Quote:
Originally Posted by m4282
If this is truly the case and we can expect a new m3/4 in 2020 or 2021 based on historical timelines, this might be the last gen M that will have only a gas engine, we may see electric / gas combos (i.e more weight - albeit more power) ...... the m3/4 may really become at that point a very fast solid highway cruiser but I can't see it going to a track if it will be closed to 4000lbs.
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There are plenty of heavy cars doing well on track, prime example being the Nissan GTR. Funny thing is, people are discovering that light and fast is more enjoyable than heavy and fast, and I see less and less of these at track days.
It is not the weight that will be the main issue for track enjoyment, it is that if you drive full on you deplete the small battery pack in a hybrid, there isn't enough recovery from the regenerative effect to keep it topped up.
And so you would need to plug in between sessions, but does it recharge all the way in 1.5-2h? I'd say not likely, meaning you will get less and less performance as the day goes by, ultimately driving on gasoline only and lugging the heavy battery around for absolutely no gain.
See the tests that they do on track, like the Lightning Lap while better than nothing still don't tell the whole story. Driving 2-5 laps is very different from 4-5 30 min sessions per day. That's where hybrids will suck.
The i8 I saw last weekend left after 2 or 3 sessions. I guess driving around with a 3 cyl engine and a dead battery was no fun at all.