Why do BMW drivers who encounter Teslas almost always embarass themselves?

[AustinPowers]

It's not that Europe has bigger tanks, is that they have more efficient engines. Small diesels are quite rare in North America, and even when comparing gas engines you'll often find the same vehicle available with a smaller engine in Europe. North America is very much behind the times with vehicle technology compared to most of the rest of the developed world, the one exception is Tesla.

+1

I thought the same when I read all those comments about many oil changes, cost-intensive maintenance, bad reliability and the like by many US posters here, while also many here on the forum talk about having (or having had) V6, V8 etc. engines in their cars. Engines that are not very common here in Europe, sometimes not even available on European versions of the same model of car that is also sold in the US.
We have lots of cars with small (i.e. between 1.0 and 2.0 litre displacement) and fuel efficient gas and especially Diesel engines over here, mostly three- or four-cylinder cars, some even with only two (!) cylinders. Those Diesel engines in general are very fuel efficient, fun to drive, last almost forever and need very little maintenance, oil changes etc.

 

[brianman]

I thought the same when I read all those comments about many oil changes, cost-intensive maintenance, bad reliability and the like by many US posters here, while also many here on the forum talk about having (or having had) V6, V8 etc. engines in their cars. ...

My gut feel is that some (much?) of this can also be attributed to the dealership system in the US as well.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Odds of you being able to use that acceleration should the situation arise if you never ever do otherwise: 0.

I've already avoided a rear end collision, so I speak from experience and not hypotheticals. I was sitting at a backed-up freeway offramp and it was clear the car about 1/4 mile behind me was not slowing down and did not see the long string of brake lights. I always keep half a car length between myself and the car in front of me when standing still, as a safety buffer, and I used the car's power to haul ass out of my spot and into the adjacent lane which was moving. The car that I avoided slammed on his/her brakes and slid to a stop right as they reached my spot, where my car was sitting in line. If I had not moved out of the way, I would have been rear ended in a spectacular fashion and the other car would have probably exploded.

 

[artsci]

Odds of you being able to use that acceleration should the situation arise if you never ever do otherwise: 0.

In my experience that assumption doesn't hold any water. I've gotten myself out of the way of some very dangerous situations with the quick burst of acceleration that the P85 does with ease. For example, I was driving down the far left lane of I-95 and some clown to my right started to drift out of his lane into mine. I had no room on the left shoulder but did in front, so I just accelerated out of the fool's way.

 

[AWDtsla]

In my experience that assumption doesn't hold any water. I've gotten myself out of the way of some very dangerous situations with the quick burst of acceleration that the P85 does with ease. For example, I was driving down the far left lane of I-95 and some clown to my right started to drift out of his lane into mine. I had no room on the left shoulder but did in front, so I just accelerated out of the fool's way.

Oh so you routinely excel at things you never practice? Sounds like a case of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect to me.

 

[Chipper]

Oh so you routinely excel at things you never practice? Sounds like a case of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect to me.

Dude! Lighten up. Artsci is providing a personal experience to point out the possibility of another interpretation.

 

[green1]

People may not excel at things they haven't practiced, but putting your foot down hard to avoid a situation is hardly rocket science, and to be honest, everyone who drives practices some form of it on a nearly daily basis (even if sometimes it's more than others)

Saying someone doesn't know how to accelerate out of the way in an emergency because they don't race recklessly is somewhat hard to believe.

 

[RiverBrick]

Last nite, somebody in an Audi A4 TFSI was hell bent on racing me. I just ignored him and respected the speed limits. However, since the lights were synchronized, I kept catching up with him and the spectacle would repeat itself.

I know nothing about ICE vehicles, but Googling appears to show that his car would have no chance against any Model S in a drag race. Is it likely his vehicle was souped-up, or did he just have a desire to look doubly stupid?

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Last nite, somebody in an Audi A4 TFSI was hell bent on racing me. I just ignored him and respected the speed limits. However, since the lights were synchronized, I kept catching up with him and the spectacle would repeat itself.

I know nothing about ICE vehicles, but Googling appears to show that his car would have no chance against any Model S in a drag race. Is it likely his vehicle was souped-up, or did he just have a desire to look doubly stupid?

If he was itching for a race there's a good chance he was chipped. For $600 you can get your Audi ECU reprogrammed to deliver more boost off the turbos. Good for roughly another 80hp/80 ft.lb. torque, or about 1 second off of stock 0-60 mph. Depending on what model year, he's probably a mid 5 second car, or about on par with your S85, but I'd give the advantage to you as you'd be quicker off the line (Go Electric!).

Glad to hear you turned the other cheek and didn't take the bait. Racing is best left to the drag strip.

 

[Reykjavik]

I don't think it is humiliating to lose unless you get too emotionally invested in the first place. That said, someone racing on the street isn't likely to have the sort of objectivity required for grace in defeat.

 

[AustinPowers]

That said, someone racing on the street isn't likely to have the sort of objectivity required for grace in defeat.

