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Post by alf on Feb 16, 2018 17:57:04 GMT
"I really like the idea of a C43. Until I see a C63 on the road. That wider body just looks sooo much better!"I think the C63 has the standard body, and the S the wider naughtier one. Either way johnc I will be very interested in your thoughts as both C43 and C63 figure in my car plans of the future - I love the coupe but would probably go 4 door or estate... Depending on depreciation of course! |
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Post by johnc on Feb 19, 2018 18:21:38 GMT
I believe that the C63 and C63 S have the same wide arched body. The C43 has the standard body.
C43
C63
file and image uploader C63S
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Post by Roadrunner on Feb 19, 2018 19:14:39 GMT
Wide body all day long.
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Post by Martin on Feb 19, 2018 19:16:11 GMT
Definitely. Spoils the C43 making it look a bit narrow, as the M3/M4 does to the 3/4 series. |
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Post by racingteatray on Feb 19, 2018 19:53:38 GMT
I do think all three look like slugs. That's not the model's best angle.
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Post by michael on Feb 19, 2018 22:13:24 GMT
It’s not the worst angle either. The rear three quarters on the look like it was phoned in by the intern.
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Post by Martin on Mar 5, 2018 14:29:25 GMT
The facelift C43 has 385hp and proper (round) exhaust pipes along with an AMG grille rather than the AMG Line dotty one.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 5, 2018 15:18:21 GMT
Looks much better for it too.
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Post by johnc on Mar 5, 2018 18:21:34 GMT
I was chatting to someone I know in the motor trade and he told me that the C43 had a problem with crabbing in low friction conditions - apparently the driveshafts are of different lengths and the torque applied to the wheels on either side isn't equal - when the grip is low this imbalance can cause the car to crab. I will have to Google the forums to see if I can find out more info.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 9:07:41 GMT
Sounds like the mindset of a man acclimatised to 4wd!
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Post by johnc on Mar 6, 2018 10:13:04 GMT
Sounds like the mindset of a man acclimatised to 4wd! With the weather we have had over the past week or so and the constant wet weather we get in this country in any case, I really do appreciate the extra grip not only from the safety angle but also the numpty dispensing capabilities regardless of conditions underfoot - and wet roundabout exits would never be the same without it! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 10:29:13 GMT
You're preaching to the well and truly converted, though I am sure a rwd stalwart would be saying 'it's traction you get more of, not grip!'
There was an interesting piece (evo, I think) recently about the BTCC heyday, with an in depth analysis of the A4 touring car. Interesting that they also mentioned braking stability, as it seems to me that the distribution of engine braking over both axles should also be a plus to behaviour in this way.
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Post by Tim on Mar 6, 2018 11:07:12 GMT
While I've been looking at various petrol powered 3 series estates I've wondered why the only one you can get in 4wd is the 320, whereas the 330i (same engine) and the 340i (6 cylinder but then there are 6 pot diesels) are rwd only.
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Post by johnc on Mar 6, 2018 12:11:45 GMT
While I've been looking at various petrol powered 3 series estates I've wondered why the only one you can get in 4wd is the 320, whereas the 330i (same engine) and the 340i (6 cylinder but then there are 6 pot diesels) are rwd only. That's a UK phenomenon. I believe you can get anything you want in XDrive on the Continent. I think BMW have made a big mistake not getting the 40i models in to the UK in 4WD. |
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Post by johnc on Mar 6, 2018 12:20:41 GMT
You're preaching to the well and truly converted, though I am sure a rwd stalwart would be saying 'it's traction you get more of, not grip!' There was an interesting piece (evo, I think) recently about the BTCC heyday, with an in depth analysis of the A4 touring car. Interesting that they also mentioned braking stability, as it seems to me that the distribution of engine braking over both axles should also be a plus to behaviour in this way. I wonder about the traction/grip thing - without doubt there is more traction but if I put my DSC setting to the middle and corner quickly, I get a fairly gentle 4 wheel drift moment to let me know I am near the limit whereas in my old RWD 335D, I would get a serious opposite lock, tail out moment to communicate the same message. Probably lateral grip is the same but in conjunction with higher traction, the grip can be put to better use with 4WD. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 14:07:44 GMT
I'd agree with that. It's seldom all or nothing in a way that a single driven axle can sometimes be.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 14:17:52 GMT
When I went to the supermarket after the big thaw there was an Audi and a BMW SUV in the car park with stoved in bumpers. Makes me wonder if the drivers had the "I've got 4WD and can drive as fast as I need to go" mentality in the preceding days? When I'd ventured out the day before when it was still snowy I'd had some dick in a X5 come bombing up behind me at about 70 mph and then latched onto my bootlid. Unless he had winter tyres on I'd have easily out braked him if the need had arisen. As it was I just let my foot off the gas until he got the hint and backed off a bit.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 14:25:52 GMT
I'm certain you're right - you see a lesser thing every time it rains.
