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Sunday, May 1, 2011
2012 BMW M1 |
2012 BMW M1 |
The realize that many 2012 BMW M1 test drivers hardly ever use cruise control. However, I find it useful to help keep the blue lights of my tail in cities, towns, school zones and known speed traps. I also admit to using it on Interstate highways and similar roads on trips where I set it on the speed limit so I can decelerate to the limit when Mr. Valentine says to. So, it can be a very useful “feature” when used diligently. Here’s why. Let’s say you are driving down I-75 with cruise control on (probably at around 90 in the right lane to avoid being blown off the road and it starts to rain. Being a prudent BMW driver, you slow down and reset your cruise control to 50. You hit an unexpected patch of water and suddenly, you are up on top hydroplaning. This can happen in a few milliseconds, though you may not register what is happening for ¾ second or so. During a hydroplaning event, most people concentrate on steering and not braking during the first few seconds. I know I do.
2012 BMW M1 |
When you go up on the water, your 2012 BMW M1 will instantly begin to slow down (though it won’t seem like it to you at the time). The cruise control will then accelerate to get the drive wheels back up to 50 mph. Now, your drive wheels indicate 50 mph, but your car is actually going slower than that. When you regain traction, your car is going to take off like a, well 2012 BMW M1, in whatever direction it is pointed at that moment. If you are spinning or sliding sideways, your car will decelerate much quicker and thereby increase the difference in indicated speed and actual speed when you land. One can imagine an automatic or SMG in auto mode downshifting to get back up to 50mph. The more torque and horsepower, the greater the risk. The wider the tire contact patch, the greater the lift.
Labels: BMW
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