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Old 01-03-2008, 05:23 PM   #1
Plaz
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Test drove an R56 MCS

'07 MCS 6-speed with no sport package or LSD.

It's a little BMW, and feels like it. I was expecting horrific torque steer, but it was totally tolerable. It's there, but practically negligible. I bet with the LSD, sport suspension and some stickier tires (215/45/17 summers instead of 195/xx/16 all seasons?) it would have been mitigated even further.

Clutch was predictable, if a little numb. Shifter was typical BMW stock -- a tiny bit rubbery, with a slightly longer throw than I'd prefer, but a totally livable and satisfying rowing experience.

Steering was excellent, despite the electric boost... in sport mode. With the sport button off, it felt 10x more loosey-goosey... I can tell that button would always be pressed were I to own one.

Given that it's got just a little 1.6L blown 4-banger, it felt surprisingly peppy and torquey... minimal low-rev turbo lag, plenty of twist off the line and at low revs, without feeling like it runs out of steam too early in higher revs. Nice, smooth, consistent power... I like this engine a lot.

Overboost comes on at WOT for an extra kick in the pants... you can feel it, but it comes on smoothly. I was half-expecting a kickdown switch on the accelerator like a slushie E46, and a sudden torque-steery burst of go, but instead it was a gentle surge -- a composed effort of the engine to just do as directed. Very nice. Not gimmicky -- just useful.

I've never driven an R53, but I can't imagine the much praised s/c whine and exhaust burble from that Chrysler powerplant being more attractive than the ample torque and silky delivery this turbocharged BMW mill delivers. I don't understand the 1st generation purists on this issue.

The interior design, on the other hand, is extremely gimmicky. I imagine there are tons of ergonomic no-nos, though I can't detail any at present. I must admit I like the toggles, even though they don't really make sense... but they feel like quality switchgear. The climate controls are a little cheap feeling, but not horrible. Better than a Civic, not quite as nice as the E46.

The whole package is solid and tight feeling, though, like a teeny BMW should feel. It's really everything I like in a car, FWD excepted. But the test drive makes me think I could live with that, much to my surprise.

It really seems like the perfect car for fun street driving. I'm sure my RX-8 would be much more satisfying on the track, where its balance and handling elegance can shine. But I think the tight solidity, quicker steering, lightness, greater low end grunt, and overall German/BMW feel of the R56 probably give it an edge on the day-to-day street funometer. Not to even mention the fact that it drinks half as much.

I think I want one.
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Old 01-03-2008, 05:35 PM   #2
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w o w.

that's quite the review.

to address some of your points:

1. the 195/55/16s are tolerable, but they're grand touring tires. cheap for runflats, but they don't have much grip --no doubt unloading the runflats would make a huge difference.

2. the torque steer. it's definitely there. i'm not sure if the limited slip unit exacerbates it or ameliorates it, though. i think i sensed it also in the nonLSD demo i drove.

3. the engine. it's a marvel of an engine. super-kudos to BMW for creating, with peugeot, a phenomenal powerplant. in cold weather, just an FYI, it sputters upon cold start and you can feel the heat soak if you're caning the car on wickedly hot humid summer days. those R53 people are still insane because that powerplant is intolerable to me.

4. i generally hate the interior but i've come to grips with it.

5. it's very do-able for a daily driver. now that we're in the cold weather, either because of the cold grease on the bearings plus the change in gas formulation, the mpgs have dropped in city driving to 29mpg from 31mpg --or maybe i'm gunning it more?

6. i miss RWD a lot and that'll for sure be the next car, but i'm really enjoying this particular BMW product a lot. how they manage the steering feel is a mystery to me, but they do.
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Old 01-03-2008, 05:35 PM   #3
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We had an R53... I rarely noticed the s/c whine, and the exhaust was enjoyable... But it did need to be rev'ed to ~2500-3000 before having ample torque.

I haven't yet driven an R56... But we sat in one recently. You can tell certain parts of the interior are a huge improvement over the R53. It has the same general design, but the R56 felt more gimmicky -- almost cartoonish.