But if you are just paying attention to the feedback your car gives you, 4wd does allow the enthusiastic driver a lot more opportunities in mixed conditions.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 15:20:38 GMT
As I've never driven one, I wonder if an SUV gives you the same level of feedback, or whether you just feel invincible?
The Q5 I saw certainly looked like it had slid into something hard. It was on a 67 plate, too, so nearly new.
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Post by Tim on Mar 6, 2018 15:25:06 GMT
As I've never driven one, I wonder if an SUV gives you the same level of feedback, or whether you just feel invincible? The Q5 I saw certainly looked like it had slid into something hard. It was on a 67 plate, too, so nearly new.
I think its the invincibility feeling combined with the indication that a lot of those attracted to these vehicles are clearly not short of self confidence.
I got tailgated several times on fairly poor roads by everything from a Fiesta to a Ranger. Some drivers appear to become more stupid as the conditions worsen......
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 16:09:18 GMT
I did have a Q5 as a courtesy car once. It was better than I expected (from the inside, at least) but no, it didn't major on feedback. Poor conditions really do show the benefits of steering feel.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2018 18:23:51 GMT
Just because you can get moving doesn't mean you can go around corners or stop. Maybe some SUV drivers only learn that when they slide their almost new Q5 into a garden wall?
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Post by ChrisM on Mar 6, 2018 21:13:45 GMT
As I've never driven one, I wonder if an SUV gives you the same level of feedback, or whether you just feel invincible? Certainly no justifiable reason to feel invincible. When there is no grip due to ice, 2WD or 4WD doesn't matter! I had a bit of a "play" in the office car park last Friday..... so long as you don't turn the wheel more than a few degrees, AWD does give you better grip and more confidence that you are in control, but a I said, on ice you still end up sliding with gross "understeer". I think for most people, technique counts for more than the number of driven wheels |
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Post by johnc on Mar 7, 2018 7:52:21 GMT
As I've never driven one, I wonder if an SUV gives you the same level of feedback, or whether you just feel invincible? The Q5 I saw certainly looked like it had slid into something hard. It was on a 67 plate, too, so nearly new. If you want real driver involvement then look elsewhere. The likes of the Porsche Macan and some of the BMW X stable will certainly keep you entertained by the depth of their capabilities but they aren't cars and their weight, suspension travel and higher centre of gravity will always play against them to some extent. However the good ones will surprise you and are very easy to live with.
EDIT: I think Joe and Julie public believe that 4x4 means they can go anywhere with impunity. A lesson in basic physics should be compulsory for all purchasers because they don't stop any quicker and 2+ tonnes on a slippery surface goes a long way.
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Post by Roadrunner on Mar 7, 2018 8:40:59 GMT
As I've never driven one, I wonder if an SUV gives you the same level of feedback, or whether you just feel invincible? The Q5 I saw certainly looked like it had slid into something hard. It was on a 67 plate, too, so nearly new. If you want real driver involvement then look elsewhere. The likes of the Porsche Macan and some of the BMW X stable will certainly keep you entertained by the depth of their capabilities but they aren't cars and their weight, suspension travel and higher centre of gravity will always play against them to some extent. However the good ones will surprise you and are very easy to live with.
EDIT: I think Joe and Julie public believe that 4x4 means they can go anywhere with impunity. A lesson in basic physics should be compulsory for all purchasers because they don't stop any quicker and 2+ tonnes on a slippery surface goes a long way.
Witness the Freelander I recently saw in a ditch on a twisty section near home, one frosty morning. |
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