We have latest gen RS4 and c class in the extended family. Both are just complicatedly fussy! Mine doesn’t creak and is driver focused. I need no more

[JD6]

Originally Posted by Wills2

I guess it's just a representation of the data it shows, it won't appear in that position on the real car unless it's like that hideous Mini HUD, a proper HUD is a fantastic thing however.

We have HUD with pro nav on the F30 and our F55 Mini and they are both identical, except the Mini one is on a pop-up screen. I agree that given the choice, reflecting the image on to the windscreen is neater, but at least they made HUD available on the Mini, unlike the 1 and 2 Series BMWs.

In practice I don't find any difference between using one or the other, the BMW one is just aesthetically nicer.

[Devilot]

And first video is out

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by 330Stevie

Exactly this!! I’ve never really got the whole F3x interior bashing!?

We have latest gen RS4 and c class in the extended family. Both are just complicatedly fussy! Mine doesn’t creak and is driver focused. I need no more

I'm with you guys on this too. All of them feel better in a high spec and a lot worse in base spec.

[NotGotABimmer23]

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

I'm with you guys on this too. All of them feel better in a high spec and a lot worse in base spec.

Agreed, the f30 with merino leather and leather dash is the best of the lot imo. Dakota is pretty awful though, although saying that at least its leather unlike in the mercs.....

[330XDave]

As posted in another thread, love the classy interior of the F31. Feels like it's aged well in my opinion.

[vadimo]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/3-...ke-paris-debut

There is short interview with Dr Evil from BMW, shitty answers like we made it lighter and more dynamic

[teaston]

Originally Posted by vadimo

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/3-...ke-paris-debut

There is short interview with Dr Evil from BMW, shitty answers like we made it lighter and more dynamic

In that it says the nest M3 will have xdrive, but I thought it had been said that won’t be the case?!

[teaston]

Originally Posted by MarkyM

Yes that's right it's definitely electronics added to the same mechanical diff, I think a lot of people are expecting a Proper M type mechanical LSD but that's not the case

Not according to the Auto Express review, it says it will get the same diff as currently fitted to M3/M4!

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/3-...ototype-review

[pdk42]

Is this sort of half arse launch common? I mean, camo inside and out? Weird.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by pdk42

Is this sort of half arse launch common? I mean, camo inside and out? Weird.

It's all part of the tease and PR.

I've read 4 different articles now and they've all said the exact same things about the technical aspects, so looks like they spent as much time in a powerpoint presentation from engineers as they did driving the thing. Must be working too, as they all communicated the same key messages.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by pdk42

Is this sort of half arse launch common? I mean, camo inside and out? Weird.

But this is not an official launch. That will be during the Paris motor show.

This is just bmw giving an unfinished, pre production model to a bunch of journalists to give initial comments on the drive of the car. That’s all.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by JD6

We have HUD with pro nav on the F30 and our F55 Mini and they are both identical, except the Mini one is on a pop-up screen. I agree that given the choice, reflecting the image on to the windscreen is neater, but at least they made HUD available on the Mini, unlike the 1 and 2 Series BMWs.

In practice I don't find any difference between using one or the other, the BMW one is just aesthetically nicer.

Well I would say that they are not not identical at all, the HUD on the 3er is projected out in front of you "floating" in your line of sight and can adjusted up and down and also on the horizontal axis, the other sits on a little screen I can't see the point and it looks very fisherprice to me.

But ETTO.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by dopper99

But this is not an official launch. That will be during the Paris motor show.

This is just bmw giving an unfinished, pre production model to a bunch of journalists to give initial comments on the drive of the car. That’s all.

Seems in our media age we can't wait for the drama of official launches any more.

Years back we had no real idea what was coming, until the night of the launch in our local BMW dealer. I remember going to the E28 5-series launch, the reveal was an event. For the average customer, unless you had some sort of privileged information, you often never knew what to expect until the covers were off.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by teaston

Look at the bottom edge of the screens, they’re the same level on the G20 but the centre screen is a fair bit higher on the Z4.

That's because the binnacle is lower on the Z4

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Wills2

That's because the binnacle is lower on the Z4

Well everything's lower on a Z4, it's a little sports car!

[dopper99]

Piston Heads review ...........

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-...ource=20180816

[pdk42]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

It's all part of the tease and PR.

I've read 4 different articles now and they've all said the exact same things about the technical aspects, so looks like they spent as much time in a powerpoint presentation from engineers as they did driving the thing. Must be working too, as they all communicated the same key messages.

Yes, it seems that way to me too. Most of the articles sound like regurgitated briefings from BMW with too little real time driving the car to say much about it. In any case, 2 laps of the ring is a l o n g way from how a car will drive in the real world.

I still have high hopes, but in truth all I've learned so far is:

- BMW did a good job providing a jolly for the journos

- They got a few simple messages across (simpler suspension, slightly lighter, e diff)

- They might have stopped a few people ordering Mercs or A4s until the full launch.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by pdk42

Yes, it seems that way to me too. Most of the articles sound like regurgitated briefings from BMW with too little real time driving the car to say much about it. In any case, 2 laps of the ring is a l o n g way from how a car will drive in the real world.

I still have high hopes, but in truth all I've learned so far is:

- BMW did a good job providing a jolly for the journos

- They got a few simple messages across (simpler suspension, slightly lighter, e diff)

- They might have stopped a few people ordering Mercs or A4s until the full launch.

It’s not an e diff, it’s a proper LSD like the M4!

[dopper99]

Apparently they will be fitted with a simplified version of the active diff found in the M3/4.

Here is some blurb on the M3/4 diff so we could assume it to be similar to this where it uses an electric motor to control the diff (maybe why some are calling it an e diff?)

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1018024

"M automobiles have been fitted with locking differentials for several generations but the BMW M3 and BMW M4 are equipped with an Active M differential. What is the 'active' part of the differential?

Active means that a whole range of sensors have been built into the car that are able to identify the road conditions, calculate the optimum locking degree, and activate the lock accordingly by means of an electric motor. The central input variables are the torque, the individual rotational speeds of the wheels, the lateral acceleration and the driving speed. Then there is the steering angle and the yaw rate, plus a few additional factors. "



Active M differential with displacement motor (right) in cross-section.

[pdk42]

Thanks for the classification on the "e" LSD.

[vadimo]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Apparently they will be fitted with a simplified version of the active diff found in the M3/4.

Here is some blurb on the M3/4 diff so we could assume it to be similar to this where it uses an electric motor to control the diff (maybe why some are calling it an e diff?)

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1018024

"M automobiles have been fitted with locking differentials for several generations but the BMW M3 and BMW M4 are equipped with an Active M differential. What is the 'active' part of the differential?

Active means that a whole range of sensors have been built into the car that are able to identify the road conditions, calculate the optimum locking degree, and activate the lock accordingly by means of an electric motor. The central input variables are the torque, the individual rotational speeds of the wheels, the lateral acceleration and the driving speed. Then there is the steering angle and the yaw rate, plus a few additional factors. "



Active M differential with displacement motor (right) in cross-section.

ok so more stuff to go wrong (joking)

any improvement is welcomed