Re: Airbox Info

["Bill Hussey" <list_squid@hotmail.com>]

>From: "Nathan" <etherwolf@sopris.net>
>Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 09:40:17 -0600
>
>Finally got your Bimmer I see :-)
>
>Just how unreal is it?
>
># Nathan

Hehe ... let's just say you get a lot for your money.  Everyone that has 
been inside of it and asked me how much it cost doesn't believe me that it 
was only $31.4K

I had some initial problems with turning the DSC off.  DSC is BMW's Dynamic 
Stability Control.  In the past, you simply hit a button on the dash, a 
light would come on notifying you that DSC was off (and traction control), 
and the fun began there.  Aparently for 2001, all BMWs have been modified so 
as that you can turn off DSC, but leave traction control still on.  So the 
first time I had the car out in the rain, I wanted to play with throttle 
controlled oversteer, I hit the button to turn DSC off, but didn't realize 
that I had to hold the button down for 3 seconds in order to turn off 
traction control as well.  A good rally style whip of the wheel would allow 
me to get the car sideways (it moderately understeers from the factory, but 
a good stab at the throttle or some heavy steering wheel action fixes this 
without commotion =), but applying moderate throttle (still in break-in at 
the time) would do nothing at all, it felt as though traction control was 
kicking it by either retarding timing or applying some rear brake, either 
way, I wasn't a happy camper.

Called the dealer the next day, he had no idea why it wouldn't work, so then 
I asked the E46 list and they explained the 3 second rule to me and that it 
was in my manual the entire time (doht!).  With the DSC and TC (traction 
control) turned off, the car is an absolute blast to slide sideways, I've 
been doing it everytime it's rained =)  Anyway, I took it up to Maine and 
New Hampshire the first weekend.  I'll say this:

A) The only other car I've driven that has such a phenomenal suspension 
compromise between sport driving and road compliance was a 1999 Porche 
Boxster.  Sitting in the 325, running over bad pavement, it soaks up bumps 
so well you'd swear you were in a Lincoln, but then throw it full tilt into 
anything and the lack of body roll / level of grip / handling manners are so 
much fun this car should be the 8th deadly sin.

B) I broke the 1000 mile mark somewhere in New Hampshire (I was up there for 
the Superbike races up at Loudon) and had two of my motorcycling friends in 
front of me.  With all four windows and the moonroof open, without any 
trouble, I saw a little past 135 on the speedo on a decent straightaway 
passing one friend on an '86 VF500F with ease and chasing down the other 
guy.  The car still had more, but I had to take one hand off the wheel to 
grab my hat which was flying off my head.  Who'd have expected this much 
power (184HP my ass, more like high 190s low 200s) and torque (variable 
valve timing on intake and exhaust valves make for great midrange) out of a 
2.5L inline 6??

C) I have one problem with the car.  BMW had received some complaints from 
their more luxury oriented owners that the steering was too heavy.  So 
sometime last year, they refitted the steering on most of their cars with 
more powerful steering booster which got rid of almost all of the steering 
feedback.  The one really good thing I can say about the Jetta from a true 
enthusiast standpoint is that it had great steering feel, and when I got 
into the 325 I was disappointed.  After two weeks and a little over 1500 
miles, I can say that I've gotten used to it and that the rest of the car 
provides so much feedback, I don't really need it.  It helps that it's rear 
wheel drive as it is anyway cause I spent a lot more of my concentration on 
finding the limits of adhesion with the rear-end, whereas with the Jetta 
being FWD, front-end feedback was doubley important.  BMW immediately 
received concerns from the more sport-oriented owners when the new steering 
pieces were put on, and BMW is currently offering a retrofit to the old 
components which I am on the list for.  Who knows, I'll be ordering up the 
suspension bits from the M3 soon enough, I might just order up the power 
steering pump as well.

Bill
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