From: eliot@lanmola.engr.washington.edu (eliot)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Corrado SLC or 325is?
Date: 16 Oct 92 00:59:04 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: clearer than blir

In article <1992Oct15.171526.27599@ncrcae.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM> dan@Grok85.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM writes:
>First off (my qualifications) I own a 89 325is and have extensively
>driven a 92 325i and VR6 Corrado.

>If your only looking for bang for the buck I agree that the new VR6
>VWs are a strong suit.  But there is alot more to a BMW than just
>0-60 and road-feel.  Shut the door on the Corrado and then on the
>BMW.  If they sound the same then buy the VW.  I am not implying 
>that BMW uses $10K door catches but that the structure/solidity of 
>the car is a level above the VW.  Try out a MBZ if you really want
>solid.  My uncles 8 year old 280E always amazes me, especially
>at 135 mph.

I have to call into question the whole concept of judging a car by the
way the door closes.  I don't see how the door can be considered to be
a major structural member of a car, especially when it rests on hinges.
I will even go as far as to say that structural rigidity of a car body
is largely independent of the doors.

Now, as to how a door sounds when it is closed, isn't that a function
of how well sealed the interior of the car is?  If you make sure that
the air in the interior cannot escape, then you will have a nice
pleasant damping effect of the interior air getting compressed.  And
one or two other things, like making sure the window mechanism are
well fastened.  That way anybody can make a shutting door sound good,
at least in my estimation.  If you have a better explanation of how
a nice sounding shutting door can be correlated with "solidness" or
as i interpret it to be structural rigidity, i'm all ears.

With regards to the 325i vs. the corrado, it may well be that the 325i
has a stiffer structure than the corrado, since it is a good couple of
hundred pounds heavier.  we also know that weight is the biggest enemy
of anything that wants to be sporty, as exemplified by the mazda rx7,
so even if we establish that a good sounding door means a good stiff
structure, there are always weight penalties and their associated ills
to consider.

all in all, if all you can offer in defence of the 325i over the
corrado is the way the doors shut then i think you have a very weak
case indeed.  and if you say that the 325i has a stiffer structure and
is therefore better, i will rebutt with its weight disadvantage and
how it will affect braking, steering, accelerating and fuel
consumption.  the corrado is stiff where it matters, i.e. in
maintaining its suspension geometry and stability under very high
cornering loads.  its low weight gives it agility that very few front
engined cars will ever match.

i think the 325i is a fine car by anybody's standards.  the corrado,
on the other hand, has a lot to offer for its $22K asking price.  CAR
magazine tested the 325i and the Golf VR6 and concluded that the Golf
scored a narrow victory over the 325i.  I think that the Corrado VR6
is probably sold at a loss (as is the Audi S4), financed by the
marketing dept, as well as the millions of lesser golf/jetta models.
after all the vr6 engine took nearly 10 years of development; not a
single part of it comes from the existing parts bin of their 4
bangers.  the low volume and limited availability probably makes it
feasible as a loss-incurring marketing exercise for the entire marque.
vw has to maintain its reputation for being affordable, the people's
car.  several thousand corrado vr6s sold at a loss will be more than
made up by all the rapturous reviews that the car is now universally
acquiring.  porsche lost hundreds of millions selling the 200 959s.
bmw does not have that luxury with the 325i, since it is their money
making model, so they have to price the car realistically.  i think
that in the corrado, one is getting a $30K performance car for a $10K
discount.  check out corrado vr6 prices in europe.  about 20,000#
sterling in the UK.

a vw area-rep told me that the reason why they are not importing the
golf vr6 is because they will have to price it at $26K to turn a
profit (given projected sales figures), even for a mexican made model.
so, a corrado vr6 for $22K?  grab it while it's there, i say.


eliot