I'm sure you'll enjoy one if you get it...
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Old 01-03-2008, 05:44 PM   #4
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ditch runflats and put some light wheels on and you're set.

I've STILL got some wheels lying around
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:36 PM   #5
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I enjoy every opportunity that I have to drive a JCW-tuned R53... the upgraded performance parts and extra power help eliminate the hesitation that the normal R53 has from a start, and at open throttle, the car has a really nice sound put out by the supercharger and exhaust. This set up (either the JCW GP or just a R53 with JCW tuning kit) is *special* in that sense, it really is a nice car to drive. The regular R53 is nice but the issues with the powerplant are more obvious.


The turbo in the R56 is an excellent powerplant. More power, much more usable power band, and fuel economy improvement over the previous generation. I think it is a gem of an engine. Throw the JCW kit on this one, and it helps make it just a bit better without being too much for the car. The kit doesn't make the night-and-day difference that it does with the R53, but it also costs 1/3 as much. Plus, I think the potential for future modification is great. Unlike the 335i, where the turbos are a PITA to get to and to replace, the turbo on the R56 looks like a simple item that can be swapped out down the road for a bigger one to improve performance as well.
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZBB View Post
You can tell certain parts of the interior are a huge improvement over the R53. It has the same general design, but the R56 felt more gimmicky -- almost cartoonish.
I really like the interior of the R56 but certainly agree with this comment. I think the door panels look better, the dashboard shape looks better, the center console is a better design, I actually like the larger speedometer, and I like the changes to the glovebox and the addition of the "secret compartment". I like the integration of the latest features (comfort access, bluetooth, Sirius, HD radio, ipod/USB, etc.). The climate control is easy to operate.

So what do I have to complain about? While the climate control is easy to operate, I think the fan speed and temperature controls look a bit goofy and are not as smooth to operate on all cars as they should be. And the radio? Yes, I think that is a mess. The power/volume knob that is lost all by itself? The radio display/controls in the bottom portion of the speedometer? I wish that they would have used the space on the speedometer for guages like they did on the R50/R53, and that they had put a more conventional looking radio headunit/faceplate on the center stack above the climate control switches. If they were to make those changes to the climate control and radio controls, then I think the complaints about the interior would be greatly eliminated since the rest of the interior is very nice.
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:54 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SARAFIL View Post
Throw the JCW kit on this one, and it helps make it just a bit better without being too much for the car. The kit doesn't make the night-and-day difference that it does with the R53, but it also costs 1/3 as much.
Yeah, if I order, I think I will get the JCW kit. Is it appreciably cheaper to get it as a VPC-installed option as opposed to having the dealer do it? The MA I spoke with today said that if the car has lots of electronic options (as I would be likely to order) the JCW ECU download can take many (billable) hours . That didn't really make sense to me.
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:57 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by makaveli View Post
ditch runflats and put some light wheels on and you're set.

I've STILL got some wheels lying around
I'm thinking 17" O.Z. Ultraleggeras shod with 215/45/17 PS2s or Eagle GS-D3s would be great. But I don't know about their strength (I need strong wheels for NYC) -- my 18" BBS REs never had a problem on my E46 (they were stronger than the strut towers ), but those were way expensive, forged wheels.

It's either the Ultraleggeras for weight, or R99s for strength I think.
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:59 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Plaz View Post
Yeah, if I order, I think I will get the JCW kit. Is it appreciably cheaper to get it as a VPC-installed option as opposed to having the dealer do it? The MA I spoke with today said that if the car has lots of electronic options (as I would be likely to order) the JCW ECU download can take many (billable) hours . That didn't really make sense to me.
yes, the "cost" on the kit is less if done at the VPC than the dealer... basically the dealer gets billed at "dealer net" for parts/labor, so the sales department is avoiding the profit margin from their parts/service departments.
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Old 01-03-2008, 08:45 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SARAFIL View Post
yes, the "cost" on the kit is less if done at the VPC than the dealer... basically the dealer gets billed at "dealer net" for parts/labor, so the sales department is avoiding the profit margin from their parts/service departments.
Cool... good to know. Thanks.
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