[phil200tdi]

Originally Posted by ss134

cars suspension, chassis set up, tyres etc are just as important as how many wheels are being driven on the car.

In the last series of Top Gear when they compared the RS5 and M3 on a wet track the M3 was the faster car - despite the RS5 having quattro, a host of 4WD trickery and more power - this should be impossible according to your theory.

I dont remember claiming that all AWD cars are faster than any RWD cars in the wet. Of course the suspension, tyres, chassis setup, downforce and weight will have as much of a bearing on grip as the driven wheels... I own a landrover and it cant corner for toffee!

An M3 is faster round a track than my 335i due to its suspension, chassis etc but most importantly its limited slip differential. Allowing power to be transfered to the most appropriate wheel to generate maximum "mechanical grip". A clever AWD system will do the same front to rear and side to side to ensure maximum overall grip is maintained. It even brakes individual wheels to maintain this.

All I'm saying is that Mechanical grip is a component of overall grip. All things being equal with suspension, chassis, weight and tyres etc an AWD will have more overall grip and hence corner faster.

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by ss134

They put it down as a 'moist lap' i believe (love the word moist!)

Moist it certainly was

http://************/c2hlpgh

[kaishang]

How fast do you all actually go around bends, wet or dry?

I think I've hardly ever come close to the limits of the car for these reasons:

- I drive so I can stop on my side of the road in the distance I can see to be clear: this usually is much more limiting criteria than car grip

- My passengers start to complain

- I lose my bottle

[BMW-Power]

Originally Posted by kaishang

How fast do you all actually go around bends, wet or dry?

I think I've hardly ever come close to the limits of the car for these reasons:

- I drive so I can stop on my side of the road in the distance I can see to be clear: this usually is much more limiting criteria than car grip

- My passengers start to complain

- I lose my bottle

I agree, I don't drive fast enough to reach the limits of grip or the cornering speeds the car can truly achieve, however my new E92 feels much more stable and planted in the wet than the E90.

[ss134]

Originally Posted by BMW-Power

I agree, I don't drive fast enough to reach the limits of grip or the cornering speeds the car can truly achieve, however my new E92 feels much more stable and planted in the wet than the E90.

Thats interesting - were they both running the same tyres, wheels, suspension etc?

[Statler]

Originally Posted by Jules59

Mush better since Ive dumped the OEM RFTs. Now have Vreds Ultrac Sessantas - far less skittish. But If you pull out sharply to overtake and boot it in the wet, you can feel the back end pushing round. Doing the same with the OEM tyres caused the TC lights to go mad. And Im not remapped.

Just experiencing this with my new Ultracs too. They're sooo much better than the Bridgestone runflats. In the wet this week they've been fantastic despite having only 200 miles on them....

The 320d is IMHO a perfect balance between low end torque and balance and I would occasionally push to the limit on the B roads going home. It's a hoot!

S

[BMW-Power]

Originally Posted by ss134

[/b]
Thats interesting - were they both running the same tyres, wheels, suspension etc?

Yes completely standard, I feel safer when pushing hard in the wet in the E92.

[IanS100]

People still need to learn their limits though. A couple of years ago I saw a woman spin an e91 when turning right at a junction, she clearly gave it too much gas & lost the backend in the wet and did a 180 coming to rest against a bollard. Had she been driving a FWD she would probably have just lost the front & gone straight on till she eased off, I think a good FWD car can be a more friendly beast in the wet, particularly if you have a heavy right foot, but will never give the driving pleasure that RWD can!

[BIFCAIDS]

Feels great but I know if I bury my foot the backs gonna step out LOL