| Beware the 330 with the SMG!
The M3's SMGII transmission is a Siemen's design and reputed to be the very best electronically controlled manual transmission around! The SMG system that goes on the 330 is Magnetti Marelli (the same one used by Ferrari and Alfa Romeo). Allow me to quote Evo:
"Compared with the precision feel of the M3's paddles, their (paddles in the 330) action is not nearly as nice as they require a bigger prod to change gear, and changing up or down with the same paddle doesn't feel as natural as having one for up and one for down.
BMW's reasoning for this layout is that it allows the driver to drive with just one hand on the wheel and still change gear. This seems an extraordinary admission, as SMG is meant to be the sportiest gearbox option in the range, rather than an alternative for the automatic gearbox which is more suited to such antics.
There are fewer modes than the 11 on the M3 SMG: just normal, cruise, sport, and 'launch'."
The M3 system is a better, sportier system with German engineering. The one on the 330i sounds far less satisfying...
Last edited by 330Ci St.Grey : 06-20-2002 at 05:40 AM.
|