Someone racing on the street isn't likely to have enough of the common sense normally necessary to validate owning a driver's licence in the first place!
Like EarlyAdopter said, racing is best left to a drag strip.

 

[artsci]

Dude! Lighten up. Artsci is providing a personal experience to point out the possibility of another interpretation.

Precisely. Some people don't get it

 

[andydoty]

Okay, so I've been reading this particular thread and really referred to it as a satirical post more then anything else. To allude to the fact that a particular brand of car and driver have the distinction of being obnoxious on the road is often misplaced.... Yeah, not so with this one! The thread should be worded "Tesla drivers and and BMW interactions..."

So, I was driving my Mom to brunch on mother's day which was bright, sunny and warm. I really wasn't in a rush so I took my leisurely time enjoying my freshly minted Tesla (I've had it for a month). When a rather large pickup truck pulls up next to me to ask what car it is. I explain that it's a Tesla and the guy says what beautiful lines it has, etc., etc., etc. By the way, we're moving during this time. I've noticed this BMW convertible buzzing around trying to pass everyone but did what all self respecting Tesla evangelists do, I ignored him.

At the next light, the truck is now on my left and we're level with one another. Again, role down the windows and chat explaining that his girlfriend just googled the car and, well, we all know the responses (fast, beautiful, all electric, yada yada yada). I think he was a car guy which happens alot to me around here. Mostly pickup trucks, odd. We break off and I proceed to drive to my brunch location. I take a quick look in the rear view and and BMW and it's driver is pretty much glued to my rear bumper. Tailgating, revving the engine, back and forth... Now, I try to be the good little Tesla evangelist. I really do.

At a point in the drive, the road opens up briefly on the left and he guns it and passes me on the left (illegally I might add) and proceeds to cut me off and dart all the way into the right lane to get onto the highway. I really, really, really wanted to catch up and explain to him that I could have had him for lunch if I really wanted to. That his driving skills matched with an inferior specimen of a compensatory vehicle were simply no match for the raw torque and immense power of a Tesla. But I didn't. Why? Because I'm a good Tesla evangelist!

Car guys get it. Kids get it. BMW drivers, not so much!

 

[Btrflyl8e]

Maybe I'm just a glass half full kind of girl, but to me it seems most of my BMW interactions are nothing more than their desire to get me to show them a little taste of what a Tesla can do. Yesterday in afternoon traffic, I passed a BMW who was doing the speed limit. I wasn't flying, as there was some traffic, so maybe about 5 miles over. There could have been a few seconds where it was more, I AM in a Tesla that teleports, as you all know. In my mirror, I see the BMW has taken notice I'm a Tesla, and is speeding to pass me before the red light, where he promptly cuts in front of me before we both have to stop. I'm laughing at his ridiculousness, there is nowhere we'll be able to go when the light changes, we're at least 5 cars back in all 3 lanes. So I laugh and shake my head, assuming he is watching in his rearview. (His car is so blacked out I never saw a glimpse of the driver). He must have been watching, as he then starts revving like crazy, which makes me laugh harder. IT IS RUSH HOUR, this is not happening, dude. The light changes and he does everything in his power to get around everyone. I choose to stay calm and just enjoy watching his antics. I really think that he just wanted to see the Tesla in action, it was a shame I couldn't show him.

 

[contaygious]

M3s are the worst. Revving in 1st gear and swerving all over. If they'd let me get next to them I'd win easily.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Here are some links to other articles and studies which actually back up what this thread is about:

BMW drivers really are jerks, studies find - The Tell - MarketWatch

Study: BMW drivers are the worst Bankrate, Inc.

BMW drivers really are the most aggressive drivers and more prone to road rage when they get behind the wheel | Mail Online

Video - BMW Drivers Really Are Jerks, Studies Find - WSJ.com

Apparently blue BMWs with male drivers aged 30s-40s are the worst offenders.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I was driving along in my usual reserved fashion slightly over the speed limit in the rightmost lane of a 3-lane highway, and had to endure an M3 driver swerving around either unsuccessfully trying to pass or to get me to race. He finally managed to get around in the leftmost lane, immediately swerved across all of the lanes to get in front of me in the rightmost lane, and hit the brakes... to slower than I was going originally.

My wife, in the passenger seat, generally clueless about but interested in cars and rarely curses, on this occasion piped up, "Are all BMW drivers @$$holes?" I just about died.

She's been looking at some of their wagon offerings, but is pretty sure she wants something else so she's not associated with them. Hilarious stuff.

 

[jcaspar]

I crushed an M3 today. I know they are not very fast cars but it was amazing, like he was standing still. But his car was making a lot of noise!:smile:

 

[gaswalla]

I was at red light.. oblivious to the obnoxious guy in M3 next to me.. then heard the loud rev. was caught off guard by a split second --remembered this thread - and smoked him... what a loser

 

[MikeL]

. . .She's been looking at some of their wagon offerings, but is pretty sure she wants something else so she's not associated with them. Hilarious stuff.

There's (going to be) this new thing called the Model X :biggrin: Maybe you've heard of it. She can crush Bmers with a 7 seater!