German Car Zone

I 'm pretty sure they told me that it's 12 but i 'm not sure if it was cm or inches lol.

One thing is for sure. A5 and next A4 won't have 50:50 weight distribution cause only RWD cars can reach that percentage. For Audis with quattro it will be something around 54:46 which is still a huge improvement over the current 57:43 or 58:42 most models have.

What about FWD models? 62:38?



PS: 54:46 is still great for AWD. Eg. 3er with xDrive ratio is 52.9 : 47.1 (auto) and 52.6 : 47.4 (manual).

Ouch!

Who needs 50:50 anyway? A8 didn't need it to beat 7 series in handling and TT didn't need it to beat Z4. The two icons of Japanese engineering which can trash a BMW M5 in a track (Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX) both have 60:40 weight distribution. Even Lexus who has 50:50 is the laughing stock of the automotive industry when it comes to handling.

So 50:50 might be good for marketing reasons but it means nothing in the real world.

^preach brother preach

Perhaps. Today perfectly set stability control & other active chassis management systems (incl. active suspension) can lead to perfect handling even without 50:50 weight distribution.

Same can be said for AWD: for slippery conditions ESP / DSC is more than enough. AWD is only necessary for off-roading or deep snow.

Today all the electronics & other tech can almost completely override the old "mechanical" advantages.

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A8 beat 7er due many other reasons, not weight distribution. Don't you think having less total weight & lower centre of gravity (due ASF) - paired with AWD - are the real reasons for A8's better handling?

Z4 Coupe vs TT: have said that many times, and will say again: Z4 intention is to be a raw car for aficionados, with its notorious nervous handling. A fun car for driving fun. It was planned to be such. For more daily car BMW will offer E82 1er/2er coupe.

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Also handling depends on many factors like eg. steering, traction, suspension settings, torsional body stiffness, type of tires, total weight, center of gravity, wheelbase length - and not only on weight distribution.

I seen tests were Z4 been faster than TT around a track. It also depends on the layout on the track. Some cars are doing better on one track but worse on another track. Just becuase car A is faster than car B on one certain track, doesnt mean car A will beat car B on every other track in the world.

^^ Good post Eni. I agree with you 100% What I will say is, even though all the electronics can do better than mechanical parts....it doesn't hurt to have the mechanical capability still there because what if your electronic system goes kaboom?

dont forget that all these electronical helpsystems sometimes do more harm than good. The driving experience/feeling can be affected.

Also , we are focusing too much on laptimes, everyone seem to forget about driver enjoyment/fun, driver feelings and driving involvement. Laptimes doesnt tell the whole truth.

Nice test: