German Car Zone

Old school Bimmer meets future CS style. She is going to be....... GORGEOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ nalyd


Newest BMW models (incl F01) are engineered with run-flats in mind. Older models (incl E60) were not. Meaning: suspension is now much better paired with run-flats & can be easier calibrated. Why? New double wishbone front suspension, Dynamic Drive ver. 2.0 (active suspension), better suspension sound isolation, etc.

But ... I doubt F01 will de-throne S-class in comfort department. F02 has much better chances. F01 is more sporty oriented though.

What was the biggest disappointment for BMW regarding E65 wasn't the criticism of its sytling & iDrive, but the complaints E65 is bloaty & unsporty - not agile enough, not real driver's car: all what BMW should have been about! It was especially hard when it proved A8 & later Quatroporte were much agiler than E65. That was a shock.

So, this time 7er (F01) is much sportier, more agiler, not heavier, lower point of gravity, more focused. While F02 will be more comfort oriented though.

Thanks for the reply Eni.

I get where you are going, but I am not so sure that a F02 shod with run-flats will be able to compete with a non run-flat car with regards to ride comfort unless with some highly engineered Michelin PAX run-flats (which will surely cost an arm and a leg to replace, which a F02 customer should be able to bear).

I know that the E60 and E63 were retrokitted with run-flats, but the 1-Series and 3-Series were not. Now the 3 has not been castigated for being that harsh, but every article I read that reports on a 3-Series with the M-Sport kit detailes that it has a poor ride (mainly attributable to the run-flats). And this is a car that was designed with the run-flats in mind.

Anyway, I am not arguing, I am merely opening the issue for debate. I am aware of the techno-barrage that will come as standard fit that will enhance the overall agility of the F01, but when it comes to ride comfort, for me at least, it will be a key issue on how the F01 will fare against the S-Class.

If it comes standard with run-flats, then it could be at a slight disadvantage - no matter how brilliant the engineering.

Just realised that I may have missed my question - So you are saying that the F01 and F02 will come standard with run-flat tyres? Are you certain?

FINALLY someone else who has noticed this!

I've noticed many car manufacturers who have employed this design trend.

I would've liked a flatter grille, but I suspect that's going to be for the 8er/CS production model.

Even RR Phantom rides on run-flats, and nobody complains about harsh / uncomfortable ride. Run-flats are here to stay.

Thanks again Eni - you will see that I have actually mentioned the RR Runflats. They are specially engineered Michelin PAX's, which are actually structurally different to the normal BMW run-flats (especially from a cost perspective).

Here is a description that I got from Edmunds.com:

Michelin's PAX, a patented auxiliary support run-flat system, is a relative newcomer. PAX sidewalls, while still stiffer than normal tires, are not as rigid as Self Supporting Tyres. Instead Michelin designed a unique wheel that positions a semi-rigid "support ring" inside the tire to hold the car up when the air goes bye-bye. A non-standard bead design is necessary where wheel and tire meet.

My original question was whether or not the F01/F02/F10/F13 will use the new 4th generation runflats together with the new BMW front strut suspension (ala X5/6) or whether they will use a similar tyre to the Michelin PAX (although replacement cost and availability could become a barrier).

^

I guess different models will get different types of tires ... eg. 735d won't feature same tires as 760iL.

As I said: F01 vs F02 - BMW is focusing on different characters: sportiness (F01 more sporty) vs comfort (F02 more comfortable). And that will influence components like suspension, brakes, tires, etc.

Special PAX: Phantom line is using them, Silver Ghost line will use them ... so I can't see no barriers why (at least high-end models of) 7er, 8er & even F5 won't use them as well.

And I will change to normal tires when my runflats our worn out. Normal tires are also cheaper than runflats so why the heck should I pay extra for runflats when in fact its not better than normal tires.

Runtires are developed by the devil.

i agree runfalts are not worth it if you have to replace tyres