Tag Archives: criticism

Motorsport

Watch The BMW M2 Dance Around the Nürburgring in 7:38

When the G87-era BMW M2 debuted back in 2022, it obtained a good bit of criticism for its styling. Nobody complained concerning the efficiency, with various people proclaiming it one of the best M automobile presently accessible from the engineers in Munich. We’re among that demographic, and a brand new Nürburgring video from Sport Auto reveals why we prefer it a lot.

The M2’s time of seven:38.23 set by German publication Sport Auto’s Christian Gebhardt is only a contact slower than BMW’s 7:33.90 lap established last year. Both instances are for the shorter 12.8-mile stretch of monitor, however the latter time confirms the M2 is a critical performer. Watching Gebhardt information the Bimmer by way of the countless corners, we might enterprise to say he is truly a bit conservative at instances. It’s comprehensible—no one needs to be the one who bins another person’s automobile on the most well-known highway course on this planet.

That being stated, on this case “conservative” nonetheless means 136 mph approaching the notorious crest on Quiddelbacher Hohe, the primary notable straight on the Nordschleife. Gebhardt does not get airborne, however the automobile definitely will get shut. He rolls again on the throttle and reaches 161 mph whereas cresting the follow-up straight, negotiating the high-speed Schwedenkreuz left-hander like a professional.

Aside from simply a few sharp turns, Gebhardt by no means dips beneath 60 mph throughout his run, maxing out at 174 mph down the principle straight. Presumably, meaning this M2 is provided with the M Driver’s Package that nixes the 155-mph velocity limiter. Without it, BMW says the M2’s high velocity is 177 mph, a quantity Gebhardt practically achieves throughout this lap.

The G87 M2 is already on par with the M3 on the ‘Ring. It’s faster than an Audi RS3, and it is practically as fast because the M4 Competition. We know BMW is engaged on a brand new M2 CS that might debut this 12 months, which begs the query. How a lot sooner will or not it’s when it will definitely takes to the monitor for an official lap? We possible will not have to attend lengthy to search out out.

Opinion

Is It Possible to Have Too Many Drive Modes?

Hyundai executives can be defensive about criticism of the abundant drive modes and options on performance cars like their i30 N.

That’s one of my favorite hot hatchbacks, but it’s undeniable that it offers a multitude of customizable features.

The onboard systems provide options to adjust suspension stiffness, change steering weight, fine-tune engine response, and much more. Reportedly, there are nearly 2000 combinations.

Some argue that this is excessive – and I might agree. However, Hyundai’s driving attributes chief, Tyrone Johnson, suggests that if the multitude of options is overwhelming, users can simply stick to the preset configurations, including what Hyundai believes is the ideal N mode.

This seems like a reasonable approach. Until now, I wasn’t sure where I stood on this issue. I have sat in BMW M cars and Mercedes-AMGs, and even spent six months in an M5 without feeling like I had fully mastered all its capabilities.

Having so many choices can feel like being at a cook-it-yourself restaurant – there’s a great chef in the background who knows the best way to cook the ingredients, but lets you make a mess of it.

I prefer when an expert handles things, whether it’s cooking or tuning the suspension of a Toyota GR86.

As driver’s cars become increasingly electrified, this situation is only going to become more complex – or more interesting, depending on your perspective.

In the i30 N, there are mechanical limitations to the adjustments that can be made. The drive is strictly front-wheel and the engine’s responsiveness has its limits. However, as shown in the recent first drive of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, electric cars offer a different experience.

The Ioniq 5 N comes with four preset and two customizable modes for regular driving. In the adjustable modes, you can modify damping, steering weight, motor and differential response, and more, but that’s just the beginning.

Additional buttons enable maximum boost for 10 seconds, reduce power to increase circuit endurance, engage full braking effort on throttle lift-off, activate a low-speed drifty mode, and adjust power distribution between the front and rear over 11 stages.

Cars, News

Tesla Introduces ‘Charge On Solar’ Option for Environmentally Friendly EV Charging

Tesla has launched a new feature called Charge on Solar that addresses a common criticism faced by electric vehicles regarding the source of their power. This feature allows Tesla owners to charge their vehicles using excess solar energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimizing carbon emissions.

Charge on Solar is not only a sustainable way for Tesla owners to charge their cars, but it also contributes to the wider adoption of renewable energy for transportation. Currently, this feature is only available in North America (the U.S. and Canada), and there is no information about its availability in other markets.

However, it is likely that Tesla is actively working to make this feature available in Europe and other regions. While there are no indications of extending these benefits to non-Tesla electric vehicles, Tesla has previously shown openness in sharing access to their proprietary North American Charging Standard (NACS) with other EV manufacturers.