Anyone fancy a BMW 3 Series?
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As a base car rather than a drive in & off you go.
In what way would it be a better base than a standard 320i though? You'd be replacing pretty much everything in both cars and a donor 320i SE would be a lot cheaper than a 320si. Yes the 320si has better bits *for road use* than a 320i but you'd replace the brakes, suspension, wheels, engine, gearbox, axle if you were planning on racing an e90. You'd also be peeling all the stickers off the liveried 320si to put your own sponsor and championship stickers on.
No, what is it?
Its where the FIA or someone set a rule saying you must only use a road car with the same bits in it or something like that.
So the companys go out and make a limited number of cars so they can use them in the rallys or races
Or something along those lines.
No, what is it?
You have shown here in this post you have no idea what your talking about when it comes to this car then
Soldato
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I was wondering the same thing. I had a 320 a few years back and it was a six pot.
171bhp doesn't seem that much for a sort of works car if that is what it is ment to be. Is 7000rpm really that high as my 2 litre car redlines at 7000rpm and produces 165bhp. I must be missing the point somewhere.
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Soldato
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opps double post sorry.
I guess the other positive factors and not just the engine output affect this car (things noted from the above review like handling, engine placement, the CF cover, suspension, brakes etc etc - all better than a similar normal car with the same or more output.
I see both sides I guess, for a very limited edition car at this price it's pretty awesome, it will certainly make people look in a marmite way. I loathe the alloys though, some nice 5 spokes would make it look mean and the bigger brakes stand out!
I also hate the new 3 series rear (as you may know) but otherwise I like!
If I had that kind of money...
....I'd get a 330ci like the one Jez had (that interior colour combo = :O)
I see both sides I guess, for a very limited edition car at this price it's pretty awesome, it will certainly make people look in a marmite way. I loathe the alloys though, some nice 5 spokes would make it look mean and the bigger brakes stand out!
I also hate the new 3 series rear (as you may know
) but otherwise I like!If I had that kind of money...
....I'd get a 330ci like the one Jez had (that interior colour combo = :O)
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Soldato
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Top speed (mph): 140
0-62 mph (secs): 8.1
All show and no go if you ask me.
I mean, imagine you're sitting at the lights and some one turns up in... well pretty much anything quick. You're sitting in something that looks like it turned the wrong way out of the Silverstone pit lane and found itself on the main road by accident.
Sadly it goes like pretty much any other 2.0 family saloon and while you scream your engine to 7k trying to find those 170 ponies, mr clio cup or whatever is dissappearing into the distance.
I'd feel a bit foolish, to say the least. Sure it looks the part but unless it's on a track amongst others of its kind it'll just be slightly ridiculous.
0-62 mph (secs): 8.1
All show and no go if you ask me.
I mean, imagine you're sitting at the lights and some one turns up in... well pretty much anything quick. You're sitting in something that looks like it turned the wrong way out of the Silverstone pit lane and found itself on the main road by accident.
Sadly it goes like pretty much any other 2.0 family saloon and while you scream your engine to 7k trying to find those 170 ponies, mr clio cup or whatever is dissappearing into the distance.
I'd feel a bit foolish, to say the least. Sure it looks the part but unless it's on a track amongst others of its kind it'll just be slightly ridiculous.
Its where the FIA or someone set a rule saying you must only use a road car with the same bits in it or something like that.
So the companys go out and make a limited number of cars so they can use them in the rallys or races
Or something along those lines.
That's the thing about this car. It is not a proper homologation special like for example a road going RS200 was. It has a number of parts changes that BMW wanted on their WTCC car, it could range from things like different conrods (as I mentioned earlier) to a different block design.
Update: I've just found the differences between the 320si and 320i which give it that amazing
20bhp difference. No other homologation changes apart from engine ones are mentioned so I assume it uses standard 320i m sport suspension and braking.Here are the stats listed on wikipedia:
320i 2.0 L (1995 cc) 16-valve I4; 150 bhp (110 kW); top speed: 220 km/h; 0-100 km/h; 9.0 s 2005-2007
320si 2.0 L (1997 cc) 16-valve I4; 173 bhp (127 kW); top speed: 225 km/h; 0-100 km/h; 8.1 s 2006-2006
325i 2.5 L (2497 cc) 24-valve I6; 218 bhp (160 kW); top speed: 245 km/h; 0-100 km/h; 7.0 s 2005-2007
It's over a second slower 0-60 than a 325i.
So as I said, I don't like it as its a standard (and slow) road car with stickers from a car it bears no resemblance to. (Right, Penski?
)
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I think a lot of you are missing the point entirely...This car only exists so that BMW could homologate the trick engine parts they wanted to use in the WTCC car. The car in the OP is dull as ****. it looks and handles like a normal 320i and it's not very fast...Now strip it out, fit an immense rollcage and tune the engine to the limits of the WTCC rulebook and blam! You have a WTCC-winning car.
It doesn't matter that a 325i is quicker...Because you can't use a 2.5 litre engine in WTCC.
I'd LOVE a 2002 with that engine, ITBs, aftermarket management and a Ti exhaust....Hello 250+bhp!
*n
It doesn't matter that a 325i is quicker...Because you can't use a 2.5 litre engine in WTCC.
I'd LOVE a 2002 with that engine, ITBs, aftermarket management and a Ti exhaust....Hello 250+bhp!
*n
If I planned to do that to a 3 series I'd rather build a better (and cheaper) engine that isn't restricted by homologation rules or WTCC regulations to be honest. You'd be spending a fortune on a 2 litre engine and end up with 270 bhp and a car unusable for the road. It really doesn't make sense building a car to a championship regulation spec unless you plan on racing in that championship.
That's exactly the point!
The car isn't aimed at the general public. It is there for two reasons:
• BMW get to use trick engine bits on their WTCC cars.
• People to buy one to race in either WTCC or an equivelant series.
*n
woooooooosshhh
that was the car just going totally over your head
as Penski has already said, the whole reason the car was created was because of the restrictions of the WTCC.
You want to compete in the WTCC you're only allowed to have certain things changed from the road car. You're not allowed to strengthen internals and re-build the engine etc.. It has to be the same basic engine as found in the road car
you want more power from your race car but cant change the internals ? you build a road car with the strengthened internals you need. then Homologate that. You can sell off the resulting car (which you have to sell, in order to use it in the WTCC, otherwise its not a producion car) to people who will enter it as a Privateer in the WTCC (think Matt Neil before he got his own team) or BMW Fans liking the Pedigree of the car
Errr, I know exactly the reasons why the car was created, I even explained above the differences between the 320i and the 320si. You've basically said 'woooosh' and then typed exactly what I have already said regarding the homologation parts.
As for people using standard roadgoing 320si's to convert into a WTCC contender, I doubt that would ever happen. They will start with a bare 320(s)i shell I would have thought. You don't normally need to use production models, you just have to have made a certain amount.
1. Well duh....
2. See my reply above, normally you don't need to use a production model as a base for a racing car (ie. you can start with a bare shell), but you need to have produced a certain amount of them. However I'm not familiar with the WTCC regs, I'm a DTM fan rather than a super touring one. If you can show me that WTCC cars must have originally been a road car then I'd be interested to learn that!
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Ignoring the fact that you just made two contrary statements, you do in fact normally have to use a production model as a base for a racing car. Racing is becoming ever-more focused on Production-based formulae. This is why we don't get homologation specials of old like Sierra RS500s, Delta Integrales or road-going Group B supercars but the modern Omologato is an otherwise 'normal' car with a few trick bits which are invariably not utilised but can be 'unlocked' to release the full potential in a race car.
*n