How much fun on the street vs Porsche, Alfa...?

[DecadenceFTW]

Size of the 4 is a deal breaker. The back seat is even smaller than my ISF, which is already pretty small.

It's pretty small for me as well. But I only have kids that would be back there. Do you all have friends or something? Why the need for large back seats?

 

[Tall Steve]

It's pretty small for me as well. But I only have kids that would be back there. Do you all have friends or something? Why the need for large back seats?

No one has ever sit in the backseat of my 4 and probably never will, especially behind my seat...

 

[DecadenceFTW]

No one has ever sit in the backseat of my 4 and probably never will, especially behind my seat...

Yea, honestly the reason I am getting this car is because I love the look of a clean sports sedan. I don't really have the need for the seats at all.

 

[jwolf99]

I wish I could try this transmission out so I could so how it compares to the zf8 in the M models and Quadrifoglio.

My 2015 Maserati Quattroporte (which I traded in for my 5BW) had the the ZF8. I thought that the ZF was amazing, especially with the paddle shifters which I used almost exclusively to shift. (Though mainly because the exhaust note from 4k - 6k RPM was glorious in that car.) But when I got the BW, it made the ZF shifting seem sluggish. SOTP estimate, of course.

 

[shbox]

Damn, I just paid 6.49 a gallon this morning.

$3.79 for premium today at my Costco.

 

[SOP]

It's pretty small for me as well. But I only have kids that would be back there. Do you all have friends or something? Why the need for large back seats?

I'm the only "tall" one in my family. My wife and MIL is short, and I just have a small child. I can comfortably fit behind myself, which means it's absolutely perfect for my family.

 

[SOP]

$3.79 for premium today at my Costco.

I could write a damn story about how awesome Costco gas is, and I'm not just talking about the price. Had to do a deep dive since I wasn't going to pump crap gas into my cars.

 

[SIX 40]

Didn't the V3 have the ZF8? I always found it good but I know some had issues with a clunk in the RPM range. Also have the ZF8 on a twin-turbo V8 BMW and it's good. The BW A10 is simply better in all respects though - no question it's better than the ZF8 in my experience.

V3 had the GM designed/built 8L90 and it was not the best (to put it nicely).

 

[DecadenceFTW]

I could write a damn story about how awesome Costco gas is, and I'm not just talking about the price. Had to do a deep dive since I wasn't going to pump crap gas into my cars.

Very interesting. Didn't know that it was a good quality fuel. Will have to do some research now. Thanks!

 

[SOP]

Very interesting. Didn't know that it was a good quality fuel. Will have to do some research now. Thanks!

I'll give you the cliff notes:

1. They sell so much gas, there's a tanker every day or every other day. Freshest gas you can get. They mix the detergents on site to bring the fuel to Top Tier grade. This is one of the ways they can sell quality gas for cheap, they do it themselves.

2. They check the fuel storage for contamination at least once a week. Try getting that from the 1-man show at a lot of these name brand stations like Chevron. They've got 10 micron fuel filters. You'll be lucky if those other gas stations check once a month.

3. They keep their equipment and hoses in top shape. If something needs to be replaced, they do it. Costco doesn't skimp on quality, and they don't cheap out.

4. Pure credit card transactions for members only. Line might look long, but everyone gets through relatively quick. Perks of no lolly gagging and lack of convenience store means everyone is there purely for one thing: that sweet, cheap, quality gas.

5. Price. Costco has a company policy of 15% profit above costs max. I go through about 50 gallons a week between my work and personal vehicles. It's about 90 cents cheaper than Chevron near me. I basically get a free tank of gas every 5th fill up.

Wins all day at Costco

 

[rdollie]

Very interesting. Didn't know that it was a good quality fuel. Will have to do some research now. Thanks!

It's beyond good. Same Top Tier (marketing) standard as Chevron, Shell, etc PLUS additives above and beyond that standard. I've used for years in cars, boat, generator, etc. with zero issues (even use it on the track when I'm not running 100+ octane - which these days pretty much means Costco all the time.)

 

[rdollie]

V3 had the GM designed/built 8L90 and it was not the best (to put it nicely).

Ah, that's right. More than a few people had a clunk that caused headaches. I didn't experience in the first 30k miles or so and when I did it was rectified by a TSB. I never had a problem with the 8L90 but then again I spent a lot of time at WOT and was the sole driver so I never really had to worry about retraining the tranny.

 

[Beamz27]

Didn't the V3 have the ZF8? I always found it good but I know some had issues with a clunk in the RPM range. Also have the ZF8 on a twin-turbo V8 BMW and it's good. The BW A10 is simply better in all respects though - no question it's better than the ZF8 in my experience.

No. GM doesn’t used those transmissions. They had the GM shit 8 speed.

 

[dribs15]

"I can comfortably fit behind myself"

... is going to be my new response for when people ask me 'if my head is shoved up my ass?'

