Experts: I am curious to know if you agree or disagree with my response to a recent thread about a magazine's recent article about stock suspension and wheels outperforming BMW Performance Suspension and Wheels on the track.
Here is the post about the article:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ///M1
Most of you know Evo magazine, a very credible UK car publication. Well, if you have been following the back pages over the last few months, the staffers took on a 135i as one of their long term fleet vehicles. They have made several mods month-over-month, starting with the wheels (opted for the BMW performance rims), which funny enough with tires only resulted in...1/2lb weight loss per corner (although the tires they were replacing were almost shot, so likely a lb or so lighter than when new).
They just installed the BMW Performance Suspension and have a quick 1/2 pager commentary. When they got the car, in fully stock form they recorded several laps (at Bedford Autodrome), along with an M3. Their quest is to build this car to eclipse the stock M3s time. So they installed the suspension, but very suprisingly their lap time had increased. They too were puzzled and couldn't attribute it to anything in particular (weather conditions in both tries were silimar). Stock time was 1:28.7 vs 1:29.4 with the BMW PS and wheels. Both new and old tires were RFTs, the new ones being Dunlop SP Sport 01 rather than the stock Bridgestones RE050As. The stock M3's time they are gunning to beat is 1:25.9
They are quite happy with the suspension per se, so the disappointing track time is not meant to bash it. In fact they said that, quote: "feels really good now, less fuzzy, more poised." They proceed to say the car felt more stable, decisive, biddable, mostly because of noticeably less roll.
So to conclude, staff wrote: "There are 2 certainties: After spending GBP 5,000 on wheels and suspension, we have done nothing to improve the car's lap time. But we have improved the feel of the car on road and on track, wheel control is better and the car drives more positively."
By next month they would have added the BMW Power Pack, so stay tuned.
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And my response:
Quote:
Originally Posted by syenisch
I would be interested to see the comparison between the OEM M Sport suspension and the Performance Suspension on a nonRFT tire such as PS2s or Star Specs. I think it might tell a different story. The softer OEM M Sport suspension might be more suitable for the hard sidewalls of the RFTs. Perhaps adding stiffer suspension removes the "compliance" needed for the RFTs to work optimally. I suspect Performance Suspension on nonRFTs would outperform OEM M Sport suspension on nonRFTs. That is only my opinion though.
Edit: The RFTs already have notoriously stiff sidewalls. I believe the Performance Wheels are larger in diameter. Now you've got a shorter (and more importantly stiffer) sidewall than before with stiffer suspension and no better rubber. The weak link is the tires, and you've made them WORSE with the suspension and wheel change. I maintain my belief that if you put on better rubber the car with Performance Suspension and Wheels wins.
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What are your thoughts? I planning on getting the BMW Performance Suspension so that I can reduce body roll, improve turn in, gain a little negative camber, maintain comfort on the street, and stay OEM in the process.