So, my 1M tried to kill me...

[Shost]

Originally Posted by Aussie_in_London

No law in the UK warranting the use of winter tyres and I believe you must notify your insurance company if you happen to do so.............

Wierd that in a country when you almost need permission to sneeze and fill in some health and safefy forms first that sticking winter tyres on car needs you to notify the insurane bods.

Anyway, won't be getting winter tyres. If it snows/gets icy I'm using the winter car; the family Volvo.

[Aussie_in_London]

Very true mate

For me if it snows, I just walk which I do on a daily basis to work anyways, all of 15min from home, hell I can get around many central places in London walking and sometimes it's quicker lol

Last year I did find myself attending a track day running r888's and it dumped down with snow, left home, nice and clear, arrived and much the same then bam, it hit hard, now that was an experience getting back home lol

[jnm]

All I have to point out about this thread is that the 1M is the ONLY car I have ever seen (when reviewed on Fifth Gear) Tiff Needel actually reach for the traction control to turn it on when test driving it (!) (so, it was in the rain, but still... it's Tiff 'Mr Sideways' we're talking about here!).

Coming from a supercharged S2000 where there is NO traction control whatsoever I can assure you that no matter who you are when it comes to driving a high-power real wheel drive car in the wet you just have to be 'on the ball' and you have to give that gas pedal some respect... And while traction control, ESP and all that can save you from some amount of stupidity, it won't be able to do miracles!

[Dan Parker]

I drove on the dragons tail about 4 weeks ago in the worst conditions I've seen there. The temps were around 45 degrees but it was raining super hard (sideways from the wind) and the leaves were coating most of the pavement. I started off very conservative but after just a little experimenting I was amazed at how well the car (and the Michelins) handled it. I turned MDM and M on and the gizmos still handled heavy throttle out of corners much better then I imagined. I suppose the temperatures had a lot to do with your moment but I've been very impressed by the stock tires in the rain.

[ND40oz]

Yeah, it's not just the fact it's wet out, it's that temps are between 3-6C in most of the country. Winter tires would just take the fun out of driving, it's not like there's any ice or snow on the ground where they'd be truely effective. A good UHP all-season is much better for conditions like these.

[ZCP M3]

Originally Posted by EmmDrei

Your uhp tires simply will not work below approx. 10°C. Plus imho the Michelins aren't worth sh** in the wet anyhow. Thus you get wheelspin (a bump in a corner may add to that, causing a wheel to lose contact), that will cause the lsd to lock and that can cause snap oversteer if the driver is sound asleep. Boils down to: it's not the cars fault.

And that is exactly why I never drive with the DSC in default mode. MDM or off. It will keep me awake. I'm driving a 340 horse rwd car and that requires my full attention. Always.

I have said after my first test drive (and I wrote it here too), that the 1M will probably be called "widow maker" sooner or later. The car is not suitable for the nonchalant "I-rather-play-with-my-entertanment-system-junk-than-concentrate-on-driving" style that people have been trained to adopt over the last couple of years. Why do they call it a "drivers car"? Because it needs its driver to be there. Always. And that is exactly why I love this little beast!

Amen brother. Except for the DSC off. I prefer to keep it on AND be alert.

As the BMW lolyers state, DSC cannot defy the laws of physics, the DME is not a supercomputer, and all the connected sensors do have a sampling rate shy of infinite. Your 1M didn't try to kill you, you drove it outside of the operating envelope and almost got bit.

[hollysmac]

Originally Posted by ChrisBuer

Damp leaves can also be a problem this time of year down country lanes. A pile of these on a cold winter night can nearly be as slippery as ice!

Glad you're ok though buddy

We have 100 yr old maples on our street. I agree, I've had a fee ohs*t moments thru the years at this time of the year.

[Tony135]

Be careful! They're aggressive little machines!

[1M Fan]

I wonder if Michelin uses a different rubber compound in Europe and the US? I have to agree, the half worn PS2s work very well in heavy rain even at 80+mph with temps in the upper 30's (3 - 4 celcius).

[evoiii90]

Originally Posted by EmmDrei

And that is exactly why I never drive with the DSC in default mode. MDM or off. It will keep me awake. I'm driving a 340 horse rwd car and that requires my full attention. Always.

Couldn't agree more with you.... Every time I get in the car I put it in MDM, if not OFF completely. DSC thresholds on this car are a way too low in my opinion. None of the M3's I've had before, and I've had them all, was the traction control as intrusive as on this car in the "default" position. Probably the lawyers getting in the way of the engineers. Yes, the car will bite you if you're not careful, but that's how it's suppose to be, if you cannot handle it, I believe you shouldn't buy it...

Like I mentioned to a couple of people already, not so long ago I was getting on the freeway on ramp and I didn't realize I didn't put it in MDM like I always do, so when I floored it to catch up with ongoing traffic, nothing happened, ie, the car wasn't accelerating at all. It wasn't until I saw the DSC dashboard lights lit like holiday lights that I realized DSC was still in default "intrusive" mode...

Also, somebody should kick whoever decided NOT to allow the M button to be configurable like on the E9x M3 with iDrive, at the end it's just software. It's a shame it cannot be configured for example to turn OFF DSC, leave the throttle response sensitivity alone and engage the overboost function sooner like it's going to do anyway with the M button pressed.

And before somebody says it only changes throttle sensitivity, yes the M button does make the overboost function kick in sooner, read here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...5#post10489385

I guess the marketing "geniuses" thought that by leaving these features out it'll not cannibalize M3 sales.... yeah right... like the M button is the reason someone will buy this car...

Originally Posted by Shost

Not complaining about it! 100% agree with what you say, in fact as above Driven it with the MDM mode with the M button, and I think it makes it a lot more predictable on the limit and below it. I've deliberatly pushed its limits with the MDM and found them to be quite high in fact. Combination of poorly surfaced leaf covered cold dark british backroads aren't the best for a lively RWD car.

Agree too, MDM is good enough for daily driving, even in wet conditions... Not sure about driving on the snow though since this is sunny California...

[Powerbeast]

Glad nothing happened and your alright.

[EmmDrei]

Originally Posted by 1M Fan

I wonder if Michelin uses a different rubber compound in Europe and the US? I have to agree, the half worn PS2s work very well in heavy rain even at 80+mph with temps in the upper 30's (3 - 4 celcius).

I would assume, that exactly that is the difference. Our tires here in Germany will frequently see Vmax. Those in the US rarely will. And if you feel the difference when driving the same winter tire that is limited to 210km/h as opposed to its brother which is limited to i.e. 240km/h, then you realize what difference a little more softener in the rubber can make. The faster you can run a tire, the harder its compound basically needs to be and the less will it work in the rain and cold.

[greygoose]

Originally Posted by Aussie_in_London

No law in the UK warranting the use of winter tyres and I believe you must notify your insurance company if you happen to do so.............

My insurance company didn't charge anything for winter tyres (and they never should imo).

[gotboost426]

The exact reason I bought the car, and always drive with TC OFF !!

[Shost]

Funny how it seems brave or might be seen as reckless to drive without TC etc, when not that long ago stability systems were barely invented. I'm taking a good pal out for a 1M demo run. He's just had a baby and I'm pretty sure if I said I'm turning the DTC off he'd go ape!

Obviously I started this thread with a near crash, but I/the car gathered things up as quickly as they got out of hand. But I'm sure he'd still be on edge.