Grip vs Traction

Do you understand why an AWD car is great? Is it because you have more grip or more traction?

Most people have to really think about that!

AWD has its advantages that is for sure, but if I had a choice between a sublime RWD vs (any) AWD - I'd take the sublime RWD every day of the week. With the possible exception of the Nissan GTR (which, is actually a RWD until it needs the front) AWD cars just don't have the feel or control of a great RWD car.

Back to the blog subject...

When you have a AWD car, you have subscribed to more traction meaning that you can get more drive forward in a situation where RWD would be spinning. If the conditions mean that the RWD won't be breaking traction - then they would be evenly matched.

When you buy better tyres or improve the sizing, then you have more grip. Grip is what you are looking for when you are cornering. So if you have an AWD car you don't have more grip than a RWD car. AWD and RWD cars will corner the same in a situation where grip is equal.

There are situations where physics doesn't seem to add up. For example, the BMW M3 and the Audi RS5 on the top gear test track - in wet conditions - with the same driver. The BMW M3 is a RWD 420hp car with a sublime RWD design. The Audi RS5 is a AWD 450hp car with a AWD oriented chassis. On a wet track, you would expect the RS5 to beat the M3 hands down. It didn't. The M3 was faster. This is a classic case of a chassis designed for grip (M3) against a chassis designed for traction.

See for yourself: http://www.tu.tv/videos/top-gear-bmw-m3-vs-audi-rs5_1

Depending on the situation, grip is a far better trait to have than traction. By design, if you have a truckload of grip - you will have good traction. But having AWD traction does not mean you have more grip - just as the video above illustrates.

The BMW 1M

Driving the BMW 1M takes me back to the days when I owned a 335i coupe and wondered why I should spend the money on a M3 when the 335i felt so fast. The 1M combines elements from the M3 and 335i (well, actually more the 335is) and packages them into a 135 shell.

Its a great looking little machine - flared gaurds - big nostrils - awesome.

Inside it is a nice place to be - great seats, nice interior. I adjusted the controls to my normal driving position which I have worked out over the years. Easy.

Press the start button and the engine snarls into life. It is quite a loud machine - which is good.

So, I took it out for the first time on a nice overcast Auckland day - down the northern motorway towards the coatesville roads. A few bursts from throttle reveal the wall of torque from the 3.0 I6 TT. The 70-100kmh bursts were over in no time. Heaps of go!

Into the corners and the first thing I noticed was the turn in. Stunning. The nose bites in and slightly turns under as the tyres bite into the bend. Need more? Turn the steering wheel further. Simple as that. The Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres on this chassis are nearly unbeatable.

Brakes? Stunning. Nothing more to say on that.

Engine? A great engine. The N54 is a awesome first direct injection twin turbo effort by BMW. Yes, it is quick. No doubt a very very strong motor...but...it does have turbo lag. A really really small amount of lag. Most people won't even notice because of the immense wall of torque that follows. When you get it into a section of road that requires point, go, brake, point, go , brake etc - you expect (in a BMW M car anyway) that point, go and brake have all been balanced with each other and react as quickly as you can think. In this case, the point and brake are instant - but the go is prefixed with a slight (ever so slight) wait, then go.

Overall, it is an awesome machine. The engine is no M3 V8 - but you aren't paying the same money as the M3 either. I am looking forward to the F30 M3 and hope that the turbo engine they use there has zero lag.