[Nahlem]

Hmm this sounds good, The I3 needs improved traction ASAP.

Was driving around with my fathers I3 he has one of those first models that came out, and this car got some serious torque when it comes down to flooring it, but the grip is just awful obviously its not a sports car in that terms but it is a very quick car none the less when it comes to acceleration, but right now during winter times here in Sweden it just dons't have any grip at all, you really have to be careful when driving away or it will spin you out even though it has DSTC on and such stuff.

So this sounds like good news for those who are planning och buying an I3 later on for a commuter car.

[stylinexpat]

This is actually great for countries/cities that see a lot of rain and snow where cars struggle for traction.

[ron_jeremy]

Better and newer tech is always welcome. Why this is seen as negative is beyond me...

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Actually... not new... unless you are driving an E30, E28, or E24 or previous... but a 50% better nanny...

now if the electronic steering algorithm will only get 50% better... we might get our whole Bimmer back!

If you play country music backwards you will not only get your whole Bimmer back, but you will also get your Wife back, House back, Job back, Dog back, Horse back, and everything else you have lost over time!

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Railgun

For the most part, what Chris said. For a high number of calculations at a fixed message length, latency is going to be a huge part of how many can occur within a given time frame. But we don't know other details like what else has changed. Using a dedicated standalone unit will surely improve response time if it's not interfacing/waiting for other devices to calculate.

Having a dedicated ECU for the TC is smart. Maybe they can tie in the xDrive system as well for faster response times from that too. Opens up possibilities.

[hotrod182]

Seemed to go through the wet water pad pretty composed!

[wknddrivr]

And yet it’s still not as quick or effective as LSD

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by hotrod182

Seemed to go through the wet water pad pretty composed!

Hilarious and fun video of the two of them Autocrossing in the I3s.
Timo Glock did an amazing job in the slalom.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by ssquared

And yet it’s still not as quick or effective as LSD

How do you know?

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by Mo@BMWofFairfax

How do you know?

He doesn't know or have a clue as to what he is talking about.

[Roch M4]

There is a lot of confusion between Traction and Grip. Having a four wheel drive doesn't mean that you will have more grip, more traction yes...at the end all car have 4 little grip surface between the rubber and the road...so tire's quality, road surface and center of gravity are the only factors are really influence the grip...and if you have more grip you have more traction...the reverse is not true.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by ORIGIN M.

He doesn't know or have a clue as to what he is talking about.

That's what I thought.

[wknddrivr]

Originally Posted by ORIGIN M.

He doesn't know or have a clue as to what he is talking about.

Speak for yourself.

In a vehicle with an open differential (i.e. any bmw that isn't a proper M), the wheel with the least traction will get majority of the torque. If you have one wheel on ice and the other on pavement, the wheel on ice will be the path of least resistance and will be the only wheel that will get power. The car will not move forward because the wheel with traction has no power.

Traction control works by applying the brake to the wheel which has the least traction in order to re-direct power to the wheel that has more. It is slower to react than a limited slip differential, and eats the rear brakes.

A limited slip differential limits the amount of slip a single wheel can experience ensuring that the wheel with traction has at least some grip. That's why having an LSD to react instantaneously coupled with traction control to fine tune the ratio is the best solution.

You know, kind of like how the M cars work.

[F32Fleet]

Cost savings measure. Nothing more nothing less.

[ORIGIN M.]

This programable technology is beyond the common LSD or a M-LSD.

It's extremely fast acting and can be enhanced to act like a performance differential.

Originally Posted by ssquared

...In a vehicle with an open differential (i.e. any bmw that isn't a proper M), the wheel with the least traction will get majority of the torque. If you have one wheel on ice and the other on pavement, the wheel on ice will be the path of least resistance and will be the only wheel that will get power. The car will not move forward because the wheel with traction has no power.

Traction control works by applying the brake to the wheel which has the least traction in order to re-direct power to the wheel that has more.

A limited slip differential limits the amount of slip a single wheel can experience ensuring that the wheel with traction has at least some grip although the ratio is usually fixed. That's why having an LSD to react instantaneously coupled with traction control to fine tune the ratio is the best solution. You know, kind of like how the M cars work.

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by ssquared

And yet it’s still not as quick or effective as LSD

It's not meant to be an LSD....

[godzilla-1]

What my friend is trying to say is that it is a simple case of the more grip you have the less traction "control" you need.
My R34gtr v-spec has electronic centre diff and electronic rear diff and no "traction control"
By moving the power to the right place in the drivetrain at all times using information from steering angle, yaw rate, and g-force sensors it makes split second calculations and the end product is a shit load of grip and virtually no slip in virtually all weather.

Note: i am not suggesting that performance bmws should be 4wd. I am simply saying that grip is everything.

[MilehighM3]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

Great, another nanny

No it's a nanny that pays way more attention to what you're doing.

[MilehighM3]

Originally Posted by ssquared

And yet it’s still not as quick or effective as LSD

It's faster actually. It can calculate when the slippage is going to happen and prevent it from doing so.

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by MilehighM3

No it's a nanny that pays way more attention to what you're doing.

It might actually be beneficial to some; especially for folks in the north that tend to get lots of snow. I damn near got stuck in my driveway yesterday with the OEM runcraps and XDrive so anything extra could've helped haha

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

Great, another nanny

Says somebody with x drive.

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Says somebody with x drive.

Haha haven't heard that one before I'm allowed to like one nanny but not another... especially the sexy ones Had RWD, been there done that and in the NE, I prefer to play with xDrive