Interview with Gerhard Richter, VP M Division

[T Bone]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do....photopanel..2.*

great read.....excellent insight into their thinking. Confident.

Hey DRM, note the comments about the 911, you may not like it.

Hey Cazorp, also note the jab at the R8 and Audi.

I am surprised at the none commital on the Z10, am I saving up money in vain?

[Cerberos]

Good article, thanks!

[Wayward]

It does make one wonder as to the likelihood of a turbocharged M5/M6 engine. (Yuk, IMHO).

While it makes sense from the mfgr. perspective in terms of improved fuel economy/performance benefits and balance, I for one hope that they stay with NA engines. in today's atmosphere (think 'green'), however, it would seem that the odds are quite high against this. That's to say that future M engines will be turboed. Sad.

[T Bone]

Originally Posted by Wayward

It does make one wonder as to the likelihood of a turbocharged M5/M6 engine. (Yuk, IMHO).

While it makes sense from the mfgr. perspective in terms of improved fuel economy/performance benefits and balance, I for one hope that they stay with NA engines. in today's atmosphere (think 'green'), however, it would seem that the odds are quite high against this. That's to say that future M engines will be turboed. Sad.

Hello Wayward, peace brother....

I think for the F10 M5 and F12 M6, I have heard they are doing a derivative of the current V10 but somehow improving economy and reducing weight.

Richter was very adamant about high revving engines which is not a characteristic of turbo engines. Richter left the door open for turbos (and diesels for that matter) if adopted by F1. So if the regulations for F1 cars allow for turbo engines in 2010-2012, then we might see a turbo M car in the generation after F10 / F12?

All guess but it is good to see how the head M guy thinks.

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by T Bone

Hello Wayward, peace brother....

I think for the F10 M5 and F12 M6, I have heard they are doing a derivative of the current V10 but somehow improving economy and reducing weight.

Richter was very adamant about high revving engines which is not a characteristic of turbo engines. Richter left the door open for turbos (and diesels for that matter) if adopted by F1. So if the regulations for F1 cars allow for turbo engines in 2010-2012, then we might see a turbo M car in the generation after F10 / F12?

All guess but it is good to see how the head M guy thinks.

Hey TB, no worries.

I must tell you that we had a death in the family last week, very sad -- and I do need to overcome my anger and anxiety in said circumstance. I am sorry for my over-the-top reactionary viewpoints, I really do need to moderate my emotions (ironically, I do that fairly well on a steady-state basis).

In any event, as you mention, yes, I too hope that, with regard to the F10/12, cooler heads at BMW prevail. No turbos, please!

[T Bone]

Originally Posted by Wayward

Hey TB, no worries.

I must tell you that we had a death in the family last week, very sad -- and I do need to overcome my anger and anxiety in said circumstance. I am sorry for my over-the-top reactionary viewpoints, I really do need to moderate my emotions (ironically, I do that fairly well on a steady-state basis).

Hey man, no worries, we all have bad weeks / months. I am sorry for your loss.

I honestly thought you got mad about my Village People / YMCA posts

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by T Bone

Hey man, no worries, we all have bad weeks / months. I am sorry for your loss.

I honestly thought you got mad about my Village People / YMCA posts

Thank you, and as to the VP/YMCA posts, lol, thankfully, I missed those!

(Kind of like Bill Cosby's old routine re: his wife -- "I've always heard of people having a conniption, but I'd never seen one...trust me, you don't wanna see 'em").

[Gustav]

Good interview! I liked this:

AMG has recently started to offer a limited run of tuned cars called Black Series. Can we expect a similar range from BMW?
This is not our philosophy. The Black Series is a way of trying to change the character of the cars, but we wouldn't do this because we have a clear idea of what our cars need to be. We have a personalization program — Individual — which caters to owners with special tastes, but these changes would never affect the driving characteristics of an M car.

[PitziM5]

this bit had me in stitches:
What do you see as the key rivals for the M cars?
The characters of our rivals' cars are so different that customers can find the right car for them. The Porsche is a Porsche — very successful and fun to drive. And when people think of Porsche they think of the 911 — a modern-day Beetle.

(laughs)

Audi Quattro Gmbh uses front- or four-wheel drive, and so the handling is quite different. It's a good solution if you live in the mountains. Mercedes AMG uses a relatively low-revving big-block engine and an automatic gearbox. Every car is different.

[Carbon Black]

entire article here http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=121767. talks about the new M3 a M3 CLS and the M division

How do you decide which engine to develop for each car?
We're looking for the best performance for the type of car. For the M5 and M6 we use a V10, and for the M3 we use a V8. If you only develop one engine for all your cars, then you cannot have the perfect car. If the engine in the smaller car is too big, you will not have the right harmony.

[Barry Lausch]

I think the approach is great, don't add more HP, eliminate weight..........more agile and quicker response. HP is easy, weight elimination is expensive, what will the market pay for. Bring it on!

[T Bone]

Originally Posted by Barry Lausch

I think the approach is great, don't add more HP, eliminate weight..........more agile and quicker response. HP is easy, weight elimination is expensive, what will the market pay for. Bring it on!

Somebody should tell Audi before they build their 5000 pound 580 hp RS6