South East Asia launch
09-24-2003, 12:33 AM
#1
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hi guys...i hv been following ur discussions....this sat, the E60 will be brought to the KL Sepang F1 track. about 30 singaporeans will be flown up there by BMW to test drive. i am happy to be one of the few...will take some pics if possible n give a review on how the cars performs on a race track...cheers
09-27-2003, 04:07 PM
#3
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Posts: n/a
Hi, as i promised....this r my thots after testing at sepang. We were all using the 530i only and it was pouring...a perfect way to test the cars handling. All cars came with std seats n xenon....
Test was conducted into 4 parts...Dynamic Drive and Active Steering followed by laps round the race track and finally a 116km drive on public roads.
We were first split into group of 3s. Dynamic drive was conducted on a slalom course where we staggered laps round it starting from speeds of 40kmh to 75kmh. Lets just say that this car handles as good as a boxter with absolutely no body roll at all! the instructor in the lead car was in a 330i sedan. you cud see the 3s body rolling as he took it round. As we were in the 5th car we cud really compare his car with the rest of the 5s ahead of us. Ok...during this test each of us gets to go a few laps between those speeds i mentioned. It was simply amazing that the car behaved impecably...no slippages at all.....However all of us inside were thrown around like quite abit. The standard seats were simply not enuf to keep us comfortable and bolstered....conclusion...dynamic drive is a must but make sure u get the comfy seats....if u want to drive like mad men....
Next we went to anothe slalom course to try the Active steering...again we started at 40kmh n moved up to 60kmh...this invention is a gem...you will not know u hv active steering until u drive another car immediately after it. I was worried initially that the turning actions wud all be exagerrated...but no it feels very seamless. The only thing that bothered me was that i cud feel a humming along the steering column at extremely low speed turning as if the rotors were moving....I m not sure if this is active steering working or the rubbers grinding the tarmac as it was a very wet day.
The best part of that day was round the F1 track...We were encouraged to push the car beyond its limits...YES BEYOND.....this means...hit the breaks late...turn in sharp...clip the chicanes hit the throttle way too early etc...We pushed the car way way beyond....in situations that is not imaginable. Not once did the car spin off the track. The DSC just reined in the car everytime..without fail...brakes din fade over 12 laps....dynamic drive, active steering....boy all these were really made to work...n they all came out tops. We were told that the previous day, there were a few E-class around for journalist to compare...n 3 Es ended in the gravel. They were equipped with air suspension n with DSC...
Finally we wre led to public roads...where we cud drive the cars in real life situations...it was fairly scenic n boring....until we came across a convoy of trucks n cars.....As the adrenaline was still flowing I decided to take them all. No Problemo.....power came in good n fast as i nailed the throttle....even ran across some portholes...suspension was well set up....n car knew what it was required almost all the time. ALMOST.....because as we hit the high way...we decided to test the limiter.....stepped on the gas and wited for 250to come....we never got there...240 was where i maxed out....b4 a car came. as i lifted, the car hit a bump at 220 n floated a bit...it was quite a hair raising moment....but it managed to regain its composure after 2 bounce...where we cud feel the suspension bottoming out. whether it was electronic aids that saved us....i never knew...it was too fast....but put it this way...if i had done this in my current VW...i wud hv been dead.
MY THOTS....yes im definitely buying the 530i. no other car drives n handles like it....in its class. interior though leaves a bit of dissastifaction. the cupholders n plastics look cheap..the arm rest in front n behind especially. i-drive still baffles me....but then this was my 1st time meddling with one...i tried 2 cars with 17" n 18" rubber.....the 18" definitely feels better.
i hv pictures n clips of the car going round the track....pls email me at jlsp@bloomberg.net if u want.
Test was conducted into 4 parts...Dynamic Drive and Active Steering followed by laps round the race track and finally a 116km drive on public roads.
We were first split into group of 3s. Dynamic drive was conducted on a slalom course where we staggered laps round it starting from speeds of 40kmh to 75kmh. Lets just say that this car handles as good as a boxter with absolutely no body roll at all! the instructor in the lead car was in a 330i sedan. you cud see the 3s body rolling as he took it round. As we were in the 5th car we cud really compare his car with the rest of the 5s ahead of us. Ok...during this test each of us gets to go a few laps between those speeds i mentioned. It was simply amazing that the car behaved impecably...no slippages at all.....However all of us inside were thrown around like quite abit. The standard seats were simply not enuf to keep us comfortable and bolstered....conclusion...dynamic drive is a must but make sure u get the comfy seats....if u want to drive like mad men....
Next we went to anothe slalom course to try the Active steering...again we started at 40kmh n moved up to 60kmh...this invention is a gem...you will not know u hv active steering until u drive another car immediately after it. I was worried initially that the turning actions wud all be exagerrated...but no it feels very seamless. The only thing that bothered me was that i cud feel a humming along the steering column at extremely low speed turning as if the rotors were moving....I m not sure if this is active steering working or the rubbers grinding the tarmac as it was a very wet day.
The best part of that day was round the F1 track...We were encouraged to push the car beyond its limits...YES BEYOND.....this means...hit the breaks late...turn in sharp...clip the chicanes hit the throttle way too early etc...We pushed the car way way beyond....in situations that is not imaginable. Not once did the car spin off the track. The DSC just reined in the car everytime..without fail...brakes din fade over 12 laps....dynamic drive, active steering....boy all these were really made to work...n they all came out tops. We were told that the previous day, there were a few E-class around for journalist to compare...n 3 Es ended in the gravel. They were equipped with air suspension n with DSC...
Finally we wre led to public roads...where we cud drive the cars in real life situations...it was fairly scenic n boring....until we came across a convoy of trucks n cars.....As the adrenaline was still flowing I decided to take them all. No Problemo.....power came in good n fast as i nailed the throttle....even ran across some portholes...suspension was well set up....n car knew what it was required almost all the time. ALMOST.....because as we hit the high way...we decided to test the limiter.....stepped on the gas and wited for 250to come....we never got there...240 was where i maxed out....b4 a car came. as i lifted, the car hit a bump at 220 n floated a bit...it was quite a hair raising moment....but it managed to regain its composure after 2 bounce...where we cud feel the suspension bottoming out. whether it was electronic aids that saved us....i never knew...it was too fast....but put it this way...if i had done this in my current VW...i wud hv been dead.
MY THOTS....yes im definitely buying the 530i. no other car drives n handles like it....in its class. interior though leaves a bit of dissastifaction. the cupholders n plastics look cheap..the arm rest in front n behind especially. i-drive still baffles me....but then this was my 1st time meddling with one...i tried 2 cars with 17" n 18" rubber.....the 18" definitely feels better.
i hv pictures n clips of the car going round the track....pls email me at jlsp@bloomberg.net if u want.
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