re: '95 M3 Over-Rev/Class action law suit? - OH REALLY?

[David Beatty <dbeatty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<<<<<<Date:	Tue, 24 Nov 1998 16:57:13 -0500
From:	"Nick" <nikog@domain.elided>
Subject:	re: '95 M3 Over-Rev/Class action law suit?

Why in the world should BMW pay for your error?? They have a rev-limiter
in the computer to keep the motor from over-revving via the throttle;
that is all that's required. There is no way, read IMPOSSIBLE, that any
computer/manufacturer can prevent an overrev due to a mis-shift. The
mechanical coupling cannot be bypassed when the DRIVER puts the
transmission into the wrong gear.>>>> SNIP
<<<<It was your error, not theirs.
They did all they could do to prevent it. You didn't.
Nick
'95 M3>>>>

My, aren't we quick to come to the defense of BMW?  Check out:
http://www.kormanfastbmw.com/e36engin.htm

says: "Heavy Duty Hard Rubber Engine and Transmission Mount Kit

Under hard cornering and heavy braking, E36 engines & transmissions can
lean to one side contributing to the "missed shift
syndrome" (looks like this). Installation of these improved bushings (2
engine mounts, 2 transmission mounts) can help you
avoid a costly repair bill. A must for racing, strongly recommended for
autocross, rally and driver's school use. 

E36 M3, 328, 325 P/N 11810005"

I've never heard anyone accuse Korman of selling snake oil, much to the
contrary.  BMW certainly promotes the M3 as a race bred and nearly
race-ready car.  In a car marketed as such, a tendency to induce
misshift strikes me at first blush as a design defect.  I'm not a big
bmw-techie, so my evaluation shouldn't count for much.  Say what you
want about eggs, while the e36 m3 and m roadster shifters are a vast
improvement over my old Gti's, they still don't match the smoothness of
my MR2 turbo with 100k on the clock.

The big question is, why are the m3's famous for overrev's and other
makes (vettes, vipers, rx7's, etc) are not?  Mazda still denies that it
had an engine fire problem with the rx7tt.  It may be that the m3
overrev problem is statistically normal and simply gets a lot of press,
or it may be that it is a real problem that BMW should acknowledge and
fix.  We'll never know if people come to knee-jerk conclusions until it
happens to THEM......

David D. Beatty
99 //m roadster
91 mr2 turbo (buy me now!)
96 cbr900rr
85 v65 magna
93 gs500e
97 4runner

Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A.
Patent Attorneys
Suite 250, 111 Corning Road, Cary, NC 27511
PO Box 37428, Raleigh, NC 27627
Telephone: 919-854-1400
Fax: 919-854-1401 
dbeatty@domain.elided
web site: www.carolinapatents.com 

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