Hi, all
I thought that the Z4 with run-flats and sports suspension was borderline acceptable on local Welsh roads, with tramlining and bumpiness, and completely unacceptable on English and Scottish roads, with crashing and jolting. (The roads here in Wales certainly feel much better maintained that over the border to the East!)
I now know, that it is the roads, not the car. For months, driving my runflat-equipped 3.0 SE Z4 in France and Italy, it does not tramline, and it does not ride too hard.
I have been away for quite a while, and driven more than 13k km, in France, Belgium and Italy. I **loved** my Z4: it was delightful! A great Autoroute cruiser, hood up or down, and a tight sportscar on the windy north Italian roads. On returning, I drove out from the channel tunnel Shuttle onto the M20 and was bounced around, assailed with noise, and had to hold onto the steering wheel, and remembered why I thought the 4 to be such a bloody awful dog before I left.
The most startling difference is the noise! British roads are SO noisy. This is a misery for those driving, but is so much more of a misery to those living or standing next to the roads. When I returned to the UK, I had completely forgotten how intrusive traffic noise is here. It is not just because there is more traffic (and by goodness, there is) it is because the road surfaces here cause tyres to make so much more noise. In a lone car, this means that there is more noise in the cabin. In traffic, this means one can hear more noise from every other nearby vehicle, especially lorries. I really feel sorry for those living near the road, who could have so much less noise polution.
The dreadful ride on British roads is also startling. We were on the A303 and A34 dual-carriageways today, and the only comparison that I could find was with the upper Valle de Susa on the approach to the Tunnel du Frejus in the high alps that suffers from some of the worst weather and highest HGV loading in the whole of Europe! UK motorways now seem bumpy and very noisy to me. Even the lightly-trafficed M6Toll has violent vertical excursions, bumps, and hidden features that make the car tramline.
I'm moving to France next year, so I don't mind! Everyone else, write to your MP!
A
I thought that the Z4 with run-flats and sports suspension was borderline acceptable on local Welsh roads, with tramlining and bumpiness, and completely unacceptable on English and Scottish roads, with crashing and jolting. (The roads here in Wales certainly feel much better maintained that over the border to the East!)
I now know, that it is the roads, not the car. For months, driving my runflat-equipped 3.0 SE Z4 in France and Italy, it does not tramline, and it does not ride too hard.
I have been away for quite a while, and driven more than 13k km, in France, Belgium and Italy. I **loved** my Z4: it was delightful! A great Autoroute cruiser, hood up or down, and a tight sportscar on the windy north Italian roads. On returning, I drove out from the channel tunnel Shuttle onto the M20 and was bounced around, assailed with noise, and had to hold onto the steering wheel, and remembered why I thought the 4 to be such a bloody awful dog before I left.
The most startling difference is the noise! British roads are SO noisy. This is a misery for those driving, but is so much more of a misery to those living or standing next to the roads. When I returned to the UK, I had completely forgotten how intrusive traffic noise is here. It is not just because there is more traffic (and by goodness, there is) it is because the road surfaces here cause tyres to make so much more noise. In a lone car, this means that there is more noise in the cabin. In traffic, this means one can hear more noise from every other nearby vehicle, especially lorries. I really feel sorry for those living near the road, who could have so much less noise polution.
The dreadful ride on British roads is also startling. We were on the A303 and A34 dual-carriageways today, and the only comparison that I could find was with the upper Valle de Susa on the approach to the Tunnel du Frejus in the high alps that suffers from some of the worst weather and highest HGV loading in the whole of Europe! UK motorways now seem bumpy and very noisy to me. Even the lightly-trafficed M6Toll has violent vertical excursions, bumps, and hidden features that make the car tramline.
I'm moving to France next year, so I don't mind! Everyone else, write to your MP!
A
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