Really interested in 2008 M Roadster, but...

[Jacques79]

Originally Posted by peakpro

In my neck of the woods (NJ) Z4M prices have fallen like a rock. Boxster S prices have fallen but not nearly as much.


I don't believe they are close to the same price point.

Same here in Montreal.

A Boxster S is much more expensive than an M Roadster.

I wish they were priced closer since they offer the same kind of performance-fun to drive.

[ekam]

There's a reason why corvette is cheap and fast.

[Jacques79]

Originally Posted by ekam

There's a reason why corvette is cheap and fast.

Bleah the M Roadster-Coupe are great cars.

One of the best engines ever built for a road car. Out of a 3.2 they manage to get amazing throttle response, great low end torque and a ridiculous rush of high reving frenzy all the way to 8000RPMs.

They are also nimble cars and with a short wheelbase it's a different drive than a Corvette.

My only complaint is towards the feel of the shifter-steering-clutch-brake pedal. It's a notch below the Boxster S.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

Bleah the M Roadster-Coupe are great cars.

One of the best engines ever built for a road car. Out of a 3.2 they manage to get amazing throttle response, great low end torque and a ridiculous rush of high reving frenzy all the way to 8000RPMs.

They are also nimble cars and with a short wheelbase it's a different drive than a Corvette.

My only complaint is towards the feel of the shifter-steering-clutch-brake pedal. It's a notch below the Boxster S.

I've driven a couple of M3s and a couple of other 3 series cars. BMW uses very light flywheels and the engines are fun to rev as a result. If you put a lighter flywheel on any other engine, you could get the same sensation of throttle response and rev-ability.

[Jacques79]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

I've driven a couple of M3s and a couple of other 3 series cars. BMW uses very light flywheels and the engines are fun to rev as a result. If you put a lighter flywheel on any other engine, you could get the same sensation of throttle response and rev-ability.

I think the Individual Throttle Bodies on the S54 M engine have a bigger role in the throttle response than a light flywheel.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Jacques79

I think the Individual Throttle Bodies on the S54 M engine have a bigger role in the throttle response than a light flywheel.

I agree that there may be some effect but you have to take what the dealer totes with a grain of salt. They will tend to market features with high tech appeal and the things that are different from competitors over those that don't sound as cool, hence the reason they like to talk about the individual butterflies. The benefit of the individual throttle bodies is to bring the air metering closer to the combustion chambers but at the same time they significantly increase the pressure drop of the intake system as compared to an individual unit. Which negatively effects torque. They can't effect how fast the engine will rev, just how long it takes for the revs to respond to your inputs. And the difference between butterflies in the ports vs one just ahead of a plenum is subtle.

But it's absolutely the flywheel that has the effect on the engines willingness to rev and I suspect has the larger influence on throttle response. Put a heavier flywheel on a bimmer and both response and rev acceleration will be diminished. Put a lighter flywheel on anything and these things will improve.

Notice how much easier it is to kill a bimmer from a standing start, especially on a hill?

Too many BMW's on the road. Too common. I saw this one today on the way into the office: