RE: 328is v. Jeep CJ 4x4 in Snow

[Peter Henriksen <peterhe@microsoft.com>]

On the other hand, one of the car rag editors (Automobile's, I think)
drove a 540 with essentially the same traction control system last
winter and said it was better than anything else this side of AWD and
even outdid quite a number of 4WD trucks, which - he neglected to say -
were probably driven by morons.
- peter, microsoft corp., wa
  91 200qw
  94 acura legend gs
  80 mazda 626

>----------
>From: 	ScharfR@aol.com[SMTP:ScharfR@aol.com]
>Sent: 	Tuesday, March 26, 1996 12:20 AM
>To: 	eliot@u.washington.edu; kenhu@bgs.com
>Cc: 	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>Subject: 	Re: 328is v. Jeep CJ 4x4 in Snow
>
>This whole subject is the result of some Marketing-based testing that
>BMW
>contracted for with a firm called Automotive Marketing Consultants,
>Inc. (no
>affiliation).  You might have seen AMCI's work before, they do a lot of
>the
>"testing validation" for various advertising claims made by a number of
>manufacturers.
>
>In this particular "test" the BMW was pitted against a Jeep Grand
>Cherokee, a
>Lexus ES300 and a Volvo 850 Turbo. The Jeep had Quadra Trac, the Lexus
>was
>plain vanilla front-drive and the Volvo has a brake-intervention type
>of
>traction control.
>
>In several different maneuvers, the cars were all driven with the
>throttles
>set at 1/3 travel. This is the key for the apparently good BMW
>performance.
> Their traction control will invoke the engine management and brakes to
>minimize wheel spin. That intervention enabled the BMW to get around in
>the
>slippery stuff despite using too much throttle input for conditions
>(typical
>BMW driver mode?).
>
>The other cars didn't have any ability to regulate throttle position
>(locked
>at 1/3, remember) and because of the nature of their drive systems and
>traction control they were forced to do what no mortal would do in such
>a
>situation - they couldn't lift off. As a result, the other cars
>couldn't do
>as well as the BMW. In the real world where I live, people do tend to
>lift
>off when they get in too deep, but these test conditions wouldn't allow
>for
>that.
>
>Bottom line? If you make the test unnatural enough, even a BMW can seem
>to be
>able to creep around in the slippery stuff. But remember, the skill
>wasn't on
>the part of the BMW driver.  His butt was saved by elecronics.
>
>You don't suppose they just forgot to test an Audi in these conditions?
>