 

[SOP]

... is going to be my new response for when people ask me 'if my head is shoved up my ass?'

May I ask why you get asked that so often you need to have a prepped response.....?

 

[dribs15]

May I ask why you get asked that so often you need to have a prepped response.....?

I'm very flexible?

 

[MatthewAMEL]

The Ford/GM A10 is widely regarded as the best conventional (torque converter) automatic available.

It actually upshifts faster than the Porsche PDK. I've driven a ZLE A10 at Sebring and was tremendously impressed.

If the BW5 wasn't a 'long term' car for me, I would have gotten it with the A10 and all the QOL goodies that come with it.

If it has one downside, it's that it does get hot when run at the limit. Not 'limp mode' hot, but the shifts get...squishier.

 

[white98ls]

Granted I don't have my 5 BW yet, but here's my personal take: If you have a 2nd "fun / sports car", it changes the equation.

For about 10yrs now I've had a sports car (Honda S2000 >> now Lotus Elise) for true twisty road driving, paired with a V8, manual sports sedan (E39 M5 >> E90 M3 >> soon 5 BW... I have a Civic Type R to tie me over in the meantime).

For the sports car, I aim for something that's quick enough to be entertaining but not so much that you'll lose your license flooring it for more than 3 seconds. These can be light, agile, and no-compromise since you're not looking for luxury, refinement, long-distance comfort, practicality, etc. Clearly I went "all the way" with the Lotus as it's very much a pared-down, Point-A to Point-A type of car, and does that exceedingly well.

That leaves the daily you'll be using for probably 90% of your driving, if you're like me. By nature, you'll probably want this to be at least fairly comfortable, spacious, etc., which usually means "size and weight" and less of a razor edge. You probably won't be caning this on backroads as much, because that's what the sports car is for.

So how do you make daily driving a bigger, heavier, more compromised car as fun as possible? In my book it's noise, immediate and plentiful torque, a good manual trans, enjoyable driving dynamics, and certain creature comforts. The 5 BW fits that bill better than the 4 BW IMO and maybe better than any other car (also I have a kid so the back seat and trunk of the 4 seem rather cramped).

I believe that the 4 is more fun than the 5 for true twisty roads driving, but I have the Lotus for that. If I was only able to have one car, the 4 might be a better solution (and also cheaper!).

 

[billy]

I appreciate agree your thoughts and they apply. I drive the Macan GTS and, when my knee allows , the manual Cayman 4.0 GTS. Basically will sell the PTS Cayman when I no longer want a manual. Being retired I probably drive a total of 15-17k miles per year. and with the knee fewer are on the manual than before.

This car would be an interim automatic transmission toy, in sedan configuration, to play with to replace the 911 that sank. Rather than do another Porsche, I decided if I have to wait 14 months for a car I preferred to try something new and am waiting for a Lotus Emira. (I didn't buy a Lotus before because Charlotte didn't have a dealership but does now) Maybe in auto form it will replace the Cayman. But you know how it is when you are late to the reservation list and at 62 I do not wish to wait 18 months without a auto transmission toy.

So admittedly I do not "need" a car. My wife and adult daughter would ride in the V5 but not the 4, neither really like the Cayman. I love American muscle cars but have never owned one so I think V5 would be adding a different experience but I did not want to waste the $ if it wouldn't be enough fun on the street.

 

[Blackwing61]

I appreciate agree your thoughts and they apply. I drive the Macan GTS and, when my knee allows , the manual Cayman 4.0 GTS. Basically will sell the PTS Cayman when I no longer want a manual. Being retired I probably drive a total of 15-17k miles per year. and with the knee fewer are on the manual than before.

This car would be an interim automatic transmission toy, in sedan configuration, to play with to replace the 911 that sank. Rather than do another Porsche, I decided if I have to wait 14 months for a car I preferred to try something new and am waiting for a Lotus Emira. (I didn't buy a Lotus before because Charlotte didn't have a dealership but does now) Maybe in auto form it will replace the Cayman. But you know how it is when you are late to the reservation list and at 62 I do not wish to wait 18 months without a auto transmission toy.

So admittedly I do not "need" a car. My wife and adult daughter would ride in the V5 but not the 4, neither really like the Cayman. I love American muscle cars but have never owned one so I think V5 would be adding a different experience but I did not want to waste the $ if it wouldn't be enough fun on the street.

The 5 BW is very fun on the street. Once you get to know the car it’s fun to scare the out of your passengers. The car will keep you in-line but the added effect of the seatbelts tightening at the same time really add to the “oh shit” factor. However, IMO, it takes a while to get to know the car. You can do some serious damage depending on the mode you’re in. This is what Spring Mountain is for.

I always make sure my passengers who want to go for a ride have a diaper on.

So, that’s MY fun on the street.