Aside from the aesthetic advantages Carbon Fiber offers those who prefer its patterned appearance, significant weight savings and lowered centers-of gravity can be seen when it is used for large areal components such as the roof and hood. These advantages would seem even more relevant for SUV/SAV platforms which, by definition, have elevated heights c/w coupes and sedans. Although I’ve had trouble locating component weights for the G01’s solid roof and moonroof options, it has been suggested in other Forums that moonroof deletions in some models may save 40-50lbs (with CF subtracting another 15lbs over an OEM solid aluminum roof). If these estimations are accurate, that’s roughly 50-65lbs off the highest section of the X3 which seemingly must yield at least some degree of lowered CG.
https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1495538 ,
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301171
As it appears the G01’s moonroof mechanism requires ~ 1-1/2” space, if this option is deleted it could also allow for a more aerodynamic roof design without affecting headroom. Using a screen capture of our G01 from the BMW Connected app I made a rudimentary photo-edit to conceptualize. Although it would interesting to see how this design might alter wind tunnel profiles c/w the OEM solid aluminum roof, intuitively it seems Cd x A should improve as well? As I have no background in Fluid Dynamics my theory could be way off base, but this design must have some aero benefits for BMW's Design team to offer such for the M5. For those interested in some background, here is a link to a Ford Motor Co presentation on vehicle aerodynamics from 2005:
http://www.saea.com.au/resources/Doc...-A-Seminar.pdf
And here’s a video showing the manufacture of a CF roof for the M3:
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So would a CF roof and hood significantly alter the X3M’s performance and handling in daily use? Perhaps not, but it might be a reasonable consideration for those awaiting the X3M w/ ZCP.