Electric vs manual seats

[555]

Electric Seats + Comfort Access = winner....

Walking up to the car and grabbing the handle, by the time I open the door and go to sit in, the seat is adjusted for me from wife's position... she's not that tall (5'6") and doesn't sit on top of the steering wheel... but would cause me grief trying to get into the car if there was no memory etc.

Performance car + weight of electric motors? N***** please!!! might as well only fill 1/4 tank to 'save weight'...

The only time I see it being a problem is when you have over earger rear seat passengers trying to contort to get into the back and not waiting for the seat to move forward.. and in the process placing their well dirtied shoes all over bits of the car you would'nt want scuff marks on....I usually get them back by not leaving them much leg room...

generally though, I don't take the 135 out if I know I'll have passengers.

[BigBoss168]

Originally Posted by 555

Performance car + weight of electric motors? N***** please!!! might as well only fill 1/4 tank to 'save weight'...

IMO, the 135i coupe weighs too bloody much for a small 4.3m long car. Kerb weight is almost 1500kg compared to the E30 3-series which has almost exactly the same dimensions but which weighs just over 1000kg. Sure, some of that is in additional safety gear, stronger doors, stronger chassis etc. but surely that doesn't explain a 500kg difference?

The only way to pare weight in a car is to look at EVERYTHING. You won't find 100kg in one spot, you have to take a kilo here and a kilo there. Mazda are very good at this, and they even pared like 100g from components such as the rear view mirror in the MX-5 to save weight.

In that context, some tens of kgs in electric motors in the seats doesn't look so trivial - particularly if BMW would adopt the same approach elsewhere.

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by taipan168

IMO, the 135i coupe weighs too bloody much for a small 4.3m long car. Kerb weight is almost 1500kg compared to the E30 3-series which has almost exactly the same dimensions but which weighs just over 1000kg. Sure, some of that is in additional safety gear, stronger doors, stronger chassis etc. but surely that doesn't explain a 500kg difference?

My '85 E30 323i was ~1170kg Taipan and my '89 E30 325i was ~1270kg. Still over 200kg difference to the 135 though and didn't have aluminium suspension components like the 135 has.

Given a choice I'd have manual seats in mine. If the Performance seats were cheaper I'd probably put them in.

[BigBoss168]

Originally Posted by TimMc

My '85 E30 323i was ~1170kg Taipan and my '89 E30 325i was ~1270kg. Still over 200kg difference to the 135 though and didn't have aluminium suspension components like the 135 has.

Oops, just realised I was looking at the spec for a 318i which weighed 1,070kg in base spec...still, you see my point.

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by taipan168

Oops, just realised I was looking at the spec for a 318i which weighed 1,070kg in base spec...still, you see my point.

I certainly do.
E30 is still my favourite beemer shape. I wish they still made it, with similar weight, but with modern driveline, aluminium engines, suspension etc. Showing my age...