Quote:
Originally Posted by Hegge
Any driving impressions yet of the CS? Even a few sentences? For some reason, the driving impressions of this car are a mystery.
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Hello all. So far I've managed to put 750 km on my car (470 miles) without going over the 4,500 RPM break-in limit as well as the 170 km/hr one (106 miles/hr). I want to make you all aware that even though my impressions are mostly positive, any CS version of an M car will feel like a formula one when driven under these conditions. I also want to point out that the current tires on this car are Pilot Super Sports and not the Cup2s.
I would like to begin with the aspect that has so far surprised me the most; the brakes. I must add that this car is not my first current BMW with carbon ceramic brakes (CCB) so regardless of the fact that this is something I should be familiar with, the feel of the pedal is so strong and responsive that it really caught my attention. Some issues with noisy CCBs have arisen on these forums however so far not a single squeek nor scrape sound has been heard by me. These things feel super strong and project the confidence needed once the car is taken to its limits. Two thumbs up here.
Next is the chassis feel. Even though the car has not yet paid a visit to the track, it has been on a twisty Mexican highway on an early Sunday morning which for the purpose of testing a thoroughbred machine, serves purposefully (all risks tossed aside). Allow me to explain. Anarchy -
a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority - and ghostly -
insubstantial. Speed limits are existent but faintly enforced and traffic as well as competent law enforcement are nowhere to be found. Coming back to topic, the strongest the chassis feels is mid corner. Even though the car turns in as sharp as a Hattori Hanzo sword, it feels as competent when asked to hold a tight line mid corner as my magic bullet blender making my morning smoothie; you just know you can trust the thing even when attempting against common sense.
The adjustable suspension is a very welcome addition to the CS version specially when driving on uneven and bumpy (local) roads. The comfort setting is stiff enough to maintain at reasonable speeds on a twisty road yet soft enough on the bump stage of the damper to allow for the suspension geometry to remain tight throughout the car's life. The sport+ setting feels determined and sharpens the car's instincts turning it into a racy craft while conveying confidence to the driver. Looks-wise, the ride height of the car does seem a bit up there. I am unsure whether I am inclined to perceive it as such because of its 1M stablemate resting on KW coilovers. Anyhow, so far I haven't noticed any issues performance wise regarding this aspect.
Even though the engine hasn't really been challenged, it does feel torqy and strong at low RPM levels. There is no lag in response when going to the accelerator at basic settings with the reaction time pretty much disappearing as you move up the engine's performance setting adjustments.
There are two things I haven't found up to the car's expectations; the engine sound, at least not at low RPM levels and the ergonomics of the shift knob height wise. There definitely is room for improvement in these areas. I will have to wait until I can kick the engine's ass for any conclusions to be reached in this regard however so far, the sound does not match the thoroughbred characteristics the car implies. On the other hand, there is something awkward about not having a center console and the shift knob height. I can't precisely put my thoughts on it but something just doesn't feel perfect. Notice the fact that I am referring to perfection here.
As far as the interior goes, the seats are in a class apart from the basic M2's. I am unsure which seats the competition version has but these saddles are something worth mentioning, looks and functionality wise.
I had promised some additional (and more professional) pics taken by my better half. Until this last Sunday, I hadn't found any reasons through which I could persuade her to take and edit them. It was just a matter of putting the kids to sleep early enough on Saturday so that they would be up to mischief and devilry Sunday first thing. I was planning on getting up early to watch the F1 race anyway so I took care of two things all at once while my gorgeous photographer went back to sleep soundly. Will be posting them tomorrow morning at the latest.
I will keep you updated as I rack up mileage on this beast. So far, the basic ingredients are all there in order for this car to be high up the list of top Bavarian performers, in every single aspect of the word.
Keep safe!
P.S. People have been asking whether the engine compartment could get wet given the air duct opening on the hood. I can at this time confirm no such thing happens. I have driven the car through a mighty storm and on arrival opened the hood only to find it absolutely dry. Besides. The opening on the interior of the hood is offset by a good margin to the opening on the exterior.