Vehicular annoyance

[FC]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

Here's the BE Bearings explainer on it: https://bebearings.com/Overview.html

By the way, this part is key, and I suspected that was the case:

BMW designed the S65 and S85 with approximately half the industry standard oil clearance. This is a trendy move among some auto manufacturers to increase gas mileage and increase horsepower. But when they do it, like in the Toyota Prius, the auto manufacturer also specifies a very thin oil to match the very small oil clearance. BMW dropped the ball here and is using very small oil clearance and very thick 10W60 oil.

Tight tolerances on their own are not a bad thing other than adding cost. They reduce wobble, which in a fast-rotating shaft means friction, which leads to heat and inefficiency (less power and fuel economy, and probably less opportunity to rev as high as that engine does). The killer is the oil viscosity. I'm not an expert in IC engine design but these are general machine design principles.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by FC

Do you mean they have three bearing options with slightly varying tolerances all meant for the same shaft diameter?

Three different size cranks.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by FC

By the way, this part is key, and I suspected that was the case:

BMW designed the S65 and S85 with approximately half the industry standard oil clearance. This is a trendy move among some auto manufacturers to increase gas mileage and increase horsepower. But when they do it, like in the Toyota Prius, the auto manufacturer also specifies a very thin oil to match the very small oil clearance. BMW dropped the ball here and is using very small oil clearance and very thick 10W60 oil.

Tight tolerances on their own are not a bad thing other than adding cost. They reduce wobble, which in a fast-rotating shaft means friction, which leads to heat and inefficiency (less power and fuel economy, and probably less opportunity to rev as high as that engine does). The killer is the oil viscosity. I'm not an expert in IC engine design but these are general machine design principles.

I'm not arguing with the effort to maximize efficiency, but the flip side is that typically they add extra clearance for high hp / high rpm uses.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by FC

Yikes. That's pretty bad. It's possible you population consist entirely of people who drive their car hard, but that's no excuse since it is a sports car and it has a well-known history of being tracked and, perhaps more importantly, built its reputation on reliability.

The transmissions were/are failing on cars that are brand new to pretty close to brand new, though. It probably doesn't bode well for them long term.

The cool thing is how Mazda has responded. They've bent over backwards to replace broken transmissions quickly for autocrossers, often overnighting them to dealers, and they made a ton of changes to the ND1 transmissions to fix the problem...although not completely successfully. Not sure how the ND2 transmissions have fared so far.

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by John V

What Nick said. It's a value thing.

As you well know, I was stuck in that same loop for 13 years while driving my e46. It's not that I didn't think other cars weren't better in certain ways - it was that I wasn't willing to pay big money to get what I perceived as incremental improvements to what I already had.

I even bought a Porsche and sold it because I didn't enjoy having $50k tied up in what I still felt offered incremental enjoyment.

Then I went and paid more money for the Tesla than I ever imagined I would pay for a car, and I haven't regretted it for a second. And I've realized it's not because it's "so good"; it's because it's so different (while still being good). It's not an incremental improvement over what you have, like every other car you could buy. It's a disruptive leap in a diagonal direction.

I know people are tired of hearing from the Tesla fanboys. And I'm not trying to argue the car is for everyone. And yes the car has weaknesses. I'm just saying that - assuming you like what the Tesla brings to the table when you test drive it - you probably won't later look at your other cars and say "I could have gotten this same feeling by driving them." It's too different. It's a totally different high.

.

[FC]

Originally Posted by rumatt

As you well know, I was stuck in that same loop for 13 years while driving my e46. It's not that I didn't think other cars weren't better in certain ways - it was that I wasn't willing to pay big money to get what I perceived as incremental improvements to what I already had.

I recall feeling the same way about the ZHP. I loved that car. I never felt any other car was worth the premium over what I had. What broke the cycle was my desire for a Boxster. And that was awesome and different enough to not make me regret it. I did not keep it very long, but that was another story.

[equ]

I loved by ZHP(s) as well and also went to a 987 which I ended up loving. I think between entering different stages of life and driving itself changing, the experiences are less impactful than they used to be and feelings are not as strong.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by equ

I loved by ZHP(s) as well and also went to a 987 which I ended up loving. I think between entering different stages of life and driving itself changing, the experiences are less impactful than they used to be and feelings are not as strong.

Yeah. My M3 convertible is number 1, but there was also a lot going on in my life then. It was fun and therapeutic (dying parents; young, needy kid.) My current car is a close second, and a lot easier to live with, frankly.

[Josh (PA)]

Here's another '95 M3 that looks pretty nice.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=197653984

[kognito]

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

Here's another '95 M3 that looks pretty nice.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=197653984

Over 500 days for sale???? wtf is wrong